AHC: A World of Kings Through 2000

[Calcaterra]

The challenge is that with a POD (or several, which is most likely needed) no earlier than May 6, 1910, and no later than November 9, 1923, the following statements are true as of January 1, 2000:

-The British Empire is the most powerful entity on Earth, headed by the descendants of King George V (OOC: If the name Saxe-Coburg and Gotha should or should not stay is up to you, although I imagine that many people will attempt to cancel the First World War, removing the necessity for a name change)
-The German Empire is a nation, headed by the descendants of Kaiser Wilhelm II of the House of Hohenzollern, within the heart of Europe, politically dominated by the sub-state of Prussia
-The Romanov Tsars rule over the state covering (OOC: most if not all of the modern borders of) Russia
-The United States of America, consisting of 52 states, fosters close relations with the British Empire and has, for the most part, built itself as the great power of the Americas
-The Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires are both defunct states
-The (OOC: Take your pick of governments) of Japan is the great regional power of Asia, marked by its efficiency and rivalry with Russia

Please, someone, tell me if this is ASB, and if so, tweak it so that the most similar outcome could be possible. Extra points for additional worldbuilding.

 

[Mynock]

Cancel WWI, put Andrew Bonar Law's Tories in power in Britain. They begin Imperial Preference and the administrative organs of IP grow to form an EU like Empire government with Britain as first amongst equals.
Germany slowly slides into a social democracy with the SDP winning enough seats to make government without them infeasible. Assuming the results are respected and internal borders remain constant Germany should be able to survive.
Honestly don't know if Russia could survive post 1905 without major reforms, lets say it gets lucky.
USA potters along as it did pre-war, maybe the two extra states could be Puerto Rico and D.C as official states.
Austria-Hungary sees difficulty when Franz Ferdinand takes power, leading to eventual collapse after a string of bad decisions. Austria is absorbed into Germany.
The Ottomans see a Russo-British-sponsored Arab Revolt when Germany gets too much influence over them. Causes the empire to shatter with a large Hashemite Arabia in OTL Iraq, Hejaz and the Levant.
Japan avoids its militarist coup, but remains involved in China propping up a series if warlords. Manchuria, Meguokuo Sinkiang, Tibet and a heavily decentralised China exist in 2020, with Japan still owning Taiwan and Korea as integrated and assimilated regions.

 

[AltoRegnant]

Germany goes east instead of through Belgium in 1914, thus the Russian front goes even better and they don't have to send Lenin. They take Ukraine, Russian poland, and presumably some of the baltics. The faster war means less is taken. France is barely holding, but doesn't go on suicidal offenses as much.
It is at this point that Britain interferes. The Irish issue is resolved as a Free State in personal union with Britain, butterflying that whole mess. Germany, instead of sending all their men to the west, send them south to counter the new threat to the ottomans. The Arab Revolt goes per otl, and the german soldiers meant to preserve the Turkish war effort, find theirselves out numbered, out paced, and out of supply. German garrisons in eastern client states are already causing severe agitation and intensity as germany makes up for the blockade by plundering what little is left from their puppets. By 1917, the Kaiser agrees to talk terms. France takes a hefty chunk of the Rhine and Denmark sees Holstein returned, with colonies split between the Victors; european clients are abandoned because of economic concerns. The Kaiser remains fairly popular and thus powerful for ending the disastrous war before more lives were ended. The ottomans are torn into like Americans on Thanksgiving, and Britain claims much of Arabia, providing it much more oil. Austria-Hungary falls apart with careful British and Italian mediation.
Throughout the twenties, things are messy. Britain, seeing the dangers of a mistreated populace, establishes civil rights for colonial natives and starts bringing the dominions to heel starting with this issue. The Kaiser spends much of his time working to industrialize the southwest in order to make up for the rhine issue and combating the rise of the Nazi party. Japan is fundamentally OTL but doesn't go crazy enough to attack Europeans or america, focusing on China, successfully claiming the northern 3rd of the old Qing empire, and Emperor Hirohito is crowned Emperor of the new Ri Chū dynasty. The Philippine insurgency, however, is successfully and covertly funded by them. A Spanish Bourbon with a native wife becomes King of the Kingdom of Luzon. France follows the British lead, and civil rights are granted.
By 1937, after the Philippine Insurgency prompts mass exodus of white Americans, Hawaii and Cuba are granted statehood. Soon after, Puerto Rico follows. In 1940, Russia manages to restore her empire in the west, under Tsar Alexei I.

The British continue to unofficially but strongly influence the dominions to the point where the Statute of Westminster is effectively reversed and the imperial federation is established by 1970.

 

[Lalli]

British Empire

WW1 goes mostly same as in OTL but Brits are smarter with Easter Revolt in Ireland and instead hanging leaders Brits send them to prison. This avoids their martyrdom and rise of further Irish nationalism. Ireland gets huge autonomy and remain as part of United Kingdom. WW2 is avoided and Brits can keep more colonies altough they still lost India and many other places in Asia and Africa (impossible keep whole empire together). Later (perpahs in 1960's or 1970's) United Kingdom, Canada, West Indies, South Africa (Apartheidism never rise and SA doesn't become republic and keeps Namibia) Australia and New <Zealand form Imperial Federation.

German Empire

Germany loses WW1 slightly earlier than in OTL. Monarchy manage survive somehow but Wilhelm II is enforced to abdicate. Germany gets milder peace terms as in OTL but still loses same territories as in OTL. But German military is not restricted tha much as in OTL and reparations are much smaller. SPD and Zentrum manage lead Germany several years and Nazis never take power. During 1930's Germany manage re-negotiate some terms of Versailles. Austria is allowed join to Germany after political chaos and disastrous civil war. During 1940's France is much weaker and Germany manage create trade bloc in Central Europe. During 1940's Germany too gets back Danzig and Memel.

