Zentrale Afrikanische Vereinigung

Glen

Moderator
Hapsburg said:
Ah, it's entertaining. That's what matters in an ATL story, really. I mean, look at my Sorrow of the Samurai TL. It's very flawed in terms of plausiblity and expected outcomes, but it makes a great story.:D

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story...;)
 

Glen

Moderator
Ah, I really enjoyed this one. Not one I can get back to anytime soon, but a fun timeline nonetheless.
 

Glen

Moderator
A compilation of the timeline to date If you follow each quote back to the original post, you will see a map of Africa for that time period.:)

The Central Powers do gradually better during the course of WWI, leading the Italians to side with them, and the USA to stay neutral. Lenin is still sent in his sealed car to Russia and destiny.

With the victory of the Central Powers in the Great War, a major redivision of the African Continent ensues, mainly to the benefit of Germany. Newly promoted General Paul Erich von Lettow-Vorbeck is appointed military governor of the Central African Colonies while the details of their division and administration are being worked out in Berlin. Though expected to only be a temporary assignment, General Lettow-Vorbeck begins the process of organizing a nascent infrastructure for the region, including surveying and the use of his Askaris to muster support among the indigenous populations of Central Africa.

In the aftermath of the British defeat, the Union of South Africa declares its complete severance from the British and forcefully annexes the remainder of British South Africa, much to the amusement of the Kaiser.

Though things seem bright for the German Empire, there is rot at the heart of the nation. The Kaiser has become overconfident with the victory in the Great War and inserts himself even more into the running of the Empire. Discord and disenchantment with the sovereign grow as important policies are held up or decided by fiat, and not always for the best. Then comes the post war depression. What would have been a significant but transient depression becomes worsened by incompetence on the part of the Kaiser led German Empire, which starts a chain of events plunging the world into a Great Depression. Communist Revolution breaks out in Germany, overthrowing the monarchy and slaughtering the Royal Family. In Italy, a man named Mussolini uses fear of international Communism to rise to power.

With the fall of Germany to the Communists and the slaughter of the Royal Family, Lettow-Vorbeck declares the independence of Zentralafrika from Germany. Morocco and Tunisia stay under the control of Communists, but German Somalia declares itself for Lettow-Vorbeck.

While many pundits at first predict the independent Central Africa will fall to opportunistic other powers, most nations are too exhausted by the double punch of the recent Great War and the Great Depression to act to reclaim their lost colonies. One that does try to take advantage is Italy, invading German Somalia. However, Lettow-Vorbeck's Askari and German forces launch a counterstrike that not only frees German Somalia, but captures Italian Somalia and Eritrea, ejecting them from East Africa.

Though the early days of the Central African Federation, as the newly independent nation is called, are turbulent, the combination of the frenetic activity of President Lettow-Vorbeck and his Askari cadre combined with recent finds of significant mineral wealth and an influx of German professionals escaping communist persecution (though the majority go to the Austro-Hungarians) help to begin building a real nation. German is made the official language not so much as an Eurocentric act but as a neutral Lingua Franca for the many tribes who comprise the Federation. Mass Conscription is used not only to defend the nation, but also as a tool to begin breaking down individual tribal identity (including German) and begin to instill a new, Central African, identity.

Only a few years into their existence, the Central African Federation makes a major move by purchasing the rest of Abyssinia from the Ottomans.

With France, the Iberian Peninsula, and most of the Balkans joining the Fascist camp, war breaks out between them and the German/Russian Communist alliance. Soon, Great Britain and the Austro-Hungarians are drawn into the conflict as well, reluctantly siding with the Fascists.

The Central African Federation stays neutral in the conflict, but their own struggle is brewing. The Union of South Africa has continued their march towards Apartheid, and this leads to increasing tensions between them and the more tolerant Central African Federation. When a massacre of schoolchildren protesting the new policies of South Africa occurs, the population of Central Africa is incensed, and demands war. Though hard fighting, the Afrikaaners are crushed by the German style Central African troops. The occupation of South Africa will be years of hard guerrilla fighting, but in the end South Africa will be incorporated into the Federation.

Meanwhile, to the North, a rebellion breaks out in Egypt/Sudan, which eventually wins its independence from the Ottomans (some claim the Egyptians had covert support from the British, French, and Italians).

While the Cold War between the Fascists and the Free nations persists in Europe, things are going relatively well for the Central African Federation, which is experiencing an economic boom. The Central European Federated Empire (formerly called the Austro-Hungarian Empire) is the largest trade partner of the CAF, followed by the British and Americans.

In the middle part of the century, the CAF successfully negotiates the purchase of Madagascar from the cash strapped French, whose far flung empire is beginning to crumble.
 
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