Thank you for your support! To answer your question while there wasn't an exact equivalent of OTL's population exchanges over the decades Greeks have slowly emigrated from Turkey to Greece or other countries. As of 2010 there are roughly 316,000 Greeks living in Turkey. So yes, Turkey is less xenophobic than OTL but still has a strong strain of ethnic nationalism. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers!
The Union Forever: A TL
- Thread starter Mac Gregor
- Start date
Thank you for your support! To answer your question while there wasn't an exact equivalent of OTL's population exchanges over the decades Greeks have slowly emigrated from Turkey to Greece or other countries. As of 2010 there are roughly 316,000 Greeks living in Turkey. So yes, Turkey is less xenophobic than OTL but still has a strong strain of ethnic nationalism. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers!
Just blew through the entire thing. Great job, Mac. Question: Are Uncle Sam's Misguided Children still around or no?
I'll field this one. Yes, the Marines are still around, although they're a lot smaller than OTL (IIRC four brigades' worth, although that's probably their primary operating forces that do the lion's share of their work, not including supporting staff, reservists, comms/intel specialists, instructors/drill sergeants, etc.). It was covered under the update that mentioned the 1990 Military Reform Act on page 259.
@Mac Gregor, that reminds me, I had some further ruminations on the '90 MRA as well. If you'd like I can PM you or just talk it out on the TL proper?
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Good discussion. Regarding Russia's economy remember in 2000 the IEF was #3, so falling to #10 is a big deal. It is also important to note that the economy has recovered greatly, although not fully, since the civil war. On Germany's population, it is significantly larger than OTL due to the facts people have mentioned, especially German Cameroon. Also the German Empire has a history of promoting more natallist policies than many other nations.
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Das American thanks for your support. FleetMac is spot on regarding the Marines.
FleetMac please PM or post your thoughts!
2011: Foreign and Domestic Developments
2011
Foreign and Domestic Developments
The USS Chichi Jima, USS Manifest Destiny, HCMS Quebec, and ARM Benito Juarez
steaming west in a show of force
The Ryukyu Islands Crisis erupted in late January, after Chinese Executive Yu Qishan and the rest of the Technocratic Union (TU) delivered an ultimatum for Japan to cede the disputed Ryukyu Islands to China. This demand had followed years of growing tensions and repeated incursions by TU vessels into Japanese waters. Officially, Yu maintained that China had historical claims to the island chain and had been “cheated” out of them during the peace negotiations following the Asia-Pacific War. However, the move was widely interpreted as an attempt by Yu to discredit the nascent Pacific Treaty Organization (PTO) and humble Japan for pursuing rearmament. After urgent requests from Japanese Prime Minister Kouta Nakamura, American President Peter Rowland helped rally the PTO to Japan’s defense. Five American fleets and sizable naval contingents from ComNat countries were redeployed to the Western Pacific. After weeks of combative negotiations the world was on the brink of war. However after Russian divisions began massing near the Manchurian border the TU was forced to back down, realizing that it would be hopelessly outmatched fighting simultaneously the Orthodox Council on land and the PTO at sea. The crisis proved an embarrassing failure for Yu Qishan and validation for the PTO. The near brush with nuclear war also invigorated anti-nuclear and pro-peace activists around the globe.
While the Ryukyu Island Crisis started to boil in East Asia, representatives from the German and Russian empires meet in San Marino under the auspices of the Fellowship of Nations for an important summit. Speaking on behalf of their various alliance blocs, German Chancellor Helmut Koch and Russian Prime Minister Mitya Kuznetsov hammered out an agreement normalizing relations in Eastern Europe. While several issues were left unresolved, the San Marino Accords allowed Kuznetsov to focus his military on other threats, specifically the TU and Persia. Germany gained what amounted to recognition of its sphere of influence over Poland, Finland, Romania, and the Baltics at the cost of a generous aid package to the Orthodox Council.
In May, the first widely used decentralized cryptocurrency known as digicoin was introduced. In the following years, a host of different cryptocurrencies would emerge with varying degrees of success. While these types of virtual money were meant for legal transactions their anonymity made them a favorite for less than reputable purchases on the globtrix.
2011 marked the start of an upwelling of interest in various retro and retrofuturistic styles in fashion and architecture throughout Europe and the Americas. While composed of several diverse sub-movements, the retro-wave, as it became known, popularized nostalgia for the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the end of the year, it was not uncommon for dapper youths in many cities to sport waistcoats, pocket watches, and bowler hats.
