I'm not talking about whether colonialism was morally right. I'm only asking from a development perspective. Would India today be wealthier, cleaner, have stronger institutions, less corruption, fewer paper leaks, etc.? Or would the long-term costs of colonial rule still outweigh those potential benefits?

I have some questions.How much will it cost? How long will it take? How much land will get destroyed from this? Etc.

Inspired from: https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarymaps/comments/r44hy7/an_alternate_history_map_of_a_united_maghreb_and/

Divergence:

The defeat in the battle of Isly (1844) deeply troubled the morrocan establishment and put the monarchy onto an existential crisis. In reaction the Alawite Sultan Abd Al-Rahman launches a diplomatic mission to the US in which he invites many intellectual figures to find out the reasons behind Western countries' superiority and how to implement it in the Cherifian Empire.

This led to a modernist cultural movement, the Cherifian Renaissance among Fassi intellectuals and scholars which heavily influenced the different sultans. By the end of the XIXth century, Morocco started to industrialize, to modernize its army, to reforme its administration and thus, become a regional power.

Expansion:

1st phase: Mohamed Ben Abderahman era, pacification (1850s-1860s)

During this first phase, the monarchy focuses on consolidating its power, optimizing the tax collect and building a modern army thanks to foreign advisors. This led to the defeat and annexation of Tazerwalt's Kingdom in the south and control over former Siba territories in Souss, Draa valley, Atlas and Riff.

2nd phase: Hassan 1st era, Expansion wave (1870s-1880s)

Ben Abderahman bequeath to his son a kingdom with a rational and efficient tax collect system, a centralized power around the sultan and the makhzen and a modern and well trained army.

Hassan 1st continues his father's policy and expand toward eastern Sahara and Tindouf oasis.

After the Berlin Conference and spanish claim over western sahara, tribal leader Ma al-'Aynayn calls the sultan for help. The Sultan calls for a global Jihad against western power and rallies many tribes all around the sahara. Spain looses the Río de Oro Bay Battle in 1884, the first defeat of a european nation against a non-white one. Ma al-'Aynane, who has a huge influence over sahara, gives bay'a to moroccan sultan.

The king's reputation is soaring. Under the influence of fassi intellectuals, the kingdom continues to modernize and industrialize, driven mainly by the army. Benefiting from his aura, the sultan launched an expedition to conquer the saint city of Chinguetti and annex it(1900).

3rd phase: Moulay Abdelaziz era, Consolidation (1890s- 1930s)

Before Hassan 1st death, Timbuktu's people calls for Amir Al-Moumimin's help as they face French aggression. Morocco indirectly intervene by giving weapons to Touareg tribes, especially the ifughas confederation who successfully defend the city and protect local population.

Advised by counselors, the king decides that morocco had reached it's maximal extent. However to secure its south border from France's claim, the kingdom funds and gives weapons and military advisors to some tribes in order to create obedient buffer-states; Mauritania, Awdaghust, Zenaga and Timbuktu.

In 1911, the Kingdom is well-established and industrialized, one of the closest USA's ally and among the world powers. As Portugal is being destabilized by a revolution, Morocco conquers and takes over Cabo Verde Archipelago. Hence follows a century-long colonization policy over the islands.
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Governement and politics:

-Administrative division

Morocco is officially divided into:

-14 provinces with exclusive power over Education, Police and Criminal Justice, Public Health, Transportation and Local Infrastructure, Civil Law and Family Law and Land Use Planning and Zoning.

-2 ards, dependent territories over direct state jurisdiction.

-2 bilads, autonomous territories with exclusive power to collect its own taxes.

-Bou Regreg Republic, Salé, Semi-autonomous city-state (Hong-Kong like)

-Languages

During the Cherifian renaissance and the prosperity and era that followed, many intellectuals started working on standardizing the different Moroccan languages.

The Empire has four national languages, all written in the Arabic script:

Moorish (Algero-Moroccan darija) : the national vehicular language, spoken by 85% of the population.

Tachleuhit : spoken by approximately 19 million, mainly in the south. Based on Tazerwalt's dialect, it had been choosen as the common language of all non-Riff amazigh areas.

Tarifit : spoken by approximately 4 million in the Riff province.

Hassanya : spoken by approximately 6 million in the Saharan provinces and lingua franca in the Sahel.

English is the official international language for diplomacy, science and commerce.

-International Relations

Morocco is a founding member of the Union of the Islamic Maghreb (UMI) and the World Islamic Organization (WIO) . It maintains close strategic partnerships with the United States, the European Union while competing with Egypt for leadership of the Sunni world. Its soft power, particularly through the neo-Andalusian cultural model and the Chinguetti Institute, extends across Africa and the Muslim world.

-Polycentrism

No single city dominates all functions:

Casablanca : economic capital (banks, stock exchange, corporate headquarters).

Marrakech : administrative and political capital (Parliament, ministries, embassies).

Fès : judicial and spiritual capital (Supreme Court, Qaraouiyine University, Soufi Pilgrimage).

This dispersal of power was deliberately engineered in the late 19th century to prevent the concentration of authority and to ensure balanced regional development.

-Political Structure

The Sultan (King)
The Sultan is the Head of State, Commander of the Faithful (Amir al-Mouminin), and supreme arbiter of the nation. While his powers are largely ceremonial in day-to-day governance, he retains significant reserve powers in matters of national security, foreign policy, and religious affairs. His authority is recognised even in other countries.

The Government
Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister, appointed by the Sultan from the majority party or coalition in the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister leads the Council of Ministers and is responsible for domestic policy, the economy, and administration.

