I think an article about the various luxury markets like fashion, jewelry, foods would be good. With the IFE and Europa funding the 'social sciences' like Psychology and Sociology the marketing and advertising would be interesting. Plus the competition between the various luxury companies.
The Star-Spangled Expanded Universe of "What Madness Is This?"
- Thread starter Napoleon53
- Start date
Totally! Would write about that, albeit that might be a little less madness at first sight
Recently learned about Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog, the first Chief Rabbi of Ireland and and supporter of irish republicanism to the point he became known as the "Sinn Féin Rabbi", and pondering how to use it in future Ireland updates.
I found this movie yesterday after listening to a hauntingly beautiful song named "Prekrasnoe Dalyoko" (Wondrous Future or Beautiful Far-Away). It has the perfect aesthetics for Systematist Russia and Loomies Russia, as the movie envisions a perfect utopia of post-scarcity economy, space pirates and sci-fi tech that both Russia would love.
Movie name: Guest from the Future
Now, it is fitting enough that I might go on making a version of Youth Brigades in Systematist Russia or Loomie Russia lol.
Movie name: Guest from the Future
Oh it would be so fun, though I imagine as soon as the Peacemaker is invented it would have to switch to a narrative-based TNO type deal
“THIS IS AN EMERGENCY BROADCAST”
(...)
“This is Joey Oswald jr, long time no see brother! Have you told the AFC bastards your an Irish yet?”
(...)
“No it looks like you’ve joined them on their crusade to enslave humanity you sick bastard! Listen fellow citizens of this once great project of Washington, the AFC cult, Oswald, Nixon, Wyetta, Graham, and all the other psychopaths responsible for the deaths of hundreds of millions of people who sadly didn’t slit your throats...”
“Oswald who the fuck is that!” Nixon said horrified and gripping his pistol
“Yea, what about the part about you being an inferior?” Johnson asked ready to slit Oswald’s throat.
“Oh you know your great leader Steele? Well guess what thanks to the help of a great man I can confirm he’s an inferior from Russia! Just turn on your TV and think for yourselves for fucking once.”
“Lyndon kill that bitch!” said Oswald visibly sweating.
“Sir we have intel that traitors are deserting their posts and have 95% of the nuclear arsenal under control! Lyndon screamed, gripping his phone.
“I’ll leave you with one last message my fellow citizens. Join my rebellion for freedom or sit back and watch the virus Chuck Steele Oswald and other genocidal bastards be killed like they did to so many others. Also Chuck fuck you!”
Chuck, Nixon, Stevenson, Lyndon, and Wyetta stared at the TV as the broadcast ended and showed the test results of Joe Steele and Chuck Oswald. Lyndon and Wyetta where just about ready to slit Chuck’s throat though they were stopped at a realization: If they kill each other that’ll just let Joey kill them along with the AFC and Billy Graham.
An Alternate Spin Off
Operation Washington: The Flight Of Joey Oswald II
(...)
“This is Joey Oswald jr, long time no see brother! Have you told the AFC bastards your an Irish yet?”
(...)
“No it looks like you’ve joined them on their crusade to enslave humanity you sick bastard! Listen fellow citizens of this once great project of Washington, the AFC cult, Oswald, Nixon, Wyetta, Graham, and all the other psychopaths responsible for the deaths of hundreds of millions of people who sadly didn’t slit your throats...”
“Oswald who the fuck is that!” Nixon said horrified and gripping his pistol
“Yea, what about the part about you being an inferior?” Johnson asked ready to slit Oswald’s throat.
“Oh you know your great leader Steele? Well guess what thanks to the help of a great man I can confirm he’s an inferior from Russia! Just turn on your TV and think for yourselves for fucking once.”
“Lyndon kill that bitch!” said Oswald visibly sweating.
“Sir we have intel that traitors are deserting their posts and have 95% of the nuclear arsenal under control! Lyndon screamed, gripping his phone.
“I’ll leave you with one last message my fellow citizens. Join my rebellion for freedom or sit back and watch the virus Chuck Steele Oswald and other genocidal bastards be killed like they did to so many others. Also Chuck fuck you!”
Chuck, Nixon, Stevenson, Lyndon, and Wyetta stared at the TV as the broadcast ended and showed the test results of Joe Steele and Chuck Oswald. Lyndon and Wyetta where just about ready to slit Chuck’s throat though they were stopped at a realization: If they kill each other that’ll just let Joey kill them along with the AFC and Billy Graham.
Joseph Oswald II
Barry Goldwater
Orson Welles
Chuck Oswald
Adlai Stevenson
Wyetta A. Custer-Steele
Alfred Mills
Lyndon Johnson
Barry Goldwater
Orson Welles
Chuck Oswald
Adlai Stevenson
Wyetta A. Custer-Steele
Alfred Mills
Lyndon Johnson
Harold Stassen
Richard Nixon
Jim Jones
Lazarus Ron Hubbard
Hubert Humphrey
Walter Mondale
Elmer Benson
Billy Graham
Johnny Gambler
Lyndon Larouche
Eugene McCarthy
Billy Daley
Al Gore I
David Duke
Curtis LeMay
George Wallace
Floyd Olson
Nicholas M. Butler
James Eastland
Mike Gravel
And more
Richard Nixon
Jim Jones
Lazarus Ron Hubbard
Hubert Humphrey
Walter Mondale
Elmer Benson
Billy Graham
Johnny Gambler
Lyndon Larouche
Eugene McCarthy
Billy Daley
Al Gore I
David Duke
Curtis LeMay
George Wallace
Floyd Olson
Nicholas M. Butler
James Eastland
Mike Gravel
And more
An Alternate Spin Off
Operation Washington: The Flight Of Joey Oswald II
Yes this was taken from one of my posts in the main TL. The title is a reference to Agent Lavender: The flight of Harold Wilson. The spin off will move at the pace of the main TL as it’s being started before the broadcast in 1963. The meantime will explain the backstories of the characters and their reaction to the ensuing chaos. In the mean time between the first update Joey’ll be planning his revenge in the shadows of Pike University!
This is an update for the Mainline Madness, Loomie Russia. Some songs, of course 
All these are English sing-along versions
All these are English sing-along versionsNational Anthem of the Illuminist People’s Republic of Russia
Unbreakable Union of freeborn Republics,
Great Russia has welded forever to stand.
Created in struggle by will of the people,
Mighty as ever, our Luminated land!
Chorus:
Sing to the Motherland, home of the free,
Bulwark of peoples in brotherhood strong.
O Party of Volkov, the strength of the people,
Illuminism's triumph led us on!
Through the enlightenment, freedom have cheered us,
Along the new path where great Volkov did lead.
To a righteous cause he raised up the peoples,
Inspired them to labour and valorous deeds.
Chorus
In the victory of Illuminism’s glorious ideal,
We see the future of our dear land.
And to her fluttering Minerva’s owl,
Selflessly true we always shall stand!
Chorus
Illuminist Pioneer Youth Song - The Glorious Future
I am hearing voices from the glorious future,
In the silver dew these morning voices sound,
I am hearing voices and alluring road
Whirls my head just like in childhood roundabout.
Chorus:
I pray, glorious future, don't be so cruel.
Don't be so cruel, oh please do not be.
From innocent inception into the glorious future,
Into the glorious future I start my way to thee.
I am hearing voices from the glorious future,
They are calling me to fairy wonderlands,
Hearing voices and they're asking me so strictly –
For tomorrow what's been done by you today?
Chorus
I swear I will become better and kinder,
And will never leave any friend in trouble,
I am hearing voices, rushing to their callings,
By the road on which there's not any trail.
Chorus
Music:Unbreakable Union of freeborn Republics,
Great Russia has welded forever to stand.
Created in struggle by will of the people,
Mighty as ever, our Luminated land!
Chorus:
Sing to the Motherland, home of the free,
Bulwark of peoples in brotherhood strong.
