Orders for Update 3 are due on February 16, at 6 PM EST.
Welcome to The Setting Sun, my first NES! This is a learning experience for me, so please bear with me.
If you need to contact me, I can be reached through AIM or PM.
My AIM is jaredm19.
BACKGROUND
The current year is 1960. The British Empire has fallen from it's place atop the world, and different nations lead the world.
In the 1830’s, the Dutch Empire was in turmoil. The Belgian region demanded independence, and in 1830 its independence was declared. The Dutch Empire’s attempts to put it down were draining on the empire, but they were able to rally the British Empire to their cause and with the threat of British involvement, the Dutch were able to bring the Belgians to the negotiating table. Belgium would remain in the Dutch Empire, but gain some autonomy. The rest of European history went mostly the same until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
A coalition of Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, and the Netherlands fought France, Britain, Russia, and Serbia during WW1. The USA remained neutral during the war. When the Russian Revolution broke out, Russia signed a peace treaty with the Central Powers, granting independence to Poland, Finland, and the Baltic States in exchange for peace. Poland was a German puppet, and the Baltic States were reliant on Germany. Lenin then turned his attention inward, and with only one front to focus on, the Central Powers broke through the Allied lines and besieged Paris. Spain participated in the war, but their involvement was limited and they didn’t have much of an impact. Weary of war, and on the verge of internal collapse, France and Great Britain surrendered to the Central Powers, changing the balance of power in Europe.
Germany annexed Luxembourg. Austria annexed Serbia. Italy annexed Albania. Germany took control of all of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Italy expanded her African Empire, and now owned an Empire spanning from Algeria to Somalia. Spain took Morocco despite their somewhat limited assistance. Germany gained several ports in China. Germany also expanded in Africa. The war marked the decline of the British Empire and rise of the German Empire as the leading world power.
Soon, Germany began to dominate trade in China and Persia, further signs that Britain’s mighty grasp on the world was slipping. The British Raj slowly began to degenerate. Germany began to be the leading European power in terms of trade with South America. The German Navy also eclipsed the Royal Navy in terms of numbers of ships and ship quality, although the American Navy wass close behind. The British Empire was all together collapsing. This was the start of a new age in Europe and the world.
The Ottoman Empire soon collapsed, as a result of rising Arab Nationalism. Fascism had spread to the empire, and this compounded the existing divides between Turks and Arabs. The new Arab States of Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, and Oman were set up, with Iraq as the leading state. Meanwhile, the newly established Turkish Federation struggled to maintain a hold on Syria and Bulgaria. Bulgaria is eventually secured, as is Syria. With these regions safe, the Turks looked to reassert their influence over Arabia. However, the new Arab states soon united under the Kingdom of Iraq in order to maintain their sovereignty, and the Turko-Arab war broke out. The Turks faced a much tougher opponent than expected, and the Greeks soon declared war on Turkey hoping to reclaim some occupied Greek lands. The war ended in a resounding Arab victory. Greece however, was routed due to Italian intervention on behalf of Turkey against Greece. Turkey annexed Cyprus, and expanded against Greece. The remaining parts of Greece were then placed under a pro-Turkish dictatorship. The Arabs took Syria from Turkey, which were incorporated into the Arab Federation.
The 1920’s was a decade of great prosperity for the United States, who was reaping the many benefits gained from selling munitions to all sides in the Great War, while officially remaining neutral and never getting directly involved. In Russia, the death of Vladimir Lenin marked the beginning of a great power struggle, as differences between the Trotskyists and Stalinists erupted in a second civil war. A similar economic boom was experienced in Germany and Italy, due to increased trade abroad.
However, for France, the fact that almost all of the war was fought on their territory, coupled with the debt owed to the Americans and other powers, was too much. Their economy is in tatters during the 1920’s. The poor conditions coupled with a complete lack of confidence in the government leads to the growth of nationalism. The French people blame Germany and America for their nation’s problems, and a violent revolution breaks out. The final outcome of the conflict is the restoration of the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte. Although Berlin did not consider this to be the most desirable result, this new nationalist government was deemed better than a communist government.
The United Kingdom was in a similar position. Ireland declared independence outright, and the British populace was too war weary to support the British Army’s attempts to put down the movement. Violent protests soon erupted in London as a result of this new war, which forced the recognition of an independent Irish State and the resignation of the government. Nationalism was also on the rise in Britain, and the nationalist parties won a smashing victory in the following election. The new government ruled Parliament overwhelmingly, and used this along with overwhelming popular support to institutionalize fascism. Britain was essentially a one party state, with the few elections that exist being predetermined by the existing government.