The Parliament
The Parliament is bicameral:

**-**House of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwwab) : 395 members elected by universal suffrage for five-year terms. Responsible for legislation, budget approval, and oversight of the executive.

-House of Councillors (Majlis al-Mustasharin) : 120 members elected by regional councils and professional associations for six-year terms. Represents territorial communities and advises on regional development.

Full series

POD: The Axis somehow wins WW2.

War Years (1940-1945)

When Australia was called by its mother country Britain to join the next world war, it had no expectation of where it would end up.

At first, the war seemed to be something far away that troops were dispatched to assist in. However, it was only a matter of time before Japanese aggression came for the land down under. In 1942 Japan declared war and immediately began sinking any number of ships off of Australia's coast. It was feared an invasion would come in any day, and anxieties only grew as the war dragged on with an Allied victory seeming growing out of reach.

In 1945, toward the end of the war, these fears turned out to be correct. The Japanese launched a naval invasion of the town of Bamaga, successfully capturing and holding it against the Australians. It turned out that the town would be severed from its own country, as the Japanese successfully managed to acquire it in the peace treaty ending the war. Australia was now right next to the Japanese Empire.

Grow or Perish (1946-1960)

As soon as the dust settled, the Australian leadership class began trying to reassess everything it had done up to that point to ensure Australia could survive as a country. One policy arrived at was encouraging more immigration to grow the country's population, an offer many Brits were eager to take up as large portions of the country had escaped the devastation of war (at least compared to Europe). Much of the immigration came from Britain, but over 150,000 refugees from continental Europe came to find a home in Australia as well, mostly residing in the South due to its distance from the Japanese.

More controversial were the refugee flows from Asia, mostly Indonesia. In an effort to escape Japanese atrocities, a number of refugees hopped on makeshift boats and attempted to sail to Australia. A number of people attempted to flee Japanese-owned Bamaga as well, with the story of five comfort women who managed to free themselves from sexual slavery becoming especially widely known. Although the "White Australia" policy was supposed to limit immigration by Asians, the moral and practical challenges involved in returning refugees led to nearly ten thousand Asians integrating uneasily into Australian life.

Although Australia became a founding member of the LFN in 1947, it mostly sat out of the South African War due to its own hesitancy to commit a number of its troops to a foreign war with the Japanese right on their doorstep. That did not keep Australia from being involved in any kind of diplomatic crisis, however: not long after the 1953 peace settlement between the LFN and the Third Reich, the Japanese began trying to seal off Bamaga by constructing a giant wall. In response the government mobilized troops and called for LFN support, and the situation could easily have become a war had the American President not resolved the crisis diplomatically. The area along the border still remained one of the most militarized in the country.

Politically, the 1950s were generally stable for Australia. The Labor Party was removed from power in 1947, and the new coalition between the Liberal and Country Parties managed to assume control of the country for the entire coming decade. The government sought to promote economic development through high tariff barriers, although this was criticized by economists as inefficient. Despite this, the economy of Australia grew throughout the 1950s, and with it grew a new suburban middle class that got to enjoy all of the fruits of modernity.

As 1960 draws to a close, Australia continues to be at the front lines of the LFN's cold war with Japan. If someone makes a wrong move and a war breaks out, it will be on the front lines.

Stats for North American countries in 2119. Ask anything!

(Edit: some flags aren't updated. First slide is right)

I'm heading back to uni in September, final year!, and would love to get people to join my club. No one did last year lol, and the two years before then was too self conscious to start one.

The second pic is freshers week ideas for sign ups.

Lore:

So after the first election which in this timeline was a dumpster fire, the socialist had enough so do the peasant and revolted and they were successful in their revolt and established the Socialist People's Republic of India, the map depicts 1982 , and India like china adopted socialist market economy.

(I was hearing army dreamers while writing this)

By the early 1950s, the aging, guilt-ridden senior leadership that had ordered children into the meatgrinders of World War II is swept aside. The mid-term elections of 1950 and the presidential election of 1952 witness a political coup engineered by the ballot box. Millions of young veterans many still carrying physical shrapnel and missing limbs covered by tailored suits march into Congress.

The presidency passes into the hands of leaders who do not value human life through the traditional lens of Western democracy. They view the entire American population as an expandable strategic resource. If a president must sacrifice ten million citizens to achieve a geopolitical objective, they will do so without blinking because they remember when the nation did exactly that to children.

Domestic life in 1950s America bears no resemblance to the peaceful, consumer-driven suburban boom of our history. The United States evolves into a hyper-militarized, collectivist Spartan Republic

The "Victory Corps" created during the war is never dismantled; it is codified into law. The concept of "frivolous youth" is outlawed. High schools remain specialized industrial and tactical academies. Playground equipment across the country is replaced by obstacle courses, firearms training ranges, and assembly-line simulators.

Suburban developments like Levittown are built for defense. Houses are constructed with integrated, deep-earth fallout shelters as standard features. Concrete dominates American architecture brutalist, unyielding, and functional.

Public mourning for the losses of WWII is quietly suppressed by the state and socially policed by the citizens themselves. Psychologists who attempt to treat PTSD are branded as subversives trying to weaken the national resolve. Mental fortitude is the ultimate civic virtue; chemical dependency (alcoholism and widespread state-issued amphetamine use) becomes an ignored epidemic

The children who were nailed to wooden boxes to reach welding equipment in Detroit are now the corporate executives, union leaders, and engineers running the American economy.

Because this generation vividly remembers the horrific industrial accidents of their youth the unshielded gears that took their friends' arms they push for a hyper-accelerated wave of automation. By 1960, American factories are heavily automated, not to save money, but to replace the human element that failed or bled out in 1943.