O Party of Volkov, the strength of the people,
Illuminism's triumph led us on!
Through the enlightenment, freedom have cheered us,
Along the new path where great Volkov did lead.
To a righteous cause he raised up the peoples,
Inspired them to labour and valorous deeds.
Chorus
In the victory of Illuminism’s glorious ideal,
We see the future of our dear land.
And to her fluttering Minerva’s owl,
Selflessly true we always shall stand!
Chorus
Illuminist Pioneer Youth Song - The Glorious Future
I am hearing voices from the glorious future,
In the silver dew these morning voices sound,
I am hearing voices and alluring road
Whirls my head just like in childhood roundabout.
Chorus:
I pray, glorious future, don't be so cruel.
Don't be so cruel, oh please do not be.
From innocent inception into the glorious future,
Into the glorious future I start my way to thee.
I am hearing voices from the glorious future,
They are calling me to fairy wonderlands,
Hearing voices and they're asking me so strictly –
For tomorrow what's been done by you today?
Chorus
I swear I will become better and kinder,
And will never leave any friend in trouble,
I am hearing voices, rushing to their callings,
By the road on which there's not any trail.
Chorus
Last edited:
This is a sample update for Corea. I'm trying to make the relationship between Carolina and Corea weirdly wholesome until you see what they're actually up to. Tell me whatcha think, especially @Napoleon53 !
A League of Their Own: The Confederation of Corea
Corean troops patrolling Manchuria (1947)
Out of the many geopolitical oddities produced by Fascist imperialism, perhaps none is so odd as the Confederation of Corea. These Eastern Rednecks were closer to the Cokies who built them, as opposed to the Yankee juggernaut whom Oslo, London, Mittelafrika, and Melbourne bowed. In fact, the Americans were somewhat suspicious of the Coreans, although much of this can be traced back to Nipponese influence. Despite the misgivings, the Steele Administration did mostly treat Corea as a full member of the LoN, but also thrust responsibility for them onto Charlotte, essentially allowing them to do as they pleased in regards to Corea. Steele correctly believed that Carolina's imperial project in the Peninsula distracted them from the reality of Yankee strangulation, and that suited him just fine.
Corea had barely been independent for two years when Point Pierce was attacked. Initially, Chancellor Kim was hoping that Joe Steele would basically overlook Corea and not ask for much aside from maybe a couple units. However, when the Carolinas declared war on the Pactists, public opinion in Corea turned in favor of war. Chancellor Gamble requested the Coreans declare war, which Kim did on September 13th, in an address before the House of Citizens:
Coreans! Christians! Noble Sons of Mt. Paektu! Yesterday, I had an important discussion with Chancellor Johnny Gamble, regarding the savage Papist attack on our Noble Yankee Allies. He called upon us, the Presbyterian Eastern Jews, to rush to the defense of our fellow Free Men, and Corea will answer the stirring call for men! Papism anywhere is a threat to Liberty everywhere! Although the journey might be thousands of miles, and even if the war were to last 1000 years, Corea shall never waver in her defense of freedom. As of this moment, we are at war the Papist Rapist Imperialist Neuties. The whole Free World is watching us, as are our ancestors. Do em proud boys! To Arms, and Hark the Sound! God Bless the Confederation of Corea, and may he smite our foes with the force of a billion shells! Huzzah!
Secretly, Chancellor Kim was terrified that the Cokies would extract huge numbers of troops to lessen their own burden. Surprisingly, this didn't happen. Citing the nation's youth and relative lack of development, the Chancellor asked for a mere 10 volunteer brigades, a very doable burden for a nation of some 22 million souls. In reality, there was more at play. The reason the Cokies didn't overburden their Corean allies was actually, believe it or not, a genuine desire to be a good "big brother" to their Asian allies. The Cokies knew first-hand what it felt like to be treated like a servant by a country that ostensibly "loved" them as an ally. They knew what it was like to have other so-called "allies" look down on you as rednecks, even though the Carolinians were by many metrics the second most powerful nation in the League. There was a genuine feeling among the Carolinians that the Coreans were their only real friends in the world, and one should treat their friends fairly. Not that this stopped Cokie economic and cultural imperialism, but still. By October 15th, the John Knox Volunteer Brigades were being shipped out of Inchon to fireworks and celebratory gunfire. It took them several weeks to arrive at the front, as the Coreans chose to sail toward Cokie Africa and the Mainland rather than land directly in Yankee Mexico, thinking they might be better received if they marched in alongside Carolinians. The Coreans were very well received in Cokie Africa and Carolina proper, with the normally ardent Anglo-Saxon supremacist Carolinians raining down ticker tape and praise upon their Presbyterian brethren. The 5th Brigade actually offloaded in Africa to help the Cokies with security in the region. The rest first went to Wilmington, NC, where their leader Brigadier General Xenophon "Zed" Jung was warmly received by Chancellor Gamble. While in Wilmington, the troops also loaded up their gear; logistics and the relative lack of industry in Corea made it easier to equip them fully in Carolina. After loading up, the Coreans moved along to the front alongside their Cokie brethren. Having finally landed on the front in the first week of December, 1936, the Coreans quickly gained a reputation for fanaticism. While the average Corean wasn't an astute student of the politics of the Free World, they knew this; everyone but the Cokies looked down on them. They would prove their mettle, and bring honor to their race. To a large extent, this is exactly what they did. ORRA reported "Corean troops obediently undertake tasks sober that we would have to get our own troops high on Boogie to accomplish." Having been trained by the Cokies in the art of camouflage and counter-insurgency, and bringing their own national perfectionism to the fore, the Coreans basically became hyper-competent berserkers/commandos, depending on the job at hand. This did much to soften Fascist opinion towards them, although relations still weren't buddy buddy. When not fighting, the Coreans gravitated towards the Cokies in the R&R facilities, and each brigade basically found a brother brigade in the Carolinian Army. Also of note, since the two groups spent so much time together, and since both the Cokies and Coreans sent over many female nurses as well as soldiers, there was a surprisingly high rate of intermarriage between the two groups. This was viewed quite positively despite what people would expect, for reasons to shortly be explored. Finally, a notable cultural innovation to come out of Manifest Climax was the Bulgogi Sandwich. Corean troops marinaded canned beef in something close to traditional style, and then topped it with canned coleslaw seasoned with Corean style seasoning. The Cokies loved it, and even the various Fascists enjoyed it, although many of them had difficulty coping with the spiciness of the dish.
Cokie troops with their Corean girlfriends on shore leave in East Carolina (1938). 15,000 Corean women would marry Cokie men, while 7,000 Cokie women married Corean men.
Corean troops resting in Gran Colombia (1939)
Despite Manifest Climax, life in Corea generally proceeded as normal, even though 3 more Volunteer Brigades did get called up as the war in South America dragged on. The government was committed to a program of rapid industrialization, with the backing of Cokie businessmen and government planners. Chancellor Kim was determined to drag Corea into the future ahead of schedule and under budget, and actually succeeded in many regards. Taking advantage of Corea's massive coal reserves and its many rivers, the Chancellor mobilized over a million men to electrify the country, building dozens of dams and large numbers of coal fired power plants. By 1946, Corea was fully electrified. The speed at which construction was completed meant the loss of over 10,000 workers, who were commemorated as Heroes of Corean Christian Labor. Hand in hand with electrification came industrialization. Again taking advantage of their vast natural wealth, Corea built hundreds of steel mills, shipyards, lumber mills, and furniture factories. To compensate for lost farm labor, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of agricultural equipment from the Carolinas was imported, and proved pretty successful. Backed by Carolinian investment and largesse, Corea transformed itself overnight, impressing even Joe Steele who had tried to do something similar in Nippon with less success. By far the biggest individual winner in this industrialization drive was Dick Lee, founder of the Samsung Corporation. Samsung started out as a singular steel mill in 1938, but thanks to Dick's hard work, success wooing Cokie investors, and straight up ruthlessness, he became the wealthiest man of Asian descent in the world, owning huge swathes of the Corean economy. This quick progress pleased Charlotte and Pyongyang alike, as the Cokies profited handsomely from their initial generosity, and the Coreans became a truly modern nation. However, this rapid fire industrialization caused massive cultural and social dislocation. For Chancellor Kim, this was a perfect opportunity to remake Corea in his image.
