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This is something I've wanted to discuss for a while.

As the title suggests, this thread is completely devoted to the idea of a Unified Gaul during the Classical Period.

My first main question is the obvious one - how do we unify the Gauls (and it has to be just Gauls/Celtae, at least initially - so no saying the Roman conquests unified Gaul, or arguing for the Germanic tribes to conquer Gaul, or having the Belgae or Aquitani lead the conquest) into one state? The Gauls, were, obviously, a very divided people for much of their history. The Arverni, who were based in Auvergne, seem to be the best candidate - they held hegemony over wide swaths of Gaul, and eventually had to be broken up by the Romans in 121 BC, and their rise has been compared to that of Rome in Italy. Their most famous Kings, Luernios and Bituitus, appear to have been father and son, and, while very little is known of them, they appear to have been powerful rulers. Vercingetorix, also, was an Arverni, and he actually did lead a briefly unified Gaul. The other main candidate would probably be the Aedui tribe, who led the strongest opposing confederacy to the Arverni. Also to consider is Rome - does Rome need to be destroyed for a Unified Gaul to emerge, does such a Gallic state need an impetus to unify like Caesar's invasion for a unifying leader like Vercingetorix to emerge, or could Gaul develop into a unified state with Rome still around, but without Roman intervention?

My second question, as on the title, is what would such a state look like? By that, I mean the political, cultural, and religious ramifications of a unified Gallic state as a whole. Now, obviously, some of the changes that would come along depend on the factors that lead to unification - is it a process that "naturally" came about, or did Rome or some other state force an initially temporary union, that became permanent? What tribe in the end unified it? But, ignoring those questions until they're debated and answered as best we can, there are other questions - for instance, what role might the druids play? How Hellenized might the Celtic gods become as the state expands, if at all? How urbanized can Gaul get? Which regions could see the biggest cities emerge? How might the Gaulish military develop? And how could such a state realistically politically centralize, as, under any scenario, Gaul would be a very decentralized state?

And, finally, what is the potential of a unified Gaul? Such a state would have a huge population base that even the Romans in Italy can't match. With their being as warlike, as a whole, as the Romans on top of that, expansion seems likely. Where might such a state expand to? Is a European empire that could rival what the Romans did IOTL possible for the Gauls?

Now, obviously, I'm asking quite a bit, so that's why I'm hoping to divide up all my questions into these three main questions, that, ideally, we would tackle one at a time, until we have a pretty solid idea of, well, what the most likely hypothetical unified Gallic state might be like in the Mediterranean world. I can't be the only one who's salivated at the idea! :D So, beginning with my first question, what is the best way to create a unified Gaul?

I'll start: honestly, I think the best chance we have of seeing Gaul consolidate under the rule of one state is by destroying Rome. When we destroy Rome probably doesn't matter, but should be done as late as possible (Hannibal's time, or a bit after) so that the rise of the Arverni can still happen un-butterflied. With them out of the way, I think it quite possible that the Arverni could rule a united Gaul by 1 AD, as they appear to have been on that track. Thoughts? Questions on what I'm trying to discuss?
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