I was thinking today about a smaller, weaker British Empire. I always love a good Britwank, but today I was imagining what the world could have looked like if Britain hadn't been so quick at grabbing colonies.
I'm not sure what kind of POD this would need (my fullest knowledge doesn't surpass that of colonial names of places), but what could Britain have been if it had stayed out for a couple more decades (or longer)?
I can imagine parallels or competition with Italy, as both would be scurrying and hurrying for an empire (maybe Abyssinia is a likely target of British aggression? Maybe they would war with the Ottomans as well?). Or would we see an alliance between the two budding empires in a quest to ultimate take from the other major powers?
What say you, patrons of AH.com?