In July, renowned East African astronomer Amir Kawawa, and his team at the Royal Astronomical Foundation announced the discovery of a new extrasolar planet orbiting Alpha Centauri C. Named Jirani, it was the closest extrasolar planet to Earth yet identified. Jirani appeared to be roughly earth sized and in the star’s habitable zone although it was thought to be tidally locked.
The 2011 World’s Fair was held in São Paulo. The ruling Brazilian Ecoist Party used the expo to highlight their efforts at creating an environmentally sustainable society. This included showcasing a new system of ultra high voltage direct current power lines that linked São Paulo to renewable solar and wind farms elsewhere in the country.
On August 30, the Republic of the Umbangi exploded into civil war after the pro-western president Winston Combs was assassinated by rogue army elements loyal to Colonel Den Ayandho. It was widely assumed that Ayandho was backed by members of the All-African Alliance especially West Africa and the Congo. While most Umbangians didn’t support Ayandho, the munitions and money supplied by the AAA gave his forces a decided advantage moving into 2012.
Near Christmas, the groundbreaking computer game Solsys Explorer was released by Köppen Entertainment to huge critical and commercial success. Allowing players to design their own spacecrafts and visit a myriad of exotic destinations in a futuristic solar system, Solsys Explorer was praised for its relatively realistic take on astrophysics and aeronautics.
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Why am I getting the feeling the whole crisis over the Ryukyu Islands was just a taste of things to come?
With all the fun that comes with it of creating insane rockets or just tests that kill everyone?
Weapon Profile: Smith & Wesson Model 1899 Rifle
With MacGregor's blessing, your wish is my command:
Name: Smith & Wesson Model 1899 Rifle
Designer: Smith & Wesson Firearms
Type: Lever-action repeater
Caliber: .30-45 [1]
Feed System: 5-round integral box
Adopted: 1902
Notes: Despite proving to be overall successful during the Spanish-American War, the 1872 Winchester rifle had a disadvantage in effective range compared to other nations' rifles (especially ones using "Spitzer" bullets and smokeless powder). As a result, a series of weapons selection boards were conducted from 1898-1900, largely stemming from President George Custer's 1897 Military Reform Act. Various designs were presented for consideration by the Department of War to be adopted as the new service rifle, including offerings from Winchester, Dreyse-Mauser, Tramond-Gras[2] and Mannlicher-Steyr. However, the ultimate winner was selected by Secretary of War Theodore Roosevelt in 1901; the Smith & Wesson[3] M1899 Rifle.
Mechanically interesting, it used a Browning-designed lever action that actually incorporated a five round stripper-clip loaded magazine (instead of a contemporary turn-bolt action) and chambered in the new .30-45 rifle cartridge which the Army had standardized as the new round for rifles and machine guns[4]. While the gun's action was somewhat weak compared to actions like those used by Dreyse-Mauser or Taylor-Jalenson, they were generally sturdy and reliable in the hands of trained soldiers, and served admirably on the Caribbean, Rhine and Alsace-Lorraine Fronts of the Great War. In particular, Franco-Bavarian reports from the Battle of Sundern revealed a frightening amount of lethal fire from attacking US Marines wielding the M1899, to the point where several troops believed they were under attack from British troops using the "Jalenson Gallop". Accurate and field-durable, it wasn't until the 1950s that these rifles were finally phased out (typically being used as sniper rifles by that time after some rechambering).
[1] Essentially the OTL .30-03, with the "45" designation indicating a 45-grain powder charge as used by the Army in the 19th century.
[2] ITTL, the name of the manufacturer of TTL's Lebel rifle equivalent.
[3] The astute amongst you may notice that this design was a Winchester one IOTL....chalk it up to butterflies around TTL's Browning family, industrial espionage, or a little of both.
[4] A key element here is that spitzer-style bullets fired using smokeless powder was quite possible with this rifle IOTL, and remains so ITTL.
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Weapon Profile: 1944 Winchester Rifle
You want more? You got it!