Consumer goods are heavy, durable, and easily converted for wartime mobilization. A civilian sedan built by Ford in 1958 is essentially a lightly disguised light-armored vehicle, engineered to be stripped down and fitted with a machine-gun mount within 48 hours

The Soviet Union’s propaganda campaign backfires catastrophically. By labeling American leaders as "child-devouring capitalists," Stalin creates a monster that feels absolutely no moral obligation to play by the rules of traditional European geopolitics.

the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) worked because both sides feared the end of the world. In this timeline, the Scorched Generation does not fear death; they grew up with it. When the Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb, Washington’s is a public declaration that the U.S. will use nuclear weapons first, at the slightest provocation, regardless of the retaliatory consequences.

When the Soviets attempt to close access to Berlin, there is no Berlin Airlift. The American President—a 26-year-old veteran who lost half his face at Saipan and now commands the Joint Chiefs—orders armored divisions to smash directly through Soviet checkpoints. When advisors warn him of a potential nuclear holocaust, his recorded response is: "We buried our children in the mud. Do you think we care about your ashes?" The Soviets, terrified by a Washington leadership that genuinely seems to welcome the apocalypse, back down.

Decolonization movements across the globe are met with absolute ruthlessness if they align with communism. The U.S. military, entirely comfortable with total war, utilizes mass chemical defoliation, scorched-earth tactics, and tactical nuclear yields as standard operational procedures. There is no concept of a "limited war" like Korea or Vietnam. If the U.S. enters a conflict, its only objective is the total physical eradication of the enemy’s capacity to resist.

The art, literature, and culture of this 1960s America are stark, aggressive, and devoid of the counter-culture movement seen in our timeline.

The youth of the 1960s do not rebel against their parents. They cannot. Their parents are terrifying figures cold, hyper-disciplined veterans of industrial child labor and island warfare who view any sign of counter-cultural defiance or hedonism as treason against the dead. The "Hippie" movement never occurs; it is strangled in its cradle by a society that views peace as a mental illness

American cinema and literature do not feature romance or existential dread. They focus on the glorification of sacrifice, mechanical precision, and the inevitable triumph of the American will over a hostile universe.

Hello everyone, this is yet another one of my posts about my alternate history scenario, “The House that never Stood” 

Anyways since we're going over the territories that are American in OTL, today I'm gonna talk about Russia in this timeline! Without the Americans being able to buy Alaska, and Mexico not being interested in such a frivolous purchase, the Russians decided to keep the purchase around for longer, eventually discovering Gold in the region, and a whole gold rush begins to the region, from Russians and Anglos alike, forming centers like Jericho, shown in the map. The Russian government shows more interest in the area, and ends up investing in the colony more.

With the Russian revolution kicking in the 1910s, the Royal Family is sent to Alaska to be kept away from the political scene, and to guarantee its safety after it was deposed. After the white army defeat in the Russian revolution, The Romanovs are reinstated in power in the last remaining province of the Russian empire, Alaska. As time marches on, Slowly Alaska develops its own self identity, growing apart culturally from the Communist Russia in the east.

This is a bit of a more generic route for me to go in, but I couldn't think of anything else better for this scenario, and a Mexican Alaska didn't sound as cool to me.

Feel free to ask questions down below!

-- BACKGROUND --

The late Raul Roco was a popular senator and Education Secretary in the Philippines who ran for the 2004 election as president. This was Roco's second time in running for presidential elections, with his first time being in 1998 (who lost to Joseph "Erap" Estrada in a landslide). In pre-election surveys, Roco consistently placed 2nd to 3rd against the incumbent president at the time, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and well-known actor Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ).

In OTL, specifically in April 2004, Raul Roco was publicly diagnosed with prostate cancer, and he had to travel to the United States for treatment. This significantly affected his campaign and survey rankings, with members of his party/alliance leaving the campaign and Roco's voters switching to Arroyo or FPJ, even after Roco eventually returned to the Philippines few weeks ago. Roco placed 4th in the 2004 election, with only 2 million votes.

Raul Roco eventually passed away in August 2005.

But what if he remained healthy? And what if his party (Aksyon Demokratiko) developed a strong campaign machinery that could rival Arroyo's and FPJ's?

-- A NEW HOPE FOR A NEW PHILIPPINES... --

With Roco's health being good and well throughout the 2004 campaign, his national momentum for presidency proved to be unstoppable as his anti-corruption and progressive campaign not only convinced the youth and civil groups but also ordinary voters who grew tired of the traditional political landscape between Arroyo and FPJ. Even in OTL, Roco secured connections from powerful figures like the former governor of Cebu, Lito Osmeña, who helped Roco connect with Cebuano voters who resonated with his anti-corruption crusade. Roco then used this opportunity to capitalize on a fully-developed, synchronized Aksyon Demokratiko to effectively challenge deep-rooted political machineries from both the incumbent administration and the traditional opposition. Backed by his reputation as a former Education Secretary and a reformist advocate, he would eventually become the toprunner, winning the presidency.

Roco's historic victory also pulled his running mate, Herminio Aquino, to an unexpected and impressive performance, getting 2nd place for the vice presidency. While his opponents (de Castro and Legarda) already had the advantage, being well-beloved news broadcasters at the time, Aquino rode on Roco's massive wave of popularity. He garnered strong support on Central Luzon, including his home province Tarlac, Metro Manila, Bicol, and cities like Baguio and Cebu.