In the 1930’s, the world economy entered the Great Depression. However, Britain and France spent the decade building up for war, and manage to mostly escape the crash. The Soviet Union, economically isolated from the rest of the world, also began a massive industrial buildup, but corruption and concerns about German intervention mean that it was not nearly as successful as its real life counterpart. The United States economic woes meant a return to isolationism, as France and Britain refused to continue to pay their debts, focused on their own militaries and economies.
During the depths of this depression, the Kingdom of Austria-Hungary fell apart, with Austria proper and the Czech region being integrated into Germany, and the new independent Kingdom of Hungary formed as an ally of the German Empire. The Soviet Union also expanded into this land. Germany was unhappy with this development, but they were not willing to go to war over it. Also, an independent Bosnia and Serbia were formed, but were firmly in the grasp of the Italians.
Spain also suffered from a similar meltdown. When a Socialist government was elected in Spain, the entire Iberian Peninsula was given a huge jolt. The military, under the leadership of Francisco Franco, rebelled against the elected socialist government. Franco, promoting a policy of Fascism for Spain, was supported by most of the military and a good portion of the Spanish populace. The result was a bloody civil war. Franco found support from the neighboring fascists in Portugal and France, along with some limited support from the British. The Republican militias could not hold out for long against the powerful Spanish Army, and the Axis blockade kept any aid from Germany or the United States from reaching the militias that supported the existing government.
In 1940, a second world war breaks out for various reasons. The Axis Powers, led by France, and consisting of France, Spain, Great Britain, and Portugal faced off against the Grand Alliance, led by Germany, and consisting of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Hungary and their satellite states. The British Dominions of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia remained neutral in noble defiance of the Fascists in London. The Grand Alliance had prepared for war, and defenses had been built along the Dutch, German, and Italian borders with France. These defenses were not designed to contain the armored attacks that the French brought down upon the Grand Alliance, but held out reasonably well given the circumstances. The French were bogged down in the Italian Alps for most of the war, but eventually broke through and began to occupy the Rhineland. However, occupying the Rhineland required a great deal of urban warfare, which the Germans were much better prepared for. Occupying the Rhineland was a lengthy process, and although eventually successful, the Germans were able to inflict heavy casualties on the French, and when the time came, get most of their army successfully across the Rhine, thanks to a few key French errors.
Around the time they mopped up in the Rhineland, France broke through in the Alps and began to occupy Northern Italy. However, the French pressed their luck and also attempted to cross the Rhine and occupy the rest of the Netherlands and Germany. The French Army faced much tougher resistance than expected, and was eventually routed by the much better prepared and also well-equipped German Army. Forced to move more troops north to fight Germany, France was forced to halt their advance in Italy. The Italian Army seized this key opportunity and counterattacked, driving the French back into the Italian Alps. The German and Dutch armies began to cross the Rhine, and the Americans were considering intervening. However, a greater threat was lurking, the Soviet Union was preparing to drive all the way to the Rhine after the Grand Alliance and Axis were fully exhausted from the weight of war. Germany, seeing this, offered the French a favorable peace treaty despite being in position to drive all the way to Paris. The Axis, seeing this as their opportunity to get out of the war before it got completely out of hand and with favorable terms, quickly accepted the terms.
At the end of the war, France retook Nice and Savoy from Italy, as well as Algeria and Tunisia. They also retook Alsace-Lorraine from Germany, and also annexed Luxembourg. They took Wallonia from the Netherlands. German naval dominance had kept them from being blockaded, and also allowed them to import extensive war material from the United States, who was rather unwilling to trade with the Fascists and aggressors. Despite losing a large chunk of their industry, American supplies kept the armies of the Grand Alliance armed and its people fed.
However, the Second World War was also known for another theater. The Empire of Japan, long having expansionist goals, invaded all European possessions in the Pacific. Although they did not originally intend to fight the Americans at the same time, several American ships were sunk off the coast of the Philippines by the Japanese navy. War fervor spread across the States, and soon war was declared upon the Japanese Empire. The Japanese, first tangled up in China and then having to fight the Americans, found this simply too much. However, when the Chinese weren’t fighting the Japanese, they were fighting each other. Over time, the Maoist forces took control of most of China with the support of the Soviet Union.