With the massive industrialization of Corea came urbanization and the decline of traditional village life. Pyongyang and Hanseong became some of the fastest growing cities in the world, and other cities also boomed. However, the death of the Corean village also had people grasping for new values. The Corean government and their Cokie backers were more than happy to oblige. The most immediate change was the explosive growth of Presbyterianism. Although the faith was definitely solidly growing and in power beforehand, with the uprooting of so many people who needed meaning, Presbyterian missionaries swooped in as churches popped up in every neighborhood of every city. The local church became the center of Corean life. It's where people could socialize with neighbors, fulfill their spiritual needs, get discreet help paying the bills if need be, and somewhere for the kids to learn and grow outside of home and school. The results were astounding. Presbyterianism was a large plurality in 1936. It would become an 80% majority by 1946, as millions gave their soul to Christ. It was quite possibly the largest religious upheaval in the world since the rise of the AFC. Charlotte was over the moon as Philadelphia looked on in awe of the Cokies ability to fundamentally reshape their ally/puppet even as their attempts in Nippon were much more painful. Part of this was because the Cokies had spent decades laying the foundations of such a transformation, patiently flinging Bibles and bullets at Corea. The other was because the Cokies actually worked with the locals on fairly equal footing, rather than issuing decrees from on high, which made them much more amenable. Aside from this massive religious change, the CCP built thousands of schools in conjunction with the Presbyterian Church of the Carolinas. These schools taught math, science, "history," Bible study, racial theory, and English. Chancellors Kim and Gamble were committed to ensuring that the next generation of Corean Presbyterian Soldiers was bilingual, fluent in their mother tongue and English. The overwhelming majority of English teachers were Carolinian, and they infused their thick Southron dialect onto their pupils, which when mixed with the natural accent of the nation created the bizarre Corean Sound, which was definitely Southron but with strong Corean pronunciations on certain words. Also of note, Chancellor Kim decreed that every school have a bagpipe corps as part of their marching bands, as he had fallen in love with the instrument. The schools even got true kilts and everything, complete with the Corean national tartan. The BU was reluctant to grant a nation they didn't particularly care for a tartan, but after Chancellor Gamble gave them a "friendly reminder" about how much cash they owed to Charlotte, they suddenly found a way to give Corea a national tartan. To round out the cultural overhaul, the Corean National Talkiebox Network was founded in 1939, and thousands of movie theaters were built throughout the urbanization process. The CNTN broadcast Zap Zephyr talkiebox plays alongside Cokie ones, and played a strange yet enthralling mix of Corean folk music, traditional Scottish tunes, and good old fashioned Cokie bluegrass. The theaters imported Yankee films and Cokie newsreels, dubbed in Corean. Another interesting trend was for Coreans to follow Cokie naming traditions. Many Coreans changed their first names and anglicized their surnames. In 1940, the Corean government changed the Han surname to Hartman to eliminate that name's Chinese connotations, and Corean itself was partially purified of Chinese words. Even hairstyles and clothes were rapidly westernized, although women clung to more of their traditions than men in this regard. By the mid 1940's Corea had more in common with Charleston than China or Nippon.
This is not to say that the cultural exchange was a one way street. On the contrary, the Cokies were fascinated by Corean culture, which allowed more of it to survive than one might expect. Bulgogi sandwiches have already been mentioned, but Corea had an even bigger impact on Cokie plates. Most prominently, Corean immigrant Billy Park founded Corean Fried Chicken in 1938, and it became a national sensation, with the Chancellor himself ordering a bucket for lunch everyday. CFC took traditional Cokie frying methods and seasoned it with a Corean spice blend that many found irresistible. Kimchi and rice also entered the Cokie diet thanks to CFC, where they were served as sides. Bulgogi itself became part of the average Cokie BBQ joint's repertoire. Aside from food, women's fashion and cosmetics were hugely influenced by Corea. Carolinian women became enamored by traditional Corean women's hairstyles and the hanbok. Thousands of destitute Corean women immigrated to Carolina and made extremely good money as cosmetologists, while the hanbok craze fueled the Corean textile industry. Corean women also became extremely well known for their well maintained skin, and seemed to age at a glacial pace compared to Cokie women. In 1941, the Pacific Cosmetics Corporation was founded by Ethel Yeon and her husband Ezekiel, and soon became the largest cosmetics company in the Free World, as their cheap but high quality products became all the rage in the Carolinas and even the Union, with Millicent Steele herself being a fan.
A photoshoot of prominent Corean fashion designer Norah Noh (1941)
A massive Samsung steel mill outside of Pyongyang
A Presbyterian Church in a still modernizing rural area of Corea (1940)
Perhaps the most interesting part of this cultural cross-pollination was the creation of some "unique" racial theories. First and foremost, each nation's peculiar prejudices rubbed off on each other. The Coreans had a barely disguised vitriol for their alleged fellow Eastern Jews in Nippon, due to a long history between the two nations and Nipponese condescension. The Cokies saw the latter first-hand during Manifest Climax, and soon began deriding the Nipponese as arrogant scumbags who wanted to be the RU to Corea's Carolina, and they made sure to stick up for their Corean comrades. Soon, racist abuse was being hurled their way, although many tried to hide it under a veneer of false politeness. Meanwhile, the Cokies absolute hatred of Black people rubbed off on the Coreans, who began taking advantage of the fact that no one else spoke their language to launch into racist tirades against Black Yankees right under their noses. These charming cultural trades aside, soon a truly bizarre reading of Bible history would become a race theory gospel.
The entire Free World traced their genealogy back to the 12 Tribes of Israel. However, what given tribe a group belonged too was often the source of dispute. However, a Cokie and a Corean duo soon made a bold claim in this regard. Martin Spooner and Cuthbert Kang met at UNC Chapel Hill in 1935. Martin was the scion of a wealthy family that made its money importing and exporting out of Wilmington, while Cuthbert was the son of a prominent CCP official. Both were fascinated by racial science, and became quick chums. A favorite subject of pontification for the duo was the innate, almost primal bond between their two nations. It seemed absurd at first glance; the last remnants of true Southron culture, an industrialized empire, forming such a tight bond with a formerly pagan Asian nation. They began to theorize that there was something more; a blood bond between the races. After heavily researching the stories of the 12 Tribes, and alleged human migration patterns, they came to a startling conclusion; that there was in fact a blood bond. More specifically, Spooner and Kang postulated that the Carolinian and Corean races could trace their origins to the tribes of Joseph and Benjamin respectively. These tribes were those of the sons of Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife. In the chaotic aftermath of Israel's fall, the tribe of Joseph migrated to Europe and eventually Britain, becoming part of its ethnic makeup, mainly in Scotland. From there, those Scotch sons of Jacob became the Ulster Scotch and then, eventually, the Cokies. The tribe of Benjamin fled East, and after being driven out of various homelands by massive hordes of Mohammedeans and Chinese, settled in Corea. Various evolutionary factors could explain their divergent genetics and phenotypes. Their magnum opus Twin Races: The Intertwined Genealogy of Corea and Carolina, published in 1936, became a smash hit in both countries. It explained their tremendous bond, their similar cultural ideas, and strengthened their alliance. Beyond that, it also validated the pre-existing fact of racial intermixing between the two. Ever since the first missionaries arrived in Corea, racial mixing had been an unacknowledged fact of life. It wasn't unheard of for young Cokie preachers in the country to marry local women, and while it was more uncommon, the old-fashioned chivalry of the Corean men wooed Cokie women. For awhile, this was incredibly uncomfortable for both nations. While they did respect one another, they both also took extreme pride in their racial "purity." These marriages were explained away as being marriage between Anglos and Jews, but even that didn't fully satisfy the people. This theory did. It wasn't race-mixing. Although evolution had changed them, they were racial brothers, and the Chosen essence of their blood was of the same stock. They were of the same stock. This idea is what made the boom in war marriages possible. The theory was controversial abroad because the two claimed descent from Jacob's favorite wife, but the idea that the two nations belonged to tribes descended from the same mother (which mother was up for debate) gained increasing traction. This was especially true because denying Corean Chosenness became increasingly hard for the Fascist powers given how frequently crack squads of Coreans saved the bacon of their troops.