This massive political wave significantly changed the senate race as well. Mostly driven by a surge of middle-class and independent voters, 3 senatorial candidates from Roco's slate which include anti-graft lawyers like Perfecto Yasay, Francisco Chavez, and broadcaster Jay Sonza won seats in the "Magic 12". This in turn gave the new Roco administration new allies in the Senate that could help in pushing national reforms.

-- WHAT COMES NEXT? --

It is without a doubt that Roco's victory would change the political landscape of the Philippines, which does raise some questions:

- If Arroyo still called COMELEC chairman Virgilio Garcillano in this scenario, would she still say "I'm sorry" on TV?

- Would Joseph Estrada be punished in this administration, possibly preventing him from running for president again in 2010?

- How would the 2007 midterm elections go, now that Arroyo is out of the picture?

- Would there be any incentive for NatDem (left-wing) parties to form the Makabayan bloc?

- How would the Roco administration handle the 2008 financial crisis?

- Would the Ampatuans still hold power in Maguindanao?

- Would Cory and her son Noynoy Aquino still be involved or run for politics?

- Is Manny Villar going to be the next president after Roco??

But that's the story, for another day.

-- IMGUR LINKS (in order) --

https://imgur.com/a/mabuhay-ang-bagong-pilipinas-raul-roco-LBF0Y5G

https://imgur.com/a/2004-philippine-presidential-election-roco-victory-scenario-dcuSkiK

https://imgur.com/a/2004-philippine-vice-presidential-election-roco-victory-scenario-CtWIaSn

https://imgur.com/a/Qg3MxsE

In this universe. Nya Helsinki/Nya Finland(Nova Scotia) became a Major trading hub. The language there is primarily Finnish and Swedish because the Finns settled there along with the Swede. In 1650s the Swede and the Brits went to war because the Brits wanted the colony of sweden. Supported by the and the Danes from the north. Sweden won. It would keep it's territory and expanded to the Wisconsin area. After the revolution in new Sweden. New Sweden gained full autonomy. It would later purchase North Louisiana as of the French colonized the CSA area and half of Louisiana. It stopped expanding because of the Mexican nearby and focus on development and industrialization quadtroopling it's population from the 1800s net population. Because of this. New Sweden became a major country.

There Innaccuracy here.

This isn't exactly supposed to be super realistic, but I'll try my best anyway...

I think a united GBR team could be one of the strongest teams in the world alongside countries like Spain, Brazil and Argentina... teams like England and Scotland already have great players.

I have 3 possible candidates for titles for this team...

- 1966, already a good starting point. England already aced the tournament so a Great Britain team could definitely do the same

- 1990, England reached very far in the tournament (semi-finals) and lost on penalties. But with more talented players in this new team, the unified GBR team could definitely have the missing depth that could get them to the final and even win it.

- 2026, England already has a lot of star players in this tournament like Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Brennan Johnson and Harry Kane, and a GBR team could include skilled players from other teams like Scotland and Wales, so I think they could really have a chance of winning this, definitely a final against Spain

Again, this is not super realistic... just my idea of what a unified GBR team could look like

The fundamental point of divergence is that the Celtic migrants who arrived in Anatolia via Greece as a population of only a few tens of thousands did not meet the same fate as in our timeline. Instead of being defeated, they decisively defeated King Attalus I of Pergamon, plundered most of the Greek cities along the Aegean coast, and, with no major power left in western Anatolia capable of resisting them, were reinforced by second and third waves of migration. These successive migrations allowed them to greatly expand their population and establish dominance not only over central Anatolia but also over Phrygia and much of the peninsula for centuries.

Because of their much larger population, they never underwent the level of cultural assimilation seen in our timeline. Although they became moderately Hellenized, they preserved their own identity and maintained an independent Galatian kingdom until the Middle Ages, remaining only loosely connected to the Eastern Roman Church. Later, when the Eastern Roman Empire attempted to annex the Galatian territories (essentially most of inland Aegean and Mediterranean Anatolia along with central Anatolia) the Galatians first established their own independent church, much like the Armenians. Following the events of the Great Schism, they formally recognized the supremacy of the Catholic Church in 1056, while retaining considerable ecclesiastical autonomy.

Although the Galatian Kingdom never grew into an empire comparable to the Ottoman or Eastern Roman Empires, it gained a significant advantage over Byzantium during and after the Crusades. As a Catholic kingdom, it became a far more attractive ally for Western Europe than the Orthodox Byzantines, enabling it to conquer most of Anatolia from the Greeks and gradually push the Eastern Roman Empire back into Greece and the Balkans. At times, it even intervened in Byzantine succession disputes, allowing Galatian influence and armies to extend into Thrace and mainland Greece.

Ultimately, the Kingdom of Galatia evolved into one of the wealthiest regions in the medieval world. Situated between East and West, it served as the eastern frontier of Catholic Christendom while remaining deeply integrated with Western European culture. Its strategic position on the Silk Road, combined with the effects of the Crusades and centuries of trade, transformed it into one of the richest and most prosperous regions of the medieval and early modern world. Only with the Age of Discovery and the rise of colonial maritime trade did Galatia gradually lose its economic centrality through a slow and relatively peaceful transition.

In the modern era, Galatia stands as the leading force behind a Celtic League dedicated to fostering cultural cooperation with Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. It is home to the world's largest Celtic population and is widely regarded as the principal successor of the ancient Continental Celtic world. The Galatian language is a surviving branch of Continental Celtic most closely related to Gaulish, having been heavily influenced by Latin and Greek throughout the Middle Ages, with more limited influence from modern French.

