Alternate History Thread IV: The Sequel

[Dachs]

This, as some people may remember, is a reboot. I wasn't at all happy with how I did things after the reasonable initial setup, so perhaps what I plan from here on out will be more satisfactory and more conducive to a good NES. This isn't by any means the last installment of course; there's one more left, and then a map. Then comes statmaking. But yeah. This is my project, such as it is. Questions and comments and corrections would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Yui108]

Ok dachs, I just read your first two installments and want to say this is amazing, and will be the first time line I will ever fully read (sorry Azale) very excited for the NES.

 

[Yui108]

I have finished it Dachs.. Man that was a whopper, yet a delicious one. Probably will go over again soon to make sure I got it.

 

[Azale]

I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the expected failings of Italy and the Ottoman Empire especially

 

[jeps]

In the process of reading it, looks great so far.

 

[Dachs]

I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the expected failings of Italy and the Ottoman Empire especially

One of these is not like the other...because one of these still exists. Thanks. What about stupid mistakes?

Thanks, Yui. By the way, Yui is the proud owner of 3 Dachs points, redeemable at Tosche Station and the Tanis souvenir shop. Said points can be acquired by noticing easter eggs in a shameless attempt to get people to read the TL.

 

[Thlayli]

Spectacular TL. I would be quite interested in playing the United States in this one, since that seems to be a DaNES tradition for me, and also because I need at least one NES while LINES is in hiatus, though the history (and occasional TNESII TLing) will take up most of the non-college free time.

 

[Azale]

Another thing I like is the true multipolarity of the world. Excellent setup for a grand NES

 

[Dachs]

Spectacular TL. I would be quite interested in playing the United States in this one, since that seems to be a DaNES tradition for me, and also because I need at least one NES while LINES is in hiatus, though the history (and occasional TNESII TLing) will take up most of the non-college free time.

Thanks, Thlayli. (Reservations will be eschewed in favor of applications so as not to shaft anybody who is in the wrong timezone, for example.) You may change your mind based on how America ends up though...things are not all fine and dandy for them, just as in the original - and mediocre - version of the TL.

Another thing I like is the true multipolarity of the world. Excellent setup for a grand NES

That may possibly have been one of my aims p) - though God knows I didn't come up with all this myself. Speaking of which - I love the praise (who doesn't?) but does anybody have any suggestions on any parts that need fixing? (alex, I know there was too much fighting. It was a war update. The next one shall be comparatively bereft of bloodiness, I promise.) Anything horrendously wrong? I want to iron out any difficulties before I turn the outline I have of the final installment into a wall o'text.

 

[Thlayli]

The ability of France to get such a good peace treaty is somewhat suspect, given the French internal situation after the capture of the Emperor, which is awful.

I know the German economy was sliding downhill, but if Nancy was already invested partially, why didn't they just press the attack?

 

[Dachs]

The ability of France to get such a good peace treaty is somewhat suspect, given the French internal situation after the capture of the Emperor, which is awful.

I know the German economy was sliding downhill, but if Nancy was already invested partially, why didn't they just press the attack?

That has in large part got to do with the fact that the Emperor wasn't, technically, captured, but was allowed to go back to France. French troops were still in control of a huge chunk of the Rhineland when Napoleon ended the war. In addition, there is giving up ground in Italy to consider. A large portion of it, though, is balancing out the huge new Germany. Von Bismarck got to tack on Baden, Württemberg, Bavaria, and Austria to the new German Empire. France had to balance those gains somewhat, even if they did generally 'lose' the war. Too, this territory isn't all that big. Germany is still in control of the vast majority of the Rhineland, although it has been seriously damaged from the French depredations and the fact that a huge chunk of the last part of the war was fought there.

But yeah, not nearly so one-sided a victory as the OTL version of the Franco-German conflict, so a proportionately lower amount of AWESOME for the Germans.

 

[Thlayli]

That makes sense. While technically, a grand sweep north from Lorraine to link up with Brussels could have pocketed the French armies in the Rhineland entirely, I guess the Germans didn't have enough energy for that kind of maneuver.

 

[Dachs]

That makes sense. While technically, a grand sweep north from Lorraine to link up with Brussels could have pocketed the French armies in the Rhineland entirely, I guess the Germans didn't have enough energy for that kind of maneuver.

Well, it did, but that's a huge pocket you're talking about, and it would take a long time to reduce. Too, one must remember the ratio of force to space. This isn't World War I, where the armies have relatively little space between them. It's more comparable to the American Civil War, when armies marched with lots of space between them so it was comparatively easy (though still not that easy) to sneak past them. (A major reason the French were surrounded at Sedan in the OTL Franco-Prussian War was because they had their butts to the Belgians, so the Germans didn't have as much space to cover.) Supplies were interdicted, and there were German armies on all sides, but it wasn't as if it was completely impossible for Boney to break out. He mostly wanted to save his army, in large part to deal with what comes next...

 

[Thlayli]

Being the massive wtfpwnage of ATL Paris Communards, I hope.

 

[Dachs]

Being the massive wtfpwnage of ATL Paris Communards, I hope.

You forgot BBQ.

 

[Symphony D.]

Having read the whole timeline, I fully support its continuation, particularly with the commentary made elsewhere.

 

[TerrisH]

hmm, don't have time to do much, but I will look into this later. but an Idea crosed my mind for a point of divergence.

what if Rome was wiped out catastrophic (Mental image of a meteor/comet exploding directly over it) sometime in the 14-16 century when the Cristian church was reaching the peak of it's power and infuince? It is effectively beheaded by what what could only be precived at the time as an act of God. how would Europe react to the thought that perhaps the church was wrong enough for god to wipe out the churches leaders? how will the members of the church try to spin this event? how would the middle east reacts, especially if there happens to be a crusade going on at the time?

I'm.. going to do some stuff with this and try to figure out a time line, after I get back from work. but any feed back on the basic Idea would be nice.

 

[Yui108]

So the meteorite will only destroy Rome?

 

[Dreadnought]

Unfortunetly, the misspelling of Christian limited my interrest in the paragraph (Just kidding!)

Though there would be no crusade going on at the time. Europeans were too involved in their own countries at the time, including the wars and plague going on at the time, so they would have little impulse to go on a crusade. And I doubt the Middle Easterns would be provoked to invade, seeing as they were handling the deterioration of their strength (except for the Ottomans, though they wouldn't attack any more because of such an event). And I don't think there would be much effect on Europe, seeing as the belief in God would remain constant, though there would be an effect on the figure of that particular pope at the time. Just a new one would be elected.

 

[silver 2039]

The Ottoman Empire conquers Italy. I think they were trying at that time. Also Europe converts to Islam en masse.