Speaking of militaristic matters, the Coreans underwent a revolution in military organization as part of the nation's crash modernization. After Manifest Climax kicked off, Cokie arms manufacturers makers opened factories in Corea. There, they turned out their weapons (clones of Yankee rifles) by the tens of thousands. Mitchum Motors signed a contract with the Corean government to give them a state of the art air force essentially at cost, with Cokie subsidies for the deal ensuring a profit was turned. The Coreans signed deals with Colonel Ford to purchase thousands of autos for various purposes, and tanks. Again utilizing their massive coal reserves, the Coreans built a fairly big steam powered fleet on the cheap, as everything required could basically be found in the country. Plans were drawn up to upgrade to diesel later, but it was definitely serviceable for Corea's needs. To ensure a steady supply of fuel, a large oil contract was signed with Norway. By 1946, Corea's 1.6 million man military was one of the strongest in Asia. Now, it was time to use it. China was still in disarray after the chaos of 1911, and Manchuria had descended into ethnic warfare. The Coreans desperately wanted Manchuria. Chancellor Kim had drawn up detailed plans to turn Manchuria into North Corea, planning to run it in a manner that was reminiscent of Cokie Africa, with long term plans for an Immolation style campaign. The region was indescribably rich in natural resources, and given Nippon's growing pains, taking it and consolidating before they could get back on their feet would establish Corea as the preeminent Asian Protestant power. The Cokies were eager to back Corea's invasion of the territory. Not only could they make a fortune, but the success of their Corean proteges would enable them to thumb their noses at the rest of the Free World, even Philadelphia. As Manifest Climax ended with Joe Steele pounding Latin America with the force of a thousand suns, the Chancellors prepared to solidify Carolina's hold on its new African territories and invade Manchuria. This might seem bizarre since they had just fought a war for a decade, but thanks to their experience in counter-insurgency and camouflage compared to the other Free nations, the Cokies and Coreans had the lowest casualty rates. Furthermore, they were itching to expand their power. In a secretive meeting in Pyongyang on July 14th, 1947 between both Chancellors and their cabinets, Chancellor Kim established his intentions in a dinnertime speech.
Gentlemen, I would like to make a few remarks. This gathering has been wondrous. Good food, good drink, and good company. However, we have taken up the burden of leadership, and thus no visit is truly a social visit. Gentlemen we are gathered here tonight because I believe it is finally time for Corea to fulfill her destiny. To the north, the Chinamen and Manchus murder and rape one another with the aplomb expected of such degenerate races. While they have engaged in their degeneracy, we have grown strong. We have industrialized at a massive rate, although we still have much to do. Now it is time to explode outward from our borders. We have to do it now, lest the Chinamen reunite, or worse, the Nips beat us to the punch. I know we can succeed. We will take Manchuria and make it our larder. And in so doing we will contain the Loomies and Chinamen, and we will stop those fucking Nips from lording over us ever again, pardon my French. I know our Cokie allies, benefactors, and brothers will stand side by side with us as we unleash Hell on our devilish foes. For too long, the Brother Republics of Carolina and Corea have been mocked and kept down, even by our allies. Not anymore. We're going to rip out those heathens beating hearts, and use them to play Rounders with! We're gonna advance Presbyterian Civilization all the time, and sprint past our enemies like a meth crazed Yankee racing a sloth! Gentlemen, it is time for Manchuria to be made into North Corea! It is time for the world to hear Corea roar! God Bless Corea! God Bless Carolina! God Bless the Presbyterian Church! Hark the damn Sound!
Corea would invade Manchuria the next day. Thanks to the toll of constant ethnic strife, the Coreans overran the region by year's end. The Presbyterian Man was marching on.
Cokie commandos in a town in Manchuria (1947)
Corean troops on the march (1947)
Cokie fighter jets pulverize Manchuria (1947)
A League of Their Own: The Confederation of Corea
Corean troops patrolling Manchuria (1947)
Corea had barely been independent for two years when Point Pierce was attacked. Initially, Chancellor Kim was hoping that Joe Steele would basically overlook Corea and not ask for much aside from maybe a couple units. However, when the Carolinas declared war on the Pactists, public opinion in Corea turned in favor of war. Chancellor Gamble requested the Coreans declare war, which Kim did on September 13th, in an address before the House of Citizens:
Coreans! Christians! Noble Sons of Mt. Paektu! Yesterday, I had an important discussion with Chancellor Johnny Gamble, regarding the savage Papist attack on our Noble Yankee Allies. He called upon us, the Presbyterian Eastern Jews, to rush to the defense of our fellow Free Men, and Corea will answer the stirring call for men! Papism anywhere is a threat to Liberty everywhere! Although the journey might be thousands of miles, and even if the war were to last 1000 years, Corea shall never waver in her defense of freedom. As of this moment, we are at war the Papist Rapist Imperialist Neuties. The whole Free World is watching us, as are our ancestors. Do em proud boys! To Arms, and Hark the Sound! God Bless the Confederation of Corea, and may he smite our foes with the force of a billion shells! Huzzah!
Secretly, Chancellor Kim was terrified that the Cokies would extract huge numbers of troops to lessen their own burden. Surprisingly, this didn't happen. Citing the nation's youth and relative lack of development, the Chancellor asked for a mere 10 volunteer brigades, a very doable burden for a nation of some 22 million souls. In reality, there was more at play. The reason the Cokies didn't overburden their Corean allies was actually, believe it or not, a genuine desire to be a good "big brother" to their Asian allies. The Cokies knew first-hand what it felt like to be treated like a servant by a country that ostensibly "loved" them as an ally. They knew what it was like to have other so-called "allies" look down on you as rednecks, even though the Carolinians were by many metrics the second most powerful nation in the League. There was a genuine feeling among the Carolinians that the Coreans were their only real friends in the world, and one should treat their friends fairly. Not that this stopped Cokie economic and cultural imperialism, but still. By October 15th, the John Knox Volunteer Brigades were being shipped out of Inchon to fireworks and celebratory gunfire. It took them several weeks to arrive at the front, as the Coreans chose to sail toward Cokie Africa and the Mainland rather than land directly in Yankee Mexico, thinking they might be better received if they marched in alongside Carolinians. The Coreans were very well received in Cokie Africa and Carolina proper, with the normally ardent Anglo-Saxon supremacist Carolinians raining down ticker tape and praise upon their Presbyterian brethren. The 5th Brigade actually offloaded in Africa to help the Cokies with security in the region. The rest first went to Wilmington, NC, where their leader Brigadier General Xenophon "Zed" Jung was warmly received by Chancellor Gamble. While in Wilmington, the troops also loaded up their gear; logistics and the relative lack of industry in Corea made it easier to equip them fully in Carolina. After loading up, the Coreans moved along to the front alongside their Cokie brethren. Having finally landed on the front in the first week of December, 1936, the Coreans quickly gained a reputation for fanaticism. While the average Corean wasn't an astute student of the politics of the Free World, they knew this; everyone but the Cokies looked down on them. They would prove their mettle, and bring honor to their race. To a large extent, this is exactly what they did. ORRA reported "Corean troops obediently undertake tasks sober that we would have to get our own troops high on Boogie to accomplish." Having been trained by the Cokies in the art of camouflage and counter-insurgency, and bringing their own national perfectionism to the fore, the Coreans basically became hyper-competent berserkers/commandos, depending on the job at hand. This did much to soften Fascist opinion towards them, although relations still weren't buddy buddy. When not fighting, the Coreans gravitated towards the Cokies in the R&R facilities, and each brigade basically found a brother brigade in the Carolinian Army. Also of note, since the two groups spent so much time together, and since both the Cokies and Coreans sent over many female nurses as well as soldiers, there was a surprisingly high rate of intermarriage between the two groups. This was viewed quite positively despite what people would expect, for reasons to shortly be explored. Finally, a notable cultural innovation to come out of Manifest Climax was the Bulgogi Sandwich. Corean troops marinaded canned beef in something close to traditional style, and then topped it with canned coleslaw seasoned with Corean style seasoning. The Cokies loved it, and even the various Fascists enjoyed it, although many of them had difficulty coping with the spiciness of the dish.