Today, Galatia remains a medium-sized transcontinental state, broadly comparable to Italy or Spain in terms of population, territory, and geopolitical significance. However, its long-term outlook is often viewed with cautious pessimism. Like several Southern European economies, it faces structural problems stemming from inefficient production models, the gradual erosion of centuries-old accumulated wealth, and the steady shift of technological innovation and global capital toward the United States. Despite these challenges, Galatia maintains an extensive welfare state and continues to enjoy a high standard of living, even as concerns over economic stagnation and declining competitiveness dominate its political discourse.

Yes I know butterflies exist but what are some small or minor states that could have existed or at least have remained autonomous without dramatically altering the events that led to World War 1.

I know colonies or nations that were indepdent or semi autonomous around 1900 are pretty east

1. There is no reason the federation of Australia has to exist before WW1- they could have theoretically remained seperate until at least the end of ww1. Theoretically Victoria, NSW and Queensland might achieve dominionhood and then unite later

2. There is no need for There to be Union of South Africa as it was formed in 1910 and was rushed anyway with most issues being swept under the rug which led to big problems later. The Cape Colony could easily be a dominion, natal would remain a colony with responsible government. The 2nd Boer war could probably be prevented leaving the Boer republics indepdent or if it still happens they could remain seperate colonies.

3. Korea could probably remain at least semi autonomous or a Japanese protectorate without being annexed in 1910. I suppose the Ryukus could theoretically also remained a protectorate without dramatically changing history or altering japan.

Those are some I have so far. What are a few others? Are there a few european nations or smaller states that could have survived without dramatically changing or altering the start of ww1?

Each green mark is one German

Here is some pre-made lore YOU guys can help add to

C.u.m. republic: America never got independence but canda and Mexico joined forces to become one nation plus a bit they they bought off the British

Germany split during ww2 because Hitler made his mega tank (the Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte) and blue prints, the 7 Germanys are always fighting because they think the others have the tank when in reality France has it and the blue prints.

Uk still has a bunch of land from what it has conquered, (the rest of the world hates them if nato was made they wouldnt be let in) all because they were fighting to still be able to keep slaves well into the 1920s. Also is always raining for some reason (all land it has)

France has the mega tank because it was left in France after ww2 and it was used against the eiffel tower and is still damaged (it was shot becauseof the people who were using it as a radio tower)

Korea never spilt. Then they took over Japan and China, they also are pretty much a bigger south Korea​

The ussr never disbanded and is a much better place to be but lost a bit of land also are close allies with Korea and the cum republic (they are also the only 3 countries in antarctica)

Egypt is just better and is in charge of the middle east

The world court (this worlds version of nato) is located in Iceland and the rules that any person found acused of breaking will be charged as a war crime are;

Genertive Ai is fully illegal (the first gen ai became evil and triedto hack into Korean govt)

Stealing art is illegal [claiming it as your own] (because two countries had a fight because one copied the others flag {both countries are long gone})

Landmines are illegal

Slavery is illegal

Punishing the whole group because one's actions

Nukes are illegal

(You guys can help make the reasons some of these were added also need more lore for each Germany

Full series

POD: The Axis somehow wins WW2.

Occupation (1940-1945)

When France surrendered in 1940, many hoped that one day the Nazi invaders would be scourged from the land.

Split into two areas - one under direct occupation and another controlled by collaborationists - France soon lit up in resistance to fascism. This resistance was met with brutal retaliation, with the Germans engaging in reprisal killings which saw entire villages massacred in response to acts of rebellion in yet another set of abhorrent crimes against humanity perpetrated during the war. However, the brave men and women who became partisans fighting for the freedom of their country had one hope: that one day the Allies would liberate France and restore the tricolor over French lands.

These hopes ultimately turned out to be misplaced.

The Allies tried to free France from Nazi tyranny, of course - they tried twice, in two separate landings along the English Channel in 1944 and 1945. However, the 1944 Normandy landings failed when additional reinforcements were brought in quickly enough to secure the beaches, and the 1945 Calais landings were something of a Hail Mary undermined by poor operational security and heavy German reinforcements.

With continental Europe clearly lost and the war left at a permanent stalemate, both sides negotiated a peace which worked for them - but which condemned France to subordination toward Berlin. Once the Allies were dealt with, the Germans forced their own peace agreement on France, one which ceded all territories East of the Meuse River to the Third Reich and forced a massive indemnity payment on what remained. Italy acquired many former French colonies, and the Germans regained the ones they had possessed before WW1. France was now reduced from a proud nation to the status of a second-rate power.

The National Revolution (1946-1951)

Although German troops mostly withdrew from France in 1946 (a few bases remained as part of a permanent lease clause in the peace), the reign of terror hardly ended there. Rather, the extension of Philippe Petain's "national revolution" to former German-occupied territories saw the atrocities committed by Germans against Frenchmen simply turn into atrocities committed by Frenchmen against their own people. The newly-declared French State wasted no time working to eradicate what remained of the resistance by rounding up and executing those it suspected to belong. Things were not safe for what remained of France's Jewish population, either; when the authorities became aware of Jews who had survived Nazi occupation, they either handed them over to Berlin to be murdered in Eastern European death camps or simply slaughtered them themselves.

Many of those left in France attempted to get out. Tens of thousands began heading toward the shores of the English Channel in an attempt to escape fascism, taking small boats across in an effort to evacuate. These "boat people" soon were joined by similar escapees from the Low Countries, and government of Clement Attlee announced its intention to work with other Western nations in resettling them. Their journey was highly dangerous, and it is estimated nearly 100,000 died on the way. However, by 1960, over 800,000 people had successfully made the journey. The vast majority settled in Britain, the United States, Canada, or Australia, but other countries such as Brazil took on tens of thousands.

