I also noticed that OTL Zimbabwe is a functional, prosperous state. What happened TTL to make Zimbabwe a non-batshit crazy place?
I will explain it, because I doubt that it'll come-up as a major part in the timeline's 'main storyline' (though I'll have to break it up into two parts - the tale of how Zimbabwe got to where it is today is honestly a massive story in-and-of-itself).I also noticed that OTL Zimbabwe is a functional, prosperous state. What happened TTL to make Zimbabwe a non-batshit crazy place?
It's the remnants of the 'Nationalist Army' that fought against the United States and the Turkish government during (surprise surprise) the Turkish War. Though I'll expand more on it in a later update, it has since the de jure end of the conflict become essentially a minor hodgepodge of Pan-Turkish, Islamist, and extreme-Nationalist forces carrying-out an unpopular insurgency against what they describe as the "sell-out government" in Ankara.What's going on in the northeast of Turkey?
It's the remnants of the 'Nationalist Army' that fought against the United States and the Turkish government during (surprise surprise) the Turkish War. Though I'll expand more on it in a later update, it has since the de jure end of the conflict become essentially a minor hodgepodge of Pan-Turkish, Islamist, and extreme-Nationalist forces carrying-out an unpopular insurgency against what they describe as the "sell-out government" in Ankara.
I really like the idea, but the northeast of Turkey really isn't Islamist. It was really left wing back in the day and still is quite leftwing. I would give them more land on the western border of Kurdistan and less on the northern.
And i really love the timeline. I was actually planning a Byrnes timeline myself, but i never have the inspiration to put my words on paper or my fingers on the keyboard.
Chinese culture ITTL (especially without the mass cultural destruction that it experienced after the rise of the Communists) is fairly massive and influential across the entire world, though particularly in East Asian countries. Very much in the same way American culture (television, film, music, literature, etc.) is easily the most dominant force in the West, Chinese culture is quite a hegemonic force in the East. In countries like Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, people flock to read the newest books coming out of China, or watch the next big Shanghai blockbuster; this being bolstered by the sheer-amount of art and media which comes out of the RoC (particularly action, romance, and history films). Even going into Central Asia, East Africa, and some areas of the Middle East, Chinese- and East Asian-derived cultural products tend to be more available than those coming out of the United States.
I don't want to ruin too-much right now, but I can say that India will come up in the timeline some point in the near future.I must say, I'm loving this TL. The world you've built is a very interesting place. I would most certainly like to know a little more about India here, as it appears to have gone through quite a few changes from OTL.
To be honest, I never delved too deeply into the alt-history of comic books in this timeline (well, at least not yet); the most I probably considered was the rise of Chinese comics during the 50's and 60's (with a drawing style based loosely off Shangan) which would come to both rival (and perhaps overtake) the nascent manga styles coming out of Japan.On the subject of pop culture, how are comics doing ITTL?
China, as I've stated before, has been described in TTL as the 'workshop of the world'.One thing that will happen soon OTL, and probably happened a while ago ITTL, is the rise of Chinese brands. Not just low-end appliances and electronics, but high-status luxury goods and respected industrial products. Think of how many Italian, French, German, and British brands are world famous. America has a lot too, though from my point of view I can't really judge how widely they are known elsewhere. ITTL China would have a lot.
Whilst you're right in saying that the Republic of Korea is (and also was) larger than in OTL, you're not quite right on the 'shorter' and 'less destructive' aspects of that conflict; as mentioned by the Narrator in a previous update, "Thomas Dewey, sent men to Korea and that ultimately turned into the third bloodiest war in American history" (there was a reason Dewey almost lost the 1952 election). Though the Narrator got his facts a bit wrong there ('only' 51,875 Americans died), he was right in insinuating just how bloody a conflict it was; to the point in which Korea is no longer considered by the American people to be the 'Forgotten War' of OTL, and is instead considered a WW1-esque mess of trench warfare and mass charges (though American cultural perception don't really match what the war was really like).Here's something else in that line: the greater impact of Korea. OTL, Korea has risen to be a developed industrial country, a peer of the major Euro countries, if not the U.S. or China. And... Korean culture is spreading out. Scan the listings of Netflix and Hulu - lots of Korean TV. ITTL, the Korean war would have been shorter and less destructive, Korea would have been larger, and wealthier sooner...
As you can see in THIS post in the wikibox thread, China's actually not-to-bad when it comes to sports (at least in the Olympics). Though this success has actually been a relatively recent phenomenon that arose from Chinese failures at Montreal in 1976 and Madrid in 1980 (the latter being extra-humiliating due to the fact that it was boycotted by the Eastern Bloc), China has developed a fairly decent 'sporting culture' thanks to the promotion efforts of the Ministry of Sports. In terms of Olympic sports, China particularly excels in events like sailing, rowing, handball, archery, wushu, track cycling, badminton, various swimming events, as well as having a fairly decent men's hockey team in the 90's and 00's (almost on par with Zimbabwe-Rhodesia).Oh, and here's a wild card. Chinese impact on world sports. What sports would China compete in? China is prominent in figure skating, gymnastics, and a lot of "Olympic" sports. OTL, Asian women dominate ladies' golf, especially Koreans, and some Thais. China could be huge. (They're also getting into women's tennis, though with no great success yet.) China could be a power in soccer, of course. And here's where that gets weird. Europe dominates soccer, and the best players from other areas all go play there, because that's where the money is. But here's something odd that's going on: India has been into cricket for generations. but recently they have become hot for a short-format version (Twenty/20); it is so popular there that the Indian Premier League is drawing many of the best players from Australia, New Zealand, and other developed countries. India is relatively poor on average, but so large that ther are enough upper class fans to support this.
So, ITTL, China, as large as India, with lots more money. Would the China Premier League of soccer buy all the best players? China is unlikely to take up baseball, due to its association with Japan (its popularity in Taiwan is a vestige of Japanese rule). But if China has taken up baseball... (If there are lots of Americans stationed in China in the 1950s, that might take the curse off baseball for them.) Or basketball.
This particular story itself? I would say yes. I've still been working on expanding TTL's universe in the meantime and I'll probably start something new based around TTL in the near future (most likely focusing on news stories rather than blog updates). In writing this timeline, I figured out that I can't just keep focus on this one particular part of the world; if I am going to return to the world of TTL, I'd rather depict every aspect of the world, not just the United States.Is this TL dead?
Appropriate signature is appropriate.This particular story itself? I would say yes. I've still been working on expanding TTL's universe in the meantime and I'll probably start something new based around TTL in the near future (most likely focusing on news stories rather than blog updates). In writing this timeline, I figured out that I can't just keep focus on this one particular part of the world; if I am going to return to the world of TTL, I'd rather depict every aspect of the world, not just the United States.
Nice to see that your going to keep the world TTL is set in going. I especially liked the Zimbabwe update. I met Abel Muzorewa at a graduation party in Luton. He was a very nice, very interesting man.This particular story itself? I would say yes. I've still been working on expanding TTL's universe in the meantime and I'll probably start something new based around TTL in the near future (most likely focusing on news stories rather than blog updates). In writing this timeline, I figured out that I can't just keep focus on this one particular part of the world; if I am going to return to the world of TTL, I'd rather depict every aspect of the world, not just the United States.