Cokie troops with their Corean girlfriends on shore leave in East Carolina (1938). 15,000 Corean women would marry Cokie men, while 7,000 Cokie women married Corean men.
Corean troops resting in Gran Colombia (1939)
Despite Manifest Climax, life in Corea generally proceeded as normal, even though 3 more Volunteer Brigades did get called up as the war in South America dragged on. The government was committed to a program of rapid industrialization, with the backing of Cokie businessmen and government planners. Chancellor Kim was determined to drag Corea into the future ahead of schedule and under budget, and actually succeeded in many regards. Taking advantage of Corea's massive coal reserves and its many rivers, the Chancellor mobilized over a million men to electrify the country, building dozens of dams and large numbers of coal fired power plants. By 1946, Corea was fully electrified. The speed at which construction was completed meant the loss of over 10,000 workers, who were commemorated as Heroes of Corean Christian Labor. Hand in hand with electrification came industrialization. Again taking advantage of their vast natural wealth, Corea built hundreds of steel mills, shipyards, lumber mills, and furniture factories. To compensate for lost farm labor, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of agricultural equipment from the Carolinas was imported, and proved pretty successful. Backed by Carolinian investment and largesse, Corea transformed itself overnight, impressing even Joe Steele who had tried to do something similar in Nippon with less success. By far the biggest individual winner in this industrialization drive was Dick Lee, founder of the Samsung Corporation. Samsung started out as a singular steel mill in 1938, but thanks to Dick's hard work, success wooing Cokie investors, and straight up ruthlessness, he became the wealthiest man of Asian descent in the world, owning huge swathes of the Corean economy. This quick progress pleased Charlotte and Pyongyang alike, as the Cokies profited handsomely from their initial generosity, and the Coreans became a truly modern nation. However, this rapid fire industrialization caused massive cultural and social dislocation. For Chancellor Kim, this was a perfect opportunity to remake Corea in his image.
With the massive industrialization of Corea came urbanization and the decline of traditional village life. Pyongyang and Hanseong became some of the fastest growing cities in the world, and other cities also boomed. However, the death of the Corean village also had people grasping for new values. The Corean government and their Cokie backers were more than happy to oblige. The most immediate change was the explosive growth of Presbyterianism. Although the faith was definitely solidly growing and in power beforehand, with the uprooting of so many people who needed meaning, Presbyterian missionaries swooped in as churches popped up in every neighborhood of every city. The local church became the center of Corean life. It's where people could socialize with neighbors, fulfill their spiritual needs, get discreet help paying the bills if need be, and somewhere for the kids to learn and grow outside of home and school. The results were astounding. Presbyterianism was a large plurality in 1936. It would become an 80% majority by 1946, as millions gave their soul to Christ. It was quite possibly the largest religious upheaval in the world since the rise of the AFC. Charlotte was over the moon as Philadelphia looked on in awe of the Cokies ability to fundamentally reshape their ally/puppet even as their attempts in Nippon were much more painful. Part of this was because the Cokies had spent decades laying the foundations of such a transformation, patiently flinging Bibles and bullets at Corea. The other was because the Cokies actually worked with the locals on fairly equal footing, rather than issuing decrees from on high, which made them much more amenable. Aside from this massive religious change, the CCP built thousands of schools in conjunction with the Presbyterian Church of the Carolinas. These schools taught math, science, "history," Bible study, racial theory, and English. Chancellors Kim and Gamble were committed to ensuring that the next generation of Corean Presbyterian Soldiers was bilingual, fluent in their mother tongue and English. The overwhelming majority of English teachers were Carolinian, and they infused their thick Southron dialect onto their pupils, which when mixed with the natural accent of the nation created the bizarre Corean Sound, which was definitely Southron but with strong Corean pronunciations on certain words. Also of note, Chancellor Kim decreed that every school have a bagpipe corps as part of their marching bands, as he had fallen in love with the instrument. The schools even got true kilts and everything, complete with the Corean national tartan. The BU was reluctant to grant a nation they didn't particularly care for a tartan, but after Chancellor Gamble gave them a "friendly reminder" about how much cash they owed to Charlotte, they suddenly found a way to give Corea a national tartan. To round out the cultural overhaul, the Corean National Talkiebox Network was founded in 1939, and thousands of movie theaters were built throughout the urbanization process. The CNTN broadcast Zap Zephyr talkiebox plays alongside Cokie ones, and played a strange yet enthralling mix of Corean folk music, traditional Scottish tunes, and good old fashioned Cokie bluegrass. The theaters imported Yankee films and Cokie newsreels, dubbed in Corean. Another interesting trend was for Coreans to follow Cokie naming traditions. Many Coreans changed their first names and anglicized their surnames. In 1940, the Corean government changed the Han surname to Hartman to eliminate that name's Chinese connotations, and Corean itself was partially purified of Chinese words. Even hairstyles and clothes were rapidly westernized, although women clung to more of their traditions than men in this regard. By the mid 1940's Corea had more in common with Charleston than China or Nippon.
This is not to say that the cultural exchange was a one way street. On the contrary, the Cokies were fascinated by Corean culture, which allowed more of it to survive than one might expect. Bulgogi sandwiches have already been mentioned, but Corea had an even bigger impact on Cokie plates. Most prominently, Corean immigrant Billy Park founded Corean Fried Chicken in 1938, and it became a national sensation, with the Chancellor himself ordering a bucket for lunch everyday. CFC took traditional Cokie frying methods and seasoned it with a Corean spice blend that many found irresistible. Kimchi and rice also entered the Cokie diet thanks to CFC, where they were served as sides. Bulgogi itself became part of the average Cokie BBQ joint's repertoire. Aside from food, women's fashion and cosmetics were hugely influenced by Corea. Carolinian women became enamored by traditional Corean women's hairstyles and the hanbok. Thousands of destitute Corean women immigrated to Carolina and made extremely good money as cosmetologists, while the hanbok craze fueled the Corean textile industry. Corean women also became extremely well known for their well maintained skin, and seemed to age at a glacial pace compared to Cokie women. In 1941, the Pacific Cosmetics Corporation was founded by Ethel Yeon and her husband Ezekiel, and soon became the largest cosmetics company in the Free World, as their cheap but high quality products became all the rage in the Carolinas and even the Union, with Millicent Steele herself being a fan.
A photoshoot of prominent Corean fashion designer Norah Noh (1941)
A massive Samsung steel mill outside of Pyongyang
A Presbyterian Church in a still modernizing rural area of Corea (1940)
Perhaps the most interesting part of this cultural cross-pollination was the creation of some "unique" racial theories. First and foremost, each nation's peculiar prejudices rubbed off on each other. The Coreans had a barely disguised vitriol for their alleged fellow Eastern Jews in Nippon, due to a long history between the two nations and Nipponese condescension. The Cokies saw the latter first-hand during Manifest Climax, and soon began deriding the Nipponese as arrogant scumbags who wanted to be the RU to Corea's Carolina, and they made sure to stick up for their Corean comrades. Soon, racist abuse was being hurled their way, although many tried to hide it under a veneer of false politeness. Meanwhile, the Cokies absolute hatred of Black people rubbed off on the Coreans, who began taking advantage of the fact that no one else spoke their language to launch into racist tirades against Black Yankees right under their noses. These charming cultural trades aside, soon a truly bizarre reading of Bible history would become a race theory gospel.
