First of all - I have got some quite general ideas on what to include, but no specific details on how to do it. This is why any help would be welcome, because this time, I'm gonna pull this timeline through from about 1888 to (at least) 2100.
Main POD:
The main POD (is it divergence or decision actually? I like the former best.. ), is found in simple molecular structures of the human body. Kaiser Wilhelm the second is not born being a complete retard, thus not trying to prove what a prick he can be all the time.
Most importantly, he accepts the ideas of what to become "Bismarkian Politics" during his years as
the Kaiser to rival the fame of the British monarchs and let the German monarchy outlive his British role-model.
The main points of this Bismarkian Politics are:
1. Consolidation with the French or the reassurance that no two-front war will be fought.
2. Trying to form an alliance with the British Empire.
3. Colonies will be of no importance for the German Empire: instead, a more domestic-orientated policy will be followed. This also negates the necessity for a great navy, since only the north of Germany is lying at a coast protected by the British Royal Navy.*
*
To keep the great lobbies silent, a few colonies were made in Africa though. This also explains the small German influence down there in 2012.
Other central ideas are that:
- A limited war of France against the Netherlands which saw an unsuccessful German intervention, letting France attack Belgium. This lead to Britain uniting with Germany and declaring war on France. However, this was only a limited war since Britain was the original ally of France and this one ally decided in favour of Germany because of the French aggressions against Belgium and the Netherlands (Russia kept out because of friendly relations with Germany and fearing an Anglo-German entente). Italy went in for the kill, but were repelled by the French leading to a fascist revolution down there due to an overstretched medditerranean 'Empire' and the lost war with Greece (rebels supported by the Russian Empire).
- There was one great war due to a "fascist alliance" of France, Spain, Portugal and Italy after the limited war against France and the spreading of nationalist ideas from Italy to western Europe.
- After the great war, which is seen as a follow-up war of the so called "Bloody March" during which Canadian and Irish troops retook most of flandern from the French after their forces had been diverted to block the Italian attack, most of Europe was completely devastated. The war was even a greater one than OTL WWI (if that is even possible) due to the fact that technology was developed faster because of Germany focusing on domestic politics (basic research!) + the war errupting in 1933, rather than 1914. This meant that the whole military tactics derived from the first world war where non-existent in this ATL, and had to be catched up with quite desperately. However, civilian technology ATL is 15-20 years more advanced than OTL in the year 2012.
- The Federation came into being after a public referendum + the abolishion of the British monarchy. The US became the biggest economy, rebuilding Europe but the federation soon became the world's leading power (again, if you take it so) because of immigratn influx, an even greater united market, and the European Cooperation Treaty (imagine an OTL US + 20% of the market + OTL European Union Schengen effect).
- After the war there was a 30-40 years ideological separation (but no real cold war) in an USSR which did invade some parts of eastern Europe but was diplomatically held back by Britain and Germany + the fact that there was no OTL expansion into a third Reich. Without an American intervention into Chinese affairs because of the Federation still having a larger amount of influence there, there was no attempted peace-brokering between the communists + natioanlists forces => No communist China! However, China developed it's world power's ambitions about the same time as today because the Federation exerted too much influence over it's politics at first hand.
- This then leads to the situation we have in 2012 - Less economic/ecological problems than OTL, but about the same (or even worse) political "options" to come true.
So, any help on how to form a good TL out of this? I'm keeping my future ideas for myself right now, since I'll be fine doing that on my own.. 