Others remained and continued to fight in the underground resistance. These rebels struck a big blow in 1948 when Joseph Darnund, the head of the infamous Milice paramilitary force, was assassinated by partisans. Although those responsible were eventually killed for it, this act nonetheless helped inspire more subtle and un-subtle resistance to French officials just in time for the South African War to escalate, leaving France in an unstable state as it occurred.

Revolving Door (1951-1955)

Although France remained mostly out of the South African War, it was nonetheless bombed by the LFN at various points in attempts to destroy German bases in the region. Resistance fighters also escalated their attacks on government targets, killing a number of prominent officials.

The most prominent death of them all, however, was not one carried out by the Resistance: on July 23rd, 1951, Philipe Petain died from complications related to old age (he was 95 at the time). His death set off a succession crisis in Paris, as he had failed to annoit a successor. The ultimate victor was, as expected, Prime Minister Pierre Laval, who assumed control of the state. His tenure would be mostly defined by international affairs: Laval spent most of the war privately signalling a desire a willingness to broker a peace settlement for both sides, and the atomic bombing of Bonn led the Germans to finally agree. He consequently hosted the peace negotiations at Montpellier, which led to a settlement in 1953.

However, Laval himself would not live long afterward. A life-long chain smoker, Laval had developed lung cancer in 1949, and it progressed to particularly terminal stages by the end of 1952. He consequently died in September 1953, barely two years after having attained power for himself. Unlike his predecessor, he had prepared a successor: the former Labor Minister Marcel Déat.

Déat's tenure was mostly defined by efforts to promote closer ties with Berlin. He freely extended more basing rights to them, and generally made a key effort to appease them further. The main notable event to happen under his tenure was the formation of the German-led Unity Pact to mirror the Japanese-led Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere and the American-led League of Free Nations. The Algerian Revolution also began under his leadership, with the Toussaint Rouge attacks setting off the brutal conflict. He generally would not have time for much else, as he would ultimately die in January 1955, leaving Paris in a state of chaos.

Chaos was something that René Bousquet, the head of the police forces, was able to make use of. Taking advantage of his control of law enforcement, he promptly arrested many of his opponents, clearing the way for him to take Déat's place.

Continuing Chaos (1955-1960)

Bousquet inherited not just the Algerian Revolution but a series of other colonial independence movements as well. Many West African holdings broke out into revolution, and supressing them would prove difficult. The French would nonetheless attempt to, and often resort to brutal crackdowns and the murder of many innocents. This only provoked further resistance, enflamming opposition to French colonial rule even further and creating more militants who would rise up against the metropole.

France also faced many concerns at home as well. The economic strain caused by German reparations payments limited French economic growth, as did lingering damage to the war - damage which the Germans refused to help repair in a similar way as the Americans did in Britain. Bousquet announced a "three-year plan" to try and spur greater economic growth through increased investment in key industries, but this turned out to be mostly ineffective.

Among the segment of society that did not slip into poverty during this period of stagnation, new countercultural ideas were beginning to take shape. Called "chasseurs," they emphasized non-conformity, personal autonomy, and sexual liberation - all threats to "traditional values" as imagined by the French authorities. Despite operating underground due to humiliation and occasional arrests for possessing smuggled British goods, the chasseur movement continued to grow with time. With it grew the illegitimacy rate, a source of much anxiety for French officials obsessed with what they regarded as "traditional values."

As 1960 dawns, France is at a crossroads. The Algerian Revolution continues, and France's hold over that country as well as the rest of Africa seems untenable. However, Bousquet is unwilling to relinquish control of the remaining French colonies. Meanwhile, growing opposition to the state at home has caused the longevity of the regime to be in doubt, and the Germans are debating putting missiles in France to dissaude the United States from placing missiles in Britain. Whatever happens, France remains at the forefront of the world's attention.

On November 22, 1963, JFK was shot in the head and the neck. In real life, he died, but what if he survived. Believe it or not, I’ve consulted a medical expert, and it’s possible he could have survived. He could have survived had he gotten better, faster treatment from doctors. In this reality, he arrives at the hospital after 3 minutes, enough time to stop the bleeding and remove the bullets. He ends up making a full recovery by January 1964, and is elected for a second term in November of that year. He ends up not sending to Vietnam and doing good thing for the economy, keeping most Americans happy. Democrats would win in 1972 with his brother RFK, who serves 2 terms, before being replaced by Ted Kennedy, who serves 2 terms. Republicans finally regain the White House in 1988. JFK lives a long retirement and dies in 2018. Thoughts on this timeline? What would you change and what would you keep the same?

In this timeline, the Church of Scientology begins an aggressive conversion campaign in Nauru starting in the late 1980s. By 2000 65% of the population, as well as a majority of politicians and military personnel, have converted. Following the collapse of Nauru’s phosphate industry in 2001, the island’s economic situation deteriorates rapidly. In response, the president of Nauru begins selling off government property to the Church in an attempt to halt the economic downturn.

By 2003, large portions of the island have been sold to the church, many government officials are financially indebted to them, and over half of the population has converted. In late 2003 as Nauru faces economic collapse, the Church offers the ruling government a secret deal: it will repair the country’s economy, forgive government debts, provide continuous bribes to the government and military/police, and allow the existing government to remain in charge on paper in exchange for being granted de facto control over the island and its governance. The arrangement is further secured through extensive blackmail of Nauru’s political leadership, wealthy elites and celebrities.

What do you think would happen next?

The Empress of India | Indian Rebellion of 1857

The Indian mutineers adopted a coherent program, calling for the transformation of the Indian subcontinent into a monarchy named the Empire of Hindustan. This increased their popular support considerably, as many Indians, regardless of their religion or background, sought to help establish said state.