The entire Free World traced their genealogy back to the 12 Tribes of Israel. However, what given tribe a group belonged too was often the source of dispute. However, a Cokie and a Corean duo soon made a bold claim in this regard. Martin Spooner and Cuthbert Kang met at UNC Chapel Hill in 1935. Martin was the scion of a wealthy family that made its money importing and exporting out of Wilmington, while Cuthbert was the son of a prominent CCP official. Both were fascinated by racial science, and became quick chums. A favorite subject of pontification for the duo was the innate, almost primal bond between their two nations. It seemed absurd at first glance; the last remnants of true Southron culture, an industrialized empire, forming such a tight bond with a formerly pagan Asian nation. They began to theorize that there was something more; a blood bond between the races. After heavily researching the stories of the 12 Tribes, and alleged human migration patterns, they came to a startling conclusion; that there was in fact a blood bond. More specifically, Spooner and Kang postulated that the Carolinian and Corean races could trace their origins to the tribes of Joseph and Benjamin respectively. These tribes were those of the sons of Rachel, Jacob's favorite wife. In the chaotic aftermath of Israel's fall, the tribe of Joseph migrated to Europe and eventually Britain, becoming part of its ethnic makeup, mainly in Scotland. From there, those Scotch sons of Jacob became the Ulster Scotch and then, eventually, the Cokies. The tribe of Benjamin fled East, and after being driven out of various homelands by massive hordes of Mohammedeans and Chinese, settled in Corea. Various evolutionary factors could explain their divergent genetics and phenotypes. Their magnum opus Twin Races: The Intertwined Genealogy of Corea and Carolina, published in 1936, became a smash hit in both countries. It explained their tremendous bond, their similar cultural ideas, and strengthened their alliance. Beyond that, it also validated the pre-existing fact of racial intermixing between the two. Ever since the first missionaries arrived in Corea, racial mixing had been an unacknowledged fact of life. It wasn't unheard of for young Cokie preachers in the country to marry local women, and while it was more uncommon, the old-fashioned chivalry of the Corean men wooed Cokie women. For awhile, this was incredibly uncomfortable for both nations. While they did respect one another, they both also took extreme pride in their racial "purity." These marriages were explained away as being marriage between Anglos and Jews, but even that didn't fully satisfy the people. This theory did. It wasn't race-mixing. Although evolution had changed them, they were racial brothers, and the Chosen essence of their blood was of the same stock. They were of the same stock. This idea is what made the boom in war marriages possible. The theory was controversial abroad because the two claimed descent from Jacob's favorite wife, but the idea that the two nations belonged to tribes descended from the same mother (which mother was up for debate) gained increasing traction. This was especially true because denying Corean Chosenness became increasingly hard for the Fascist powers given how frequently crack squads of Coreans saved the bacon of their troops.
Speaking of militaristic matters, the Coreans underwent a revolution in military organization as part of the nation's crash modernization. After Manifest Climax kicked off, Cokie arms manufacturers makers opened factories in Corea. There, they turned out their weapons (clones of Yankee rifles) by the tens of thousands. Mitchum Motors signed a contract with the Corean government to give them a state of the art air force essentially at cost, with Cokie subsidies for the deal ensuring a profit was turned. The Coreans signed deals with Colonel Ford to purchase thousands of autos for various purposes, and tanks. Again utilizing their massive coal reserves, the Coreans built a fairly big steam powered fleet on the cheap, as everything required could basically be found in the country. Plans were drawn up to upgrade to diesel later, but it was definitely serviceable for Corea's needs. To ensure a steady supply of fuel, a large oil contract was signed with Norway. By 1946, Corea's 1.6 million man military was one of the strongest in Asia. Now, it was time to use it. China was still in disarray after the chaos of 1911, and Manchuria had descended into ethnic warfare. The Coreans desperately wanted Manchuria. Chancellor Kim had drawn up detailed plans to turn Manchuria into North Corea, planning to run it in a manner that was reminiscent of Cokie Africa, with long term plans for an Immolation style campaign. The region was indescribably rich in natural resources, and given Nippon's growing pains, taking it and consolidating before they could get back on their feet would establish Corea as the preeminent Asian Protestant power. The Cokies were eager to back Corea's invasion of the territory. Not only could they make a fortune, but the success of their Corean proteges would enable them to thumb their noses at the rest of the Free World, even Philadelphia. As Manifest Climax ended with Joe Steele pounding Latin America with the force of a thousand suns, the Chancellors prepared to solidify Carolina's hold on its new African territories and invade Manchuria. This might seem bizarre since they had just fought a war for a decade, but thanks to their experience in counter-insurgency and camouflage compared to the other Free nations, the Cokies and Coreans had the lowest casualty rates. Furthermore, they were itching to expand their power. In a secretive meeting in Pyongyang on July 14th, 1947 between both Chancellors and their cabinets, Chancellor Kim established his intentions in a dinnertime speech.
Gentlemen, I would like to make a few remarks. This gathering has been wondrous. Good food, good drink, and good company. However, we have taken up the burden of leadership, and thus no visit is truly a social visit. Gentlemen we are gathered here tonight because I believe it is finally time for Corea to fulfill her destiny. To the north, the Chinamen and Manchus murder and rape one another with the aplomb expected of such degenerate races. While they have engaged in their degeneracy, we have grown strong. We have industrialized at a massive rate, although we still have much to do. Now it is time to explode outward from our borders. We have to do it now, lest the Chinamen reunite, or worse, the Nips beat us to the punch. I know we can succeed. We will take Manchuria and make it our larder. And in so doing we will contain the Loomies and Chinamen, and we will stop those fucking Nips from lording over us ever again, pardon my French. I know our Cokie allies, benefactors, and brothers will stand side by side with us as we unleash Hell on our devilish foes. For too long, the Brother Republics of Carolina and Corea have been mocked and kept down, even by our allies. Not anymore. We're going to rip out those heathens beating hearts, and use them to play Rounders with! We're gonna advance Presbyterian Civilization all the time, and sprint past our enemies like a meth crazed Yankee racing a sloth! Gentlemen, it is time for Manchuria to be made into North Corea! It is time for the world to hear Corea roar! God Bless Corea! God Bless Carolina! God Bless the Presbyterian Church! Hark the damn Sound!
Corea would invade Manchuria the next day. Thanks to the toll of constant ethnic strife, the Coreans overran the region by year's end. The Presbyterian Man was marching on.
Cokie commandos in a town in Manchuria (1947)
Corean troops on the march (1947)
Cokie fighter jets pulverize Manchuria (1947)
I like how this is basically what happened otl, except it was with the accordion.
Holy shit, I didn't know that. I just thought this would be a fun way to lean in to Corea's mematic glory.
Gotta pitch this: I've recently watched some videos about alcoholism in Korea and I think that we can ramp up that here in this timeline's version of Corea. I mean, can we ramp it up into Madagascar-levels teetering on the edge of unsustainability?
Edit: A more, um, "Pinnacle-blooded" viewpoint (yuck):
Double Edit: Perhaps, you can also synthesize this into Carolinian Africa, can't you?
Edit: A more, um, "Pinnacle-blooded" viewpoint (yuck):
Double Edit: Perhaps, you can also synthesize this into Carolinian Africa, can't you?
