WI/AHC Armenian Superpower

As a culture and a nation, I personally think the Armenians have greatly been overlooked. They are located dead center between three hugely influential and prosperous areas (Asia Minor, Persia, the Fertile Crescent), yet they have not been a true force to be reckoned with since the 3rd century AD.

So I adress the question, how, and if how, what if the Armenians became a superpower, similar to say Persia, Rome, or later Russia?
 
As a culture and a nation, I personally think the Armenians have greatly been overlooked. They are located dead center between three hugely influential and prosperous areas (Asia Minor, Persia, the Fertile Crescent), yet they have not been a true force to be reckoned with since the 3rd century AD.

So I adress the question, how, and if how, what if the Armenians became a superpower, similar to say Persia, Rome, or later Russia?

Well do you mean in the 16th to 21th century or the medieval and before modern era?
 
Have them defeating the Romans in 69 BC and keeping Syria. Hard, but not totally impossible.
After they take everything they can in the Caucasus, like Colchis and similar places. They are still locked between the Parthians and the Romans.
By the way, such a POD butterflies away all the late Roman civil wars as we know them) and maybe even Caesar's conquest of Gaul. So probably we'll need a great and long Roman civil war without no Pompey and, maybe no Ceasar (at least at the beginning) and then a more chaotic situation that keep the legions busy. What about Vergingetorix invading the Roman Province?
Parthians can be dealt with. I Armenia proves stable enough, can last. But it's difficult to imagine such a world.
Oh, and IF Syria stays Armenia, I can guess that strange things may happen in Palestine...
 
There is almost a 0% chance that the Armenians will be able to defeat the Romans. Even the wily king Mithridates of Pontos, who had built up an considerable state on the Black Sea (as opposed to moving into a power vacum as the Armenians did) could not defeat the Romans in the end, even after numerous successes. Meanwhile, the Armenians folded after Tigranocerta. The only reason that could keep the Armenians with their conquests in Syria around is as a buffer state between Parthia and Rome. And it is tough for a buffer state to become an empire.
 
so the general thought seems to be armenia couldn't fight off rome. thats all fine and well, but the armenians were around as a kingdom long after loosing syria, and outlasted the WRE. but history is vast, are there no other opportunities over the thousands of years that armenia could have risen?
 
Part of the difficulty is that the Armenians will nearly always be outclassed by surrounding powers. I guess the most they could hope for later on is a Caucasian empire similar to that of Georgia's in the 12th century. I don't think its very likely that we would see a Armenia ever on the scale of empires like the Ottomans or Timiruds.
 
I'd always thought a scenario involving wanking Cilician Armenia could be fun. Perhaps the Mongols ally with them against the Seljuks, and, with the Byzantines down and out, the Armenians are able to vassalise much of Armenia, before moving on to the Crusader States, and the Caucasus, thus restoring a rather loose knit group of states stretching from the Aegean to the Caspian under Armenian hegemony?
 
If the Arabs manage to permanently drive out the Byzantines of Anatolia, the Bagratid kingdom may fill in the vacuum following the breakdown of caliphal power on peripheral areas.
 
Superpower is a term reserved for 1 of 2 (possibly 3) supreme powers in the world. Armenia as a SUPERPOWER is, IMO, ASB. As a Great Power (one of the top 5, say), it might be possible.
 
Superpower is a term reserved for 1 of 2 (possibly 3) supreme powers in the world. Armenia as a SUPERPOWER is, IMO, ASB. As a Great Power (one of the top 5, say), it might be possible.

You'll need a geological POD. Make Armenia be the largest uranium store in the world. have them beat the Turks AND the Soviets in WWI. Give them the best nuclear geniuses around. They get nukes in 1938. After that, everyone would bow in front of the Caucasians Overlords of the Destruction. Especially after they gave some amusing demostration in, let's say, Ankara. :D

(it's ASB, i know).
 
What about strengthening medieval Armenia and uniting it with Georgia? That might produce a significant power if authority (Byzantine or Turkish) breaks down in central Anatolia/Syria. I'm not sure how long that could last however.
 
What about strengthening medieval Armenia and uniting it with Georgia? That might produce a significant power if authority (Byzantine or Turkish) breaks down in central Anatolia/Syria. I'm not sure how long that could last however.

The Mongols are going to break it down, with all likelyhood. And it would be difficult to have an Armenian powerful post-Mongolian state.
 
The Mongols are going to break it down, with all likelyhood. And it would be difficult to have an Armenian powerful post-Mongolian state.
If Armenia did such a thing, who is to guarantee the Mongols or a Mongol-like equivalent would form? The PoD is at least a century before Ghenghis Khan is even born (Manzikert era) or not in power (late 12th Century). He easily could have died in battle and I don't think Jumakha who is the most likely person to unite the clans had his talent and vision.
 
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