In the final days of the war, Soviet forces swept over Manchukuo and Korea in support of their communist Chinese allies, while the Americans dropped two atomic bombs on the Japan. The Japanese quickly surrendered to the Americans, finding them more favorable then the Communists. Because China had fallen to the communist threat, the Japanese Empire maintained Taiwan with the backing of America. This reduced the Japanese Empire to a mere satellite of the United States, a position it still maintains. It serves as an important buffer for the USA in the Pacific.
Shortly after the end of the Second World War, all European colonies that had been occupied by the Japanese Empire were returned to their original owners. This included European enclaves in China. The People’s Republic of China occupied most of the ports beforehand, and most ports could not be returned. A notable exception was at Shanghai. A French Armada carrying a garrison intended for the French enclave in the city made port, and French troops began to exit the transports. Chinese militia began to enter the city at the same time. About a thousand French soldiers were in the city by the time the Chinese militia met them. A battle ensued, and eventually five hundred French soldiers were killed, most being cut off from the boats and left in the city, where they were overrun by Chinese militia. However, the French refused to surrender, and inflicted over 3500 Chinese casualties in the battle. “Remember Shanghai” became a popular anti-Communist phrase in France as a result of these events.
The Second World War did very little to alleviate the political situation. The “victory” of France was propagandized well within the Axis powers, and served to further legitimatize the fascist governments of the powers. The powers of the Grand Alliance were forced to liberalize to their countries. Germany, Italy, and the Dutch Empire are now fully functioning constitutional monarchies, with elected parliaments holding all political power. The Kingdom of Hungary, once an absolute monarchy, now has a functioning democratic lower house that has dominion over most of the countries domestic affairs. The King and his appointed upper house still maintain authority over the military and foreign police, however.
Upon the conclusion of the Second World War, the dropping of atomic bombs by the United States initiated a nuclear arms race among the Great Powers. In the mid 1950’s, Germany, France, and the Soviet Union all successfully tested a nuclear device, with one year from each other. Currently, they are the only world powers able to construct nuclear weapons, and any efforts to gain nukes by their allies were scrapped with the sphere leader got the bomb. Each of the four powers currently maintains a small stockpile of nuclear weapons.
The 1950’s was an excellent decade economically. After a somewhat turbulent end to the 1940’s while economies readjusted to peacetime. Every nation in the world experienced economic growth during the 1950’s; however, this was more prevalent in the Soviet Union than anywhere else. The Soviets underwent a massive industrialization program, and now boast an industrial economy that is one of the largest in the world. However, there are still massive divides between the Soviets and the rest of Europe. Germany and France underwent huge economic growth during the 1950’s, as a result of the rebuilding from the Second World War. The United States provided extensive funds to allow the Grand Alliance to rebuild. The Axis resorted to central planning and exploiting India to rebuild, but successfully rebuilt. The Soviet Union was never at war, but was on a war footing during the entire war and most of their resources went into building up a military that was never used and quickly went obsolete.
Another monuments event happened in the 1950’s. Axis exploitation of the British Raj did not go unnoticed with the natives. The region revolted from the British Empire, and in 1957, after a long drawn out affair, both peaceful and violent at times, the British were forced to release most of the British Raj as independent states under heavy pressure from foreign powers. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of India were formed. The regions of Burma and Bangladesh remain under the control of the British Empire, with little possibility that the situation will change. However, little has changed economically for the new governments; the British still retain a great deal of control over the economy. Germany and France have made extensive gains in trade with India, however. Those three nations currently have control of over 90% of the economy of the new states, and the British alone control around 50% of the regions trade.
In short, the entire world is now in a Cold War, as the nuclear nations of France, Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union lead their respective spheres, and together dominate world affairs. There are also many independent nations, seeking to set out a path for themselves in the world. The strongest of the independent states are Turkey and Brazil, each hoping to dominate their respective regions. It’s worth noting that the American populace views France and its allies much in the way they viewed Nazi Germany before December 7, 1941. Germany and its allies feel very much the same about the French. Germany and America are the two superpowers with the most in common, but yet they still hold many differences. Every sphere is suspicious and fearful of the Soviets, viewing them as an enemy with weapons far more powerful than anything useful on a battlefield.
This is a dangerous world we live in. Some nations are in a position to rise to great power in the world, while others are in danger of losing their status as a great power once and for all. The United States and the Soviet Union have great potential and a lot to gain, while France and Germany must play their cards right, because if they are not careful, they could lose everything. As the sun sets on the empires of old, there is a new sun rising in the east. Can Europe retain its colonies and its standing in the world, or will they collapse only to be absorbed by the rising superpowers?