Last edited:
Nope, CoCorea's anthem is North Korea's, but with some different lyrics
if you want to read up on it more, here's a link (although I mainly got it from LWT's episode on it)
I realized I haven't talked carefully about Systematist aesthetics. So this update is about their arts and cultural movements. Could be applicable (after adjusting the years by 15 to 20 years later) to the Loomies if Napo finds some of its ideas fun.
The Imperial Federation is home to numerous cultures and over two hundred ethnicities, and dwell in diverse environments that range from the frigid Polar to the sunny tropical paradise of Russian Pacific, and in the grandest cities the world has ever seen to the tiniest fringe communities in places so remote that it takes days to reach. Despite the diversity, the Systematist government is willing to incorporate everyone into the vast Russian family, through incentives and coercions. This has noticeable changes to the culture of the Empire, whose traditional, aristocratic and intellectual way of living slowly metamorphoses into an interweaving of so many thinking and backgrounds, but still obviously Slavic. On this writing, I will give overviews of earlier transformations that were much necessary to jumpstart the IFE cultural changes, which is the main focus.
The origin of the new cultural emergence is rather hard to define, for its roots were shrouded by and deeply connected with other blooming cultural movements and by Russian culture itself. Scholars usually credit the start of Modernism, Futurism and Avant-Garde movements of early 20thcentury as the possible source of inspiration for changes, but this is debatable. Regardless, the most fervent adopters of these thinking evolutions were the citizens of the Russian Empire, whose post-war increasingly lax and emancipated environment soon allowed the right conditions for such movements to develop optimally. Blended with and sponsored by the largest, most influential intellectual class in Europe, new, radical, anti-traditional ideas exploded in popularity. And the vast expanse of Russian Empire only added in the developments of these ideas. Soon, the Empire saw new architectures, arts and writings in the form of Modernism, Constructivism, and Abstractism. Literatures reflecting the hardship of life through an abstract lens, somewhat esoteric interior monologue, or complicated visions that could be best understood as “mathematical” became commonplace. New buildings took the form of geometric, angular construction were the norm, which continues to last to the modern day.
Kandinsky's abstract painting - Heavy Red, 1924
The Zuev's Public Library, circa 1927. This building is an example of Russian Constructivism in 1920s
The Great Depression shook the Empire greatly. For the first time, Imperial citizens realized that their lives were not as rosy nor as stable as they had thought. The break down of social orders and security, however, was the much-needed catalysis for a new cultural movement, one that is as Russian as it could be. The movement is commonly called Melancholism, and it was the result of a mismatched marriage of brilliant thinking with a difficult time. Characterized by its adherence to Russian minor-key melodies and writings, a depressive world-view, but always ended in a note of positivity to reflect the desire of Eastern European to push through hardships, it was wildly popular in the Empire, provided a much-needed mental sanctuary for the citizens that were always hungry for some high-class readings. Novels like “As I lay Dying” [1a] by Fuchs, and poems like “Requiem” [1b] by Anna Akhmatova, were all the rages, and still consistently ranked as among the most well-received literary pieces among the IFE citizens till this day. Arts influenced by Melancholism also became popular, albeit limited to the forms of paintings and posters rather than architectural realization.
Crumbling of a Nation, circa 1934. It is an example of Melancholist painting.
When the Systematists took power in the Russian Empire and transformed the nation into a Federation and a Eurasian Juggernaut, new waves of cultural changes initiated. Borrowing from the deeply Slavic predecessor Melancholism, the enormously creative Constructivism and Modernism, the daring Avant-Garde, and the scientific perception that Systematist so heartily embraced, the new generation of intellectuals crafted the new culture of the IFE. The first movement to emerge from Systematist influences was Rationalism, who took emphasis on using complicated geometries, and fused it with the strong gardening culture to design architectural marvels that contain green spaces and strangely-shaped windows. Geodesic domes were widely popularized by these groups, whilst new towns were almost entirely designed by Rationalist architects to propagandize Systematism as a “beautiful, revolutionary ideology that brings the best to the world”. Rationalist literature was and is still heavily bearing the strong mathematical undertones that it loves to promote, with novels telling stories about protagonists lost in the lands of Non-Euclidean Geometry, or in worlds dominated by novel Physics, Biology; and the solutions to such puzzles are imbued with scientific knowledge. Some writers took the idea seriously enough that they threw in solutions in the form of complicated mathematical equations or made the novels seem like a sitting through a textbook, due to the precise nature of such answers. Rationalism is dominated mostly by the STEM-educated intellectuals or fervent STEM-interested individuals. These ultra-hard sci-fi were surprisingly wildly popular outside of the IFE, and found their ways into the West.
Art concept of the new Kievan Office Building, circa 1941, an archetype of Rationalist architecture
The second movement to take inspiration from Systematism was Perfectionism, or sometimes called Systematist Romanticism. Influenced by the Systematists’ dedication to holistic and utopian views, Perfectionist intellectuals took the IFE by storm through their utopic paintings in their writings and visual expressions. Producing characters that are almost perfect in personality and ability, Perfectionism is extremely popular among children, with parents showing huge approvals for the fact that these cultural movements stress on the good side of human. The sensational and archetypal figure of Perfectionism is Alisa Selezneva, a female child character with her future adventures in other planets and stars and ability to bring out the goodness of all antagonists she encounters had created a wave of Alisa Cult among the students of IFE. The character also reflects the wishes of older generations of IFE to pursue the better future for children, where they would be able to take responsibility in morally “purifying” the world. This would be further catapulted when color TV [2] became widely available during the 1950s, with the famed, optimistic series “Guests from the Future” first aired in 1955, with the plot took place in year 2055. It was molded in the visions which the Systematist believed what would the future be like: perfect, environmentally clean, post-scarcity and morally pure. The series were so well-acclaimed by the public that the producers decided to extend it beyond the original five episodes, and has since remained among the top favorites of many Imperial citizens. Its wonderfully beautiful song – Prekrasnoe Dalyoko, or Beautiful Faraway – was considered the pinnacle of Russian cinematic music, and had been made into the official song of the Pioneer Youth League for Glorious Future (the Budusomol) in 1956.
Still from the utopian sci-fi movie "Guest From the Future", with main character Kolya Gerasimov on the right.
The Systematist fictional poster child Alisa Selezneva, a media sensation of IFE that was much stronger than equivalent in OTL Soviet Union
With the rise of personal computers and electronics, the IFE experienced ever more new cultural changes. For the first time, computers became advanced enough that they startled many prominent scholars, with ability to perform complex calculations and simulations with few errors and great accuracy. The power of computers and electronics prompted some to procure a new movement – Automatism – a thinking infused with the idealization of computers and hails the integration of biology with machines as the ultimate goal. Partially inspired by Perfectionism, its literature romanticized the augmentation of biological beings into nigh-omnipotence entities, far beyond the set limits of biology, and capable of traversing all kind of environments, from outer space vacuum to hot lava surfaces. Additionally, automatist artists explored the new possibilities offered by digital technologies, for applications in music production, in traditional arts and even early forms of graphic arts. There were even some enthusiastic pursuits of doing electronic circuit-inspired tattoo designs, or writing sentences in computer codes [3] rather than regular words as signatures.
The 7th Element, by Vitas, the most famous Russian singer in Automatist electronic music
International Reception Various cultural movements in IFE were met with variable receptions from the international community. Rationalism was considered the most peculiarly Systematist in all of the movements, for its over-glorification of academia and application of “abstract nonsense” into the world of arts; but nonetheless were acceptable to almost every Great Powers since they were non-political. It also spurred the creation of subgenre hard sci-fi in literature. Perfectionism was viewed as the most Systematist of all, and had heavy overtones of Systematism as the savior of mankind, which subsequently prompted the partial censorship of Perfectionism in the Protestant realm, and called out Perfectionism as “defeatist, meek and demoralizing propaganda”. Automatism was arguably the most influential on international scale, for the fact that personal computers were almost ubiquitous all around the world by 1960s. It would be adopted quickly after the Second World War, especially in newly-formed Asian countries, through IFE’s promotion as a mean of “cultural conversion”.
