The Union Forever: A TL
- Thread starter Mac Gregor
- Start date
1965: Foreign Developments
Switching the order up a bit. Enjoy!
1965
Foreign Developments
On April 4, the 27 day long Sino-Tibetan War erupted when elements of the 4th and 6th Chinese armies commanded by General Chen Ke surged across its sparsely populated border with the Kingdom of Tibet. The abruptness of the invasion stunned the world including Tibet which was attacked mere hours after rejecting an ultimatum from Chinese leader Zhang Kun to “renegotiate their common border.” The small and antiquated Tibetan Army was only able to offer token resistance to the assaulting Chinese but did fight some valiant delaying actions before being overwhelmed. For its aggression China received near universal condemnation especially from the United Kingdom who considered itself Tibet’s protector before their recent withdraw from northern India. By early May international pressure from Russia, Japan, Britain, and even the normally friendly United States forced Zhang to end his advance into Tibet. In the resulting peace settlement China agreed to acknowledge Tibetan independence but acquired nearly 40% of its territory. At home the victory provided Zhang’s regime, and General Chen in particular, with an enormous boost of popular support claiming that after centuries of decline China’s fortunes were now on the rise. Indeed most pundits saw China’s unwarranted war against Tibet as a way to compensate for its embarrassing defeat at the hands of Japan 10 years earlier. Out of fear of renewed Chinese aggression, the Dali Lama signed a treaty with St. Petersburg in October effectively joining the likes of Mongolia, Tuva, and Uyghurstan as a Russian protectorate.
In March and September, the tiny African kingdoms of Basutoland and Swaziland formally united with the Dominion of South Africa.[1] Having been ruled as British protectorates for decades, the territories were allowed to keep their monarchs but relegated them to a largely ceremonial role. These new provinces would elect their own representatives to the South African Parliament in Willemstad two years later.[2]
In the 1960 German general election Chancellor Florian Krueger and his coalition of Conservatives and Christian Democrats were reelected for a third term. Krueger credited his party’s success to a prospering economy, Germany’s recent triumphs in space, and the creation of the Association of European States. Dismayed by yet another electoral defeat the Social Democrats vowed to close ranks with a number of other centrist and left wing parties to create a united opposition come next election.
In October, the Russian Empire became the fourth nation to put a satellite in orbit with the launch of Basil 2. Empress Elizabeth II hailed the achievement as a monument to Russian science and in the following months successfully lobbied the Duma for additional funds for the Russian space program.
In early November, the Argentine city of Buenos Aires hosted the first World Technocracy Congress a gathering of technocratic and Krulikist intellectuals, advocates, and politicians from over 51 countries. The highly publicized meetings caused a worldwide resurgence of interest in the technocratic movement which presented itself as a superior alternative to the liberal democracies and conservative monarchies then in power in much of the world.
[1] Basutoland is the former name for OTL’s country of Lesotho.
[2] OTL’s Johannesburg
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I like the changing of the order.
I had forgotten that Tuva was independent in TTL. Glory be to Tuva.
Anyway, now that you've mentioned Russian science, I have a few questions: have antibiotics become as prevalent in TTL? I know in the 40s Western medicine pretty much shied away from use of bacteriophage viruses to counteract infections, but the therapy is still prevalent in the former USSR; could it be used more commonly in the West here?
I had forgotten that Tuva was independent in TTL. Glory be to Tuva.
Well, that's too bad. I love those little quirks of the map. Oh well, butter gonna fly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYDkGJmSfy0
Anyway, now that you've mentioned Russian science, I have a few questions: have antibiotics become as prevalent in TTL? I know in the 40s Western medicine pretty much shied away from use of bacteriophage viruses to counteract infections, but the therapy is still prevalent in the former USSR; could it be used more commonly in the West here?
Man, it's getting real in Asia. Zhang scored a real public relations coup (pun intended) with his own people. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing how Zhangian China will move forward now. The United States has invested quite considerably in the Middle Kingdom in order to counter further expansion of Japanese influence. However, the US can't very well endorse Zhang's authoritarian, and now aggressive tendencies. This almost reminds me of America's relationship with Vietnam during the time of Diem. At this point, the US will likely have to "stick with the devil you know." With Russia and Japan quickly encircling China, it can only go downhill from here.
Russians in space? Da, comrade. Oh wait...
Oh yes, technocracy being a viable ideology. As long as they don't try to replace currency with energy credits, and it might very well take off. But where...
Russians in space? Da, comrade. Oh wait...
Oh yes, technocracy being a viable ideology. As long as they don't try to replace currency with energy credits, and it might very well take off. But where...
Thanks FleetMac! Japan has been very busy as of late. The Kobushi Party is still very much in control of things and they are actively backing pro-independence rebels in Indonesia. Its main concern is securing enough raw materials to sustain its industrial economy which is tough when Russia, UK, USA, and China view you as a potential adversary. Japan hasn't entered the space race yet but is working on launching its own satellite.
Yeah; steeling themselves against future aggression as they have done is about it.
Indeed, Tuva is independent but is heavily influenced by Russia. As such most countries don't even bother with an embassy and simply use their Russian ambassadors when the need arises. As far as bacteriophage therapy goes it is far more common in the West than OTL but still viewed with a healthy degree of suspicion by some doctors.
Only time will tell. As of the 1960s Tibet is certainly exotic but also very poor. However the recent treaty with Russia will bring some much needed development to the country.
Man, it's getting real in Asia. Zhang scored a real public relations coup (pun intended) with his own people. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing how Zhangian China will move forward now. The United States has invested quite considerably in the Middle Kingdom in order to counter further expansion of Japanese influence. However, the US can't very well endorse Zhang's authoritarian, and now aggressive tendencies. This almost reminds me of America's relationship with Vietnam during the time of Diem. At this point, the US will likely have to "stick with the devil you know." With Russia and Japan quickly encircling China, it can only go downhill from here.
Russians in space? Da, comrade. Oh wait...
Oh yes, technocracy being a viable ideology. As long as they don't try to replace currency with energy credits, and it might very well take off. But where...
Good points, and I have my own ideas as to where technocracy might gain a foothold. Cheers!
I'm going to guess the Balkans?
Their loss.
Makes sense. How prevalent are antibiotics? I can't remember if you mentioned penicillin or its ATL equivalent yet.
Well, it was discovered IOTL in 1901 by Alois Alzheimer with his colleague Emil Kraepelin. Perhaps it's after him that the disease is named here?