Welcome to The Setting Sun, my first NES! This is a learning experience for me, so please bear with me.
If you need to contact me, I can be reached through AIM or PM.
My AIM is jaredm19.
BACKGROUND
The current year is 1960. The British Empire has fallen from it's place atop the world, and different nations lead the world.
In the 1830’s, the Dutch Empire was in turmoil. The Belgian region demanded independence, and in 1830 its independence was declared. The Dutch Empire’s attempts to put it down were draining on the empire, but they were able to rally the British Empire to their cause and with the threat of British involvement, the Dutch were able to bring the Belgians to the negotiating table. Belgium would remain in the Dutch Empire, but gain some autonomy. The rest of European history went mostly the same until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
A coalition of Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, and the Netherlands fought France, Britain, Russia, and Serbia during WW1. The USA remained neutral during the war. When the Russian Revolution broke out, Russia signed a peace treaty with the Central Powers, granting independence to Poland, Finland, and the Baltic States in exchange for peace. Poland was a German puppet, and the Baltic States were reliant on Germany. Lenin then turned his attention inward, and with only one front to focus on, the Central Powers broke through the Allied lines and besieged Paris. Spain participated in the war, but their involvement was limited and they didn’t have much of an impact. Weary of war, and on the verge of internal collapse, France and Great Britain surrendered to the Central Powers, changing the balance of power in Europe.
Germany annexed Luxembourg. Austria annexed Serbia. Italy annexed Albania. Germany took control of all of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Italy expanded her African Empire, and now owned an Empire spanning from Algeria to Somalia. Spain took Morocco despite their somewhat limited assistance. Germany gained several ports in China. Germany also expanded in Africa. The war marked the decline of the British Empire and rise of the German Empire as the leading world power.
Soon, Germany began to dominate trade in China and Persia, further signs that Britain’s mighty grasp on the world was slipping. The British Raj slowly began to degenerate. Germany began to be the leading European power in terms of trade with South America. The German Navy also eclipsed the Royal Navy in terms of numbers of ships and ship quality, although the American Navy wass close behind. The British Empire was all together collapsing. This was the start of a new age in Europe and the world.
The Ottoman Empire soon collapsed, as a result of rising Arab Nationalism. Fascism had spread to the empire, and this compounded the existing divides between Turks and Arabs. The new Arab States of Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, and Oman were set up, with Iraq as the leading state. Meanwhile, the newly established Turkish Federation struggled to maintain a hold on Syria and Bulgaria. Bulgaria is eventually secured, as is Syria. With these regions safe, the Turks looked to reassert their influence over Arabia. However, the new Arab states soon united under the Kingdom of Iraq in order to maintain their sovereignty, and the Turko-Arab war broke out. The Turks faced a much tougher opponent than expected, and the Greeks soon declared war on Turkey hoping to reclaim some occupied Greek lands. The war ended in a resounding Arab victory. Greece however, was routed due to Italian intervention on behalf of Turkey against Greece. Turkey annexed Cyprus, and expanded against Greece. The remaining parts of Greece were then placed under a pro-Turkish dictatorship. The Arabs took Syria from Turkey, which were incorporated into the Arab Federation.
The 1920’s was a decade of great prosperity for the United States, who was reaping the many benefits gained from selling munitions to all sides in the Great War, while officially remaining neutral and never getting directly involved. In Russia, the death of Vladimir Lenin marked the beginning of a great power struggle, as differences between the Trotskyists and Stalinists erupted in a second civil war. A similar economic boom was experienced in Germany and Italy, due to increased trade abroad.
However, for France, the fact that almost all of the war was fought on their territory, coupled with the debt owed to the Americans and other powers, was too much. Their economy is in tatters during the 1920’s. The poor conditions coupled with a complete lack of confidence in the government leads to the growth of nationalism. The French people blame Germany and America for their nation’s problems, and a violent revolution breaks out. The final outcome of the conflict is the restoration of the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte. Although Berlin did not consider this to be the most desirable result, this new nationalist government was deemed better than a communist government.
The United Kingdom was in a similar position. Ireland declared independence outright, and the British populace was too war weary to support the British Army’s attempts to put down the movement. Violent protests soon erupted in London as a result of this new war, which forced the recognition of an independent Irish State and the resignation of the government. Nationalism was also on the rise in Britain, and the nationalist parties won a smashing victory in the following election. The new government ruled Parliament overwhelmingly, and used this along with overwhelming popular support to institutionalize fascism. Britain was essentially a one party state, with the few elections that exist being predetermined by the existing government.