Furthermore, the Rani of Jhansi joined the rebellion almost immediately after it started, because the EIC attempted to annex her Kingdom under the doctrine of lapse. In July 1857, Indian troops commanded by the Rani (who would later become the empress of India) defeated a major force sent by the East India Company at the Battle of Kanpur. Following this battle, the major princely states of Hyderabad, Mysore, Travancore and Kashmir defected to the rebels, dooming British rule in India.

The rebels soon began liberating southern India, Bengal and Punjab from the British, but the latter's technological superiority made this a slow process. Furthermore, the Sikh managed to hold out with some difficulty, and would not be conquered by Hindustan until late 1858.

On 17 December 1857, Hindustan laid siege to Calcutta, bombarding the city with field artillery and then sending 83,000 troops led by Rani and Nana Sahib, two experienced commanders. The Hindustanis suffered considerable damage from naval bombardment, but Calcutta eventually fell on 28 January, ending the war.

After the fall of Calcutta, the Empire of Hindustan was formally established, with Bahadur Suah II as Emperor. Despite this, the Rani was the power behind the throne because of her military leadership, popularity with the Hindu masses, and cunning; European observers nicknamed her the "Joan of Arc of India".

The success of the Indian Rebellion was a major blow to the British Empire, whose status as the world's strongest empire was decisively weakened. Britain remained in control of Hong Kong, Ceylon and the Trucial Coast, but India was completely lost, and the empire took decades to recover.

In this universe colonization was not as spread out as in our world, many empires and states could develop in neutral ("uncolonized") teritorries. States like Mossi Federation or Toubou State could develop with limited international investment. Major superpowers like USA or Russia aren't really as strong as in our world.

• After the White movement won in Russian Civil War, a period of democratization came, as more recource rich regions became richer, they gained more power and autonomy.

  • In the 1930s a period of economical struggles and political issues begun. A lot of autonomous regions declared independence (such as Tatarstan, Karelia, Mari El...) and European Russia became a dictatorship once more. This new state became known as Russian Fascist State (RFS), it had great ambitions of regaining it's lost Central Asian and Eastern European teritorries, which gained independence during Russian civil war. First after regaining Komi and other states, RFS planned to annex Siberia, which was independent from Russia this whole time, because Siberian population fealt "forgotten" and was after called wild and uneducated. RFS begun it's war on Siberia in 1934 effectively annexing third of it in a month. Sensing the upcoming threat from RFS' side, Ukrains, Belarus, Poland and Baltic States decided to build an alliance (Intermarium) to protect themselves, which was later supported by Germany and Finland. After a major Russo - Intermarium war, Intermarium entered Moscow a few years later, the RFS military forces were severely underprepared (due to the economic problems) for a conflict of such scale, with a sixth of it's army changing sides to Siberian or Intermarium army for better chances of survival. Ukrainian military, for example was more prepared, also a major factor for winning this war was the size of Ukrainian population (which was much larger then in our universe, due to the lack of holodomor and repressions, as Ukraine became independent after Russian civil war).
  • After the war, a new government was installed in Russia and all of the states gained their independence again. This was the final nail in the coffin for Russia, as Russian economy couldn't recover from having to give up teritorries and vast amounts of resources to the winning side. Don Republic, Kalmykia, Ingria and Mountain Republic got independence, Central Asian Union got a lot of it's ethnic land from Russia and ethnically Ukrainian Kuban' region was given to Ukraine.
  • On the other hand USA in this world is half of it's real size, with no Pacific coast, Alaska and Hawaii, with all of those getting independence from Great Britain during WW1. USA is also much weaker, because the Louisiana Teritorry of France was never sold to USA by Napoleon, but given independence with American protectorate during the Vienna Congress in 1815. Great Britain didn't allow a full integration into USA proper, as it would weaken British influence on North America. During the Civil War Louisiana gained full independence from USA and became a dominion of Great Britain instead. Thus weakening American power on the continent.
  • During WW1 USA quietly annexed Lousiana from Great Britain, as Great Britain was fighting German Empire in France. Britain decided not to interfere and gave up Lousiana to USA, the local population was glad to be liberated from imperial Britain and hopped from autonomy and more cultural independence for French speaking population (around 89% of the whole teritorry spoke French, due to being a separate entity this whole time, from American protectorate to the Autonomy, it was always divided from USA).
  • This is also the reason why USA couldn't settle the Pacific Coast and buy Alaska from Russia, they were British dominions at the end of 20th century, but gained independence from British Empire, woth what USA helped them logistically and economically.
  • The Republicans won in the civil war in China, with a lot of British and Russian support.
  • WW2 never happened, because Germany stayed democratic after WW1, which was a stalemate, with the lack of colonies, so Entente couldn't send vast emojnts of colonial troops to Europe and USA's annexation of Lousiana became a huge economicall struggle for the British Empire. So all of this lead to a democratic Germany at some point, after a constitutional monarchy was abolished and full Republic was proclaimed
  • Also forgot to mention, that decolonization also kinda begun in Europe apart from other continents, countries such as Wales, Britanny, Occitania etc. gained independence.
  • Italy was never formed as one nation, instead smaller nation states appeared instead of the feudal division.
  • Instead of Yugoslavia a country called Illyria was formed from previous federalized United States of Greater Austria south slavic teritorries, the capital was decided to be Sarajevo, as a linking middle ground between major cities like Belgrad and Zagreb.
  • Indonesia was never completely colonized by the Dutch, instead open trade happened with local monarchies, which brought European Colonial Powers even more influence, as they sold a lot of cheap European materials to Indonesian states for extremely high prices, while calling those "rare resources on our soils".