Name: 1944 Winchester Rifle
Designer: Winchester Armament Company
Type: Toggle-delayed blowback semiautomatic rifle
Caliber: .276 Light Rifle
Feed System: 10 round en-bloc
Adopted: 1947
Notes: Efforts to replace the 1899 Smith & Wesson began during the early Warburton Administration, once it became clear that self-loading rifles would be the future of small arms. However, while initial research and testing did occur starting in 1937, the program languished under the isolationist Kirkman presidency until field testing began in earnest in 1944. Thankfully, the War Department did manage to select a new service weapon two years before the US' entry into the South American War, the M1944 Winchester Rifle.
Developed by Peter Melvin of Laramie, the M1944 continued America's trend of using unconventional weapons designs for her Army. Two characteristics of note were the rifle's action, that of a toggle-delayed bolt similar to that of the famous Loewe pistol[1] in conjunction with delayed blowback as the means of operation. The other unique element was its ammunition.
While Army doctrine emphasized individual marksmanship only out to 300 yards (further distances being covered by mass rapid volley fire or crew-served heavy arms)[2], there was nonetheless a desire to increase the ammunition capacity of the individual soldier and provide more stable shots at distance. As such, the .276 (7x51mm) Light Rifle cartridge was developed, which was considerably flatter and milder shooting than the previously adopted .30-45. Interestingly, it utilized a thin layer of mineral wax coating to assist in extraction.
While effective enough in the field, the dusty climate of the Atacama produced cycling issues for U.S. troops, ironically stemming from the wax coating necessary for reliable feeding under testing conditions as much as the action's vulnerability to the ingress of mud and dirt. However, the ballistic and terminal effectiveness of small-bore rifle calibers had been conclusively proven.
[1] The OTL Luger pistol, here credited to Ludwig Loewe's weapon firm and not Georg Luger, who it could be argued merely improved someone else's design.
[2] With a POD in the Civil War, I decided to flip the script and make intermediate-power rifles, medium-range practical marksmanship and massed fire a characteristic of TTL's U.S. Army.
Name: 1944 Winchester Rifle
Designer: Winchester Armament Company
Type: Toggle-delayed blowback semiautomatic rifle
Caliber: .276 Light Rifle
Feed System: 10 round en-bloc
Adopted: 1947
Notes: Efforts to replace the 1899 Smith & Wesson began during the early Warburton Administration, once it became clear that self-loading rifles would be the future of small arms. However, while initial research and testing did occur starting in 1937, the program languished under the isolationist Kirkman presidency until field testing began in earnest in 1944. Thankfully, the War Department did manage to select a new service weapon two years before the US' entry into the South American War, the M1944 Winchester Rifle.
Developed by Peter Melvin of Laramie, the M1944 continued America's trend of using unconventional weapons designs for her Army. Two characteristics of note were the rifle's action, that of a toggle-delayed bolt similar to that of the famous Loewe pistol[1] in conjunction with delayed blowback as the means of operation. The other unique element was its ammunition.
While Army doctrine emphasized individual marksmanship only out to 300 yards (further distances being covered by mass rapid volley fire or crew-served heavy arms)[2], there was nonetheless a desire to increase the ammunition capacity of the individual soldier and provide more stable shots at distance. As such, the .276 (7x51mm) Light Rifle cartridge was developed, which was considerably flatter and milder shooting than the previously adopted .30-45. Interestingly, it utilized a thin layer of mineral wax coating to assist in extraction.
While effective enough in the field, the dusty climate of the Atacama produced cycling issues for U.S. troops, ironically stemming from the wax coating necessary for reliable feeding under testing conditions as much as the action's vulnerability to the ingress of mud and dirt. However, the ballistic and terminal effectiveness of small-bore rifle calibers had been conclusively proven.
[1] The OTL Luger pistol, here credited to Ludwig Loewe's weapon firm and not Georg Luger, who it could be argued merely improved someone else's design.
[2] With a POD in the Civil War, I decided to flip the script and make intermediate-power rifles, medium-range practical marksmanship and massed fire a characteristic of TTL's U.S. Army.
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Weapon Profile: Springfield Model 1956 "Vicario" Rifle
And here's the next one, since I'm on a roll;
Name: Springfield Model 1956 “Vicario” Rifle
Designer: Springfield Armory
Type: Gas-operated semiautomatic rifle
Caliber: .243 Liberty[1]
Feed System: 10, 20, 30-round detachable box
Adopted: 1956
Notes: Although the M1944 did acquit itself adequately during the South American War, the U.S. Military almost immediately began looking for a new rifle to replace it; not only was Melvin's design less robust than desired, the contemporary state of the art made detachable magazines a must for small arms[2]. Weapons trials were conducted in 1953 with input from representatives of all services (including the Army's quasi-autonomous Air Corps), and ultimately the design selected was one that was light, handy, accurate to 500 yards, used detachable magazines, and was produced by Springfield Armory[3]; the M1956 Rifle.