In the 1930’s, the world economy entered the Great Depression. However, Britain and France spent the decade building up for war, and manage to mostly escape the crash. The Soviet Union, economically isolated from the rest of the world, also began a massive industrial buildup, but corruption and concerns about German intervention mean that it was not nearly as successful as its real life counterpart. The United States economic woes meant a return to isolationism, as France and Britain refused to continue to pay their debts, focused on their own militaries and economies.
During the depths of this depression, the Kingdom of Austria-Hungary fell apart, with Austria proper and the Czech region being integrated into Germany, and the new independent Kingdom of Hungary formed as an ally of the German Empire. The Soviet Union also expanded into this land. Germany was unhappy with this development, but they were not willing to go to war over it. Also, an independent Bosnia and Serbia were formed, but were firmly in the grasp of the Italians.
Spain also suffered from a similar meltdown. When a Socialist government was elected in Spain, the entire Iberian Peninsula was given a huge jolt. The military, under the leadership of Francisco Franco, rebelled against the elected socialist government. Franco, promoting a policy of Fascism for Spain, was supported by most of the military and a good portion of the Spanish populace. The result was a bloody civil war. Franco found support from the neighboring fascists in Portugal and France, along with some limited support from the British. The Republican militias could not hold out for long against the powerful Spanish Army, and the Axis blockade kept any aid from Germany or the United States from reaching the militias that supported the existing government.
In 1940, a second world war breaks out for various reasons. The Axis Powers, led by France, and consisting of France, Spain, Great Britain, and Portugal faced off against the Grand Alliance, led by Germany, and consisting of Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Hungary and their satellite states. The British Dominions of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia remained neutral in noble defiance of the Fascists in London. The Grand Alliance had prepared for war, and defenses had been built along the Dutch, German, and Italian borders with France. These defenses were not designed to contain the armored attacks that the French brought down upon the Grand Alliance, but held out reasonably well given the circumstances. The French were bogged down in the Italian Alps for most of the war, but eventually broke through and began to occupy the Rhineland. However, occupying the Rhineland required a great deal of urban warfare, which the Germans were much better prepared for. Occupying the Rhineland was a lengthy process, and although eventually successful, the Germans were able to inflict heavy casualties on the French, and when the time came, get most of their army successfully across the Rhine, thanks to a few key French errors.
Around the time they mopped up in the Rhineland, France broke through in the Alps and began to occupy Northern Italy. However, the French pressed their luck and also attempted to cross the Rhine and occupy the rest of the Netherlands and Germany. The French Army faced much tougher resistance than expected, and was eventually routed by the much better prepared and also well-equipped German Army. Forced to move more troops north to fight Germany, France was forced to halt their advance in Italy. The Italian Army seized this key opportunity and counterattacked, driving the French back into the Italian Alps. The German and Dutch armies began to cross the Rhine, and the Americans were considering intervening. However, a greater threat was lurking, the Soviet Union was preparing to drive all the way to the Rhine after the Grand Alliance and Axis were fully exhausted from the weight of war. Germany, seeing this, offered the French a favorable peace treaty despite being in position to drive all the way to Paris. The Axis, seeing this as their opportunity to get out of the war before it got completely out of hand and with favorable terms, quickly accepted the terms.
At the end of the war, France retook Nice and Savoy from Italy, as well as Algeria and Tunisia. They also retook Alsace-Lorraine from Germany, and also annexed Luxembourg. They took Wallonia from the Netherlands. German naval dominance had kept them from being blockaded, and also allowed them to import extensive war material from the United States, who was rather unwilling to trade with the Fascists and aggressors. Despite losing a large chunk of their industry, American supplies kept the armies of the Grand Alliance armed and its people fed.
However, the Second World War was also known for another theater. The Empire of Japan, long having expansionist goals, invaded all European possessions in the Pacific. Although they did not originally intend to fight the Americans at the same time, several American ships were sunk off the coast of the Philippines by the Japanese navy. War fervor spread across the States, and soon war was declared upon the Japanese Empire. The Japanese, first tangled up in China and then having to fight the Americans, found this simply too much. However, when the Chinese weren’t fighting the Japanese, they were fighting each other. Over time, the Maoist forces took control of most of China with the support of the Soviet Union.