[1a] and [1b] - Both are different from OTL similarly named literary works. They focus more on the struggles to survive daily during the Great Depression more than a lamentation against the government.
[2] - Remember that Madness and Ardor is significantly more advanced than OTL in terms of science and tech.
[3] - I am referring to binary codes, ASCII codes or hexademical codes if one will.
Cultural Movements of the IFE
Part I: The Interlude (1920 – 1955)
Part I: The Interlude (1920 – 1955)
The Imperial Federation is home to numerous cultures and over two hundred ethnicities, and dwell in diverse environments that range from the frigid Polar to the sunny tropical paradise of Russian Pacific, and in the grandest cities the world has ever seen to the tiniest fringe communities in places so remote that it takes days to reach. Despite the diversity, the Systematist government is willing to incorporate everyone into the vast Russian family, through incentives and coercions. This has noticeable changes to the culture of the Empire, whose traditional, aristocratic and intellectual way of living slowly metamorphoses into an interweaving of so many thinking and backgrounds, but still obviously Slavic. On this writing, I will give overviews of earlier transformations that were much necessary to jumpstart the IFE cultural changes, which is the main focus.
The origin of the new cultural emergence is rather hard to define, for its roots were shrouded by and deeply connected with other blooming cultural movements and by Russian culture itself. Scholars usually credit the start of Modernism, Futurism and Avant-Garde movements of early 20thcentury as the possible source of inspiration for changes, but this is debatable. Regardless, the most fervent adopters of these thinking evolutions were the citizens of the Russian Empire, whose post-war increasingly lax and emancipated environment soon allowed the right conditions for such movements to develop optimally. Blended with and sponsored by the largest, most influential intellectual class in Europe, new, radical, anti-traditional ideas exploded in popularity. And the vast expanse of Russian Empire only added in the developments of these ideas. Soon, the Empire saw new architectures, arts and writings in the form of Modernism, Constructivism, and Abstractism. Literatures reflecting the hardship of life through an abstract lens, somewhat esoteric interior monologue, or complicated visions that could be best understood as “mathematical” became commonplace. New buildings took the form of geometric, angular construction were the norm, which continues to last to the modern day.
Kandinsky's abstract painting - Heavy Red, 1924
The Zuev's Public Library, circa 1927. This building is an example of Russian Constructivism in 1920s
The Great Depression shook the Empire greatly. For the first time, Imperial citizens realized that their lives were not as rosy nor as stable as they had thought. The break down of social orders and security, however, was the much-needed catalysis for a new cultural movement, one that is as Russian as it could be. The movement is commonly called Melancholism, and it was the result of a mismatched marriage of brilliant thinking with a difficult time. Characterized by its adherence to Russian minor-key melodies and writings, a depressive world-view, but always ended in a note of positivity to reflect the desire of Eastern European to push through hardships, it was wildly popular in the Empire, provided a much-needed mental sanctuary for the citizens that were always hungry for some high-class readings. Novels like “As I lay Dying” [1a] by Fuchs, and poems like “Requiem” [1b] by Anna Akhmatova, were all the rages, and still consistently ranked as among the most well-received literary pieces among the IFE citizens till this day. Arts influenced by Melancholism also became popular, albeit limited to the forms of paintings and posters rather than architectural realization.
Crumbling of a Nation, circa 1934. It is an example of Melancholist painting.
When the Systematists took power in the Russian Empire and transformed the nation into a Federation and a Eurasian Juggernaut, new waves of cultural changes initiated. Borrowing from the deeply Slavic predecessor Melancholism, the enormously creative Constructivism and Modernism, the daring Avant-Garde, and the scientific perception that Systematist so heartily embraced, the new generation of intellectuals crafted the new culture of the IFE. The first movement to emerge from Systematist influences was Rationalism, who took emphasis on using complicated geometries, and fused it with the strong gardening culture to design architectural marvels that contain green spaces and strangely-shaped windows. Geodesic domes were widely popularized by these groups, whilst new towns were almost entirely designed by Rationalist architects to propagandize Systematism as a “beautiful, revolutionary ideology that brings the best to the world”. Rationalist literature was and is still heavily bearing the strong mathematical undertones that it loves to promote, with novels telling stories about protagonists lost in the lands of Non-Euclidean Geometry, or in worlds dominated by novel Physics, Biology; and the solutions to such puzzles are imbued with scientific knowledge. Some writers took the idea seriously enough that they threw in solutions in the form of complicated mathematical equations or made the novels seem like a sitting through a textbook, due to the precise nature of such answers. Rationalism is dominated mostly by the STEM-educated intellectuals or fervent STEM-interested individuals. These ultra-hard sci-fi were surprisingly wildly popular outside of the IFE, and found their ways into the West.
Art concept of the new Kievan Office Building, circa 1941, an archetype of Rationalist architecture
The second movement to take inspiration from Systematism was Perfectionism, or sometimes called Systematist Romanticism. Influenced by the Systematists’ dedication to holistic and utopian views, Perfectionist intellectuals took the IFE by storm through their utopic paintings in their writings and visual expressions. Producing characters that are almost perfect in personality and ability, Perfectionism is extremely popular among children, with parents showing huge approvals for the fact that these cultural movements stress on the good side of human. The sensational and archetypal figure of Perfectionism is Alisa Selezneva, a female child character with her future adventures in other planets and stars and ability to bring out the goodness of all antagonists she encounters had created a wave of Alisa Cult among the students of IFE. The character also reflects the wishes of older generations of IFE to pursue the better future for children, where they would be able to take responsibility in morally “purifying” the world. This would be further catapulted when color TV [2] became widely available during the 1950s, with the famed, optimistic series “Guests from the Future” first aired in 1955, with the plot took place in year 2055. It was molded in the visions which the Systematist believed what would the future be like: perfect, environmentally clean, post-scarcity and morally pure. The series were so well-acclaimed by the public that the producers decided to extend it beyond the original five episodes, and has since remained among the top favorites of many Imperial citizens. Its wonderfully beautiful song – Prekrasnoe Dalyoko, or Beautiful Faraway – was considered the pinnacle of Russian cinematic music, and had been made into the official song of the Pioneer Youth League for Glorious Future (the Budusomol) in 1956.
Still from the utopian sci-fi movie "Guest From the Future", with main character Kolya Gerasimov on the right.
The Systematist fictional poster child Alisa Selezneva, a media sensation of IFE that was much stronger than equivalent in OTL Soviet Union
With the rise of personal computers and electronics, the IFE experienced ever more new cultural changes. For the first time, computers became advanced enough that they startled many prominent scholars, with ability to perform complex calculations and simulations with few errors and great accuracy. The power of computers and electronics prompted some to procure a new movement – Automatism – a thinking infused with the idealization of computers and hails the integration of biology with machines as the ultimate goal. Partially inspired by Perfectionism, its literature romanticized the augmentation of biological beings into nigh-omnipotence entities, far beyond the set limits of biology, and capable of traversing all kind of environments, from outer space vacuum to hot lava surfaces. Additionally, automatist artists explored the new possibilities offered by digital technologies, for applications in music production, in traditional arts and even early forms of graphic arts. There were even some enthusiastic pursuits of doing electronic circuit-inspired tattoo designs, or writing sentences in computer codes [3] rather than regular words as signatures.
The 7th Element, by Vitas, the most famous Russian singer in Automatist electronic music
International Reception
[1a] and [1b] - Both are different from OTL similarly named literary works. They focus more on the struggles to survive daily during the Great Depression more than a lamentation against the government.
[2] - Remember that Madness and Ardor is significantly more advanced than OTL in terms of science and tech.
[3] - I am referring to binary codes, ASCII codes or hexademical codes if one will.
So will we see a stronger Green or Enviromental movement later on along with Transhumanism?