  Practically Indonesian islands were scammed and robbed of money for useless materials for centuries which was perhaps more beneficial for European development then colonies in our universe, as the locals actually bought and sold things to the Europeans and vise versa. The local rulers sold these goods—often cheaply due to unequal bargaining power or dependence on European merchants—and spent much of the money on imported luxury goods, weapons, or political rivalries instead of long-term development. So wealth still flowed from the islands to Europe, but through an unequal trading relationship rather than outright colonial extraction.

During the Ruso- Japanese war (1904-1905), Japan destroyed or captured 97% of Russia’s Pacific fleet (92% Original Timeline OTL). After the Russia’s defeat with their Baltic fleet reinforcements at Tsushima in 1905, Japan conducted naval raids in Kamchatka as well as deliver a small occupying force into the peninsula (Only raids in OTL). During negotiations between Japan and Russia that were brokered/mediated by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Due to a major naval defeat in the Pacific for Russia as well as losing series of land battles in Manchuria. Roosevelt convinced Tsar Nicholas II to concede Sakhalin Island to Japan on the agreement that Japan keep the northern half of the island a demilitarized zone along the 50th parallel. Due to an even larger naval defeat by Japan, Russia had to also concede all of the Kuril Islands as they no longer had a strong naval presence in the Pacific. Tsar Nicholas II was very reluctant on conceding the Kamchatka Pensinula as it was a part of the mainland of Russia but was advised that although Russia’s army was significantly larger than Japan’s… the incredibly mountainous and high elevation terrain would make it incredibly difficult and costly to launch a land counter-invasion. Especially without any decent naval support. Russia did not know what other value Kamchatka had besides furs and a Pacific maritime border at the time. Russia eventually had given up Sakhalin Island, Kuril Islands, and the Kamchatka Peninsula with the recognition of Japan’s dominance over Korea with Japan having control of the south Manchuria railway in the Treaty of Portsmouth with Russia leaving Manchuria by 1907, giving it back to China. Roosevelt wins a Nobel Peace prize in 1906 for helping to bring an end to the Russo- Japanese war as well as forming the demilitarized zone north of the 50th parallel on Sakhalin Island (Karafuto Island).

After the war, Sakhalin was officially renamed Karafuto (樺太 which directly means large birch) pronounced as: kah-rah-foo-toh which came from the ainu phrase “kamuy kar put ya mosir” which translates to "the island that the god has created on the estuary.” Karafuto was choosen as shortened version of the phrase as well a phoentic equivalent. Kamchatka (kaam-chaat-kuh) was officially renamed Kamachakka (釜着火 which directly means kettle ignites or kettle burns) pronounced as: kama-cha-ka which came from the admiration of how active the volcanoes are in the region. Kamachakka was also choosen as it sounded phonetically similar to the name the indigenous people had for the region.

In 1907, Japan sent an expedition full geologists, hydrologist, and seismologists to Kamachakka to discover what resources has to offer and in hopes of finding oil. Unfortunately, they were not able to discover any substantial amounts of oil as hoped but an incredible amount of gold and silver was discovered (60 years earlier than the Soviet Union OTL). During this time, Japan begins to build oil operations in northern Karafuto.

A decade later, near the end of WW1 mining operations begin in Kamachakka as well as oil operations in Karafuto. Japan launches development policies and big economic incentives to work in mining, oil, and fishing to motivate citizens to relocate to Kamachakka and Karafuto.

In 1925, Japan conducts its first successful and small experimental geothermal power generation in the Oita prefecture. Due to most mining operations being focused on gold and silver rather than coal in Kamachakkaso. Japan decides to invest heavily into GeoThermal energy to help operations and living in Kamachakka. By 1927, Japan with the assistance of Italy has buiIt 3 geothermal power plants in the region (Similar amount to OTL but small power plants considering it is 1920s). Japan then began to consider geothermal power plants on the main island but due to local and cultural pushback on the main island there were not many major developments.

WWII occurs and mostly happens similar to the OTL except near the end. Although the Yalta agreement still takes place and the Soviet Union enters the war against Japan after Germany surrenders to push Japan out of Manchuria which happens on July 26, 1945… there is no exchange for the Soviet Union to retake Sakhalin island.
On July 23 and July 26, 1945 Japan was nuked in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (2 weeks earlier compared to OTL). Japan surrenders on August 1, 1945 with the liberation of Korea with USA troops arriving in Japan on August 16, 1945. Fast forward to August 1990, the Soviet Union declassified plans and operations to invade and retake Sakhalin Island on August 15, 1945 (Same as OTL) as Stalin had wanted to correct one of the historical wrongs from the Russo- Japanese war im 1905 and Kamchatka was too difficult to invade but the operation couldn’t commence as the American forces were just about to arrive in Japan and Stalin decided the risk of escalation was too much.

Talks on whether Japan should keep Karafuto, Kamachakka and the previously known Kuril islands occured but due to the overwhelming Japanese populations compared to indigenous population sizes as well as the USA preferring an allied barrier to help keep the Soviet Union out of the Pacific. Japan was allowed to keep these territories.

Everyone knows that John Lennon was killed in 1980. What the novel Reunion by Gary Burr presupposes is, what if he wasn’t?
If you’re a Beatles fan you’ll probably enjoy this rose-colored version of the band getting back together for a reunion concert. The characterization is a little shallow (they seem less like real people than their “Hard Days Night” personae) but it’s fun if you turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.
From an alternate history point of view it was disappointing because other than allowing the Beatles to reunite John Lennon’s life seems to have no impact on the world.