Designed by Santo Domingan mechanical engineer Nelson Vicario, it utilized a long-stroke gas-piston which, when fired, turned a two-lug rotating bolt. Almost immediately, the M1956E1 was devised which introduced a dust cover over the exposed operating rod along the right-hand side of the gun, with the intent of keeping the guide track clear of debris, dirt or mud[4]. It also introduced a three-round burst capability to provide an additional boost in firepower (the original design was semi-auto only), although this was no replacement for dedicated machine pistols [5] or machine guns.
While a reliable and accurate rifle, it never saw significant action in American service. However, it was an important weapon for two reasons. Most notably, it was chambered in the new standardized rifle round for the League of American Republics, which would be adopted by all LAR members (barring Associate members or British Commonwealth states, who were already using a separate weapons/ammunition train). In addition, it was the primary weapon used by Colombian troops to repel Venezuelan aggressors in the American Theater of the Asia-Pacific War, easily outperforming the aged and ungainly PQ-45 selfloading rifle[6] most Venezuelans carried.
[1] OTL 5.56x45mm necked up to this, with cannelured bullets to facilitate fragmentation.
[2] The Brits can take pride in leading the way here with their Taylor-Jalenson rifle.
[3] ITTL known mostly for manufacturing civilian sporting arms after the Civil War.
[4] Chalk it up to my unhealthy fascination with InRangeTV and their rather brutal mud tests for this caveat.
[5] Can't remember if "submachine gun" was ever coined, or if the United States uses the German-derived "machine pistol".
[6] Picture the OTL Type 4 rifle, only chambered in a rimless variant of the 6.5x50mm Arisaka.
Name: Springfield Model 1956 “Vicario” Rifle
Designer: Springfield Armory
Type: Gas-operated semiautomatic rifle
Caliber: .243 Liberty[1]
Feed System: 10, 20, 30-round detachable box
Adopted: 1956
Notes: Although the M1944 did acquit itself adequately during the South American War, the U.S. Military almost immediately began looking for a new rifle to replace it; not only was Melvin's design less robust than desired, the contemporary state of the art made detachable magazines a must for small arms[2]. Weapons trials were conducted in 1953 with input from representatives of all services (including the Army's quasi-autonomous Air Corps), and ultimately the design selected was one that was light, handy, accurate to 500 yards, used detachable magazines, and was produced by Springfield Armory[3]; the M1956 Rifle.
Designed by Santo Domingan mechanical engineer Nelson Vicario, it utilized a long-stroke gas-piston which, when fired, turned a two-lug rotating bolt. Almost immediately, the M1956E1 was devised which introduced a dust cover over the exposed operating rod along the right-hand side of the gun, with the intent of keeping the guide track clear of debris, dirt or mud[4]. It also introduced a three-round burst capability to provide an additional boost in firepower (the original design was semi-auto only), although this was no replacement for dedicated machine pistols [5] or machine guns.
While a reliable and accurate rifle, it never saw significant action in American service. However, it was an important weapon for two reasons. Most notably, it was chambered in the new standardized rifle round for the League of American Republics, which would be adopted by all LAR members (barring Associate members or British Commonwealth states, who were already using a separate weapons/ammunition train). In addition, it was the primary weapon used by Colombian troops to repel Venezuelan aggressors in the American Theater of the Asia-Pacific War, easily outperforming the aged and ungainly PQ-45 selfloading rifle[6] most Venezuelans carried.
[1] OTL 5.56x45mm necked up to this, with cannelured bullets to facilitate fragmentation.
[2] The Brits can take pride in leading the way here with their Taylor-Jalenson rifle.
[3] ITTL known mostly for manufacturing civilian sporting arms after the Civil War.
[4] Chalk it up to my unhealthy fascination with InRangeTV and their rather brutal mud tests for this caveat.
[5] Can't remember if "submachine gun" was ever coined, or if the United States uses the German-derived "machine pistol".
[6] Picture the OTL Type 4 rifle, only chambered in a rimless variant of the 6.5x50mm Arisaka.
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