In the final days of the war, Soviet forces swept over Manchukuo and Korea in support of their communist Chinese allies, while the Americans dropped two atomic bombs on the Japan. The Japanese quickly surrendered to the Americans, finding them more favorable then the Communists. Because China had fallen to the communist threat, the Japanese Empire maintained Taiwan with the backing of America. This reduced the Japanese Empire to a mere satellite of the United States, a position it still maintains. It serves as an important buffer for the USA in the Pacific.
Shortly after the end of the Second World War, all European colonies that had been occupied by the Japanese Empire were returned to their original owners. This included European enclaves in China. The People’s Republic of China occupied most of the ports beforehand, and most ports could not be returned. A notable exception was at Shanghai. A French Armada carrying a garrison intended for the French enclave in the city made port, and French troops began to exit the transports. Chinese militia began to enter the city at the same time. About a thousand French soldiers were in the city by the time the Chinese militia met them. A battle ensued, and eventually five hundred French soldiers were killed, most being cut off from the boats and left in the city, where they were overrun by Chinese militia. However, the French refused to surrender, and inflicted over 3500 Chinese casualties in the battle. “Remember Shanghai” became a popular anti-Communist phrase in France as a result of these events.
The Second World War did very little to alleviate the political situation. The “victory” of France was propagandized well within the Axis powers, and served to further legitimatize the fascist governments of the powers. The powers of the Grand Alliance were forced to liberalize to their countries. Germany, Italy, and the Dutch Empire are now fully functioning constitutional monarchies, with elected parliaments holding all political power. The Kingdom of Hungary, once an absolute monarchy, now has a functioning democratic lower house that has dominion over most of the countries domestic affairs. The King and his appointed upper house still maintain authority over the military and foreign police, however.
Upon the conclusion of the Second World War, the dropping of atomic bombs by the United States initiated a nuclear arms race among the Great Powers. In the mid 1950’s, Germany, France, and the Soviet Union all successfully tested a nuclear device, with one year from each other. Currently, they are the only world powers able to construct nuclear weapons, and any efforts to gain nukes by their allies were scrapped with the sphere leader got the bomb. Each of the four powers currently maintains a small stockpile of nuclear weapons.
The 1950’s was an excellent decade economically. After a somewhat turbulent end to the 1940’s while economies readjusted to peacetime. Every nation in the world experienced economic growth during the 1950’s; however, this was more prevalent in the Soviet Union than anywhere else. The Soviets underwent a massive industrialization program, and now boast an industrial economy that is one of the largest in the world. However, there are still massive divides between the Soviets and the rest of Europe. Germany and France underwent huge economic growth during the 1950’s, as a result of the rebuilding from the Second World War. The United States provided extensive funds to allow the Grand Alliance to rebuild. The Axis resorted to central planning and exploiting India to rebuild, but successfully rebuilt. The Soviet Union was never at war, but was on a war footing during the entire war and most of their resources went into building up a military that was never used and quickly went obsolete.
Another monuments event happened in the 1950’s. Axis exploitation of the British Raj did not go unnoticed with the natives. The region revolted from the British Empire, and in 1957, after a long drawn out affair, both peaceful and violent at times, the British were forced to release most of the British Raj as independent states under heavy pressure from foreign powers. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of India were formed. The regions of Burma and Bangladesh remain under the control of the British Empire, with little possibility that the situation will change. However, little has changed economically for the new governments; the British still retain a great deal of control over the economy. Germany and France have made extensive gains in trade with India, however. Those three nations currently have control of over 90% of the economy of the new states, and the British alone control around 50% of the regions trade.
In short, the entire world is now in a Cold War, as the nuclear nations of France, Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union lead their respective spheres, and together dominate world affairs. There are also many independent nations, seeking to set out a path for themselves in the world. The strongest of the independent states are Turkey and Brazil, each hoping to dominate their respective regions. It’s worth noting that the American populace views France and its allies much in the way they viewed Nazi Germany before December 7, 1941. Germany and its allies feel very much the same about the French. Germany and America are the two superpowers with the most in common, but yet they still hold many differences. Every sphere is suspicious and fearful of the Soviets, viewing them as an enemy with weapons far more powerful than anything useful on a battlefield.
This is a dangerous world we live in. Some nations are in a position to rise to great power in the world, while others are in danger of losing their status as a great power once and for all. The United States and the Soviet Union have great potential and a lot to gain, while France and Germany must play their cards right, because if they are not careful, they could lose everything. As the sun sets on the empires of old, there is a new sun rising in the east. Can Europe retain its colonies and its standing in the world, or will they collapse only to be absorbed by the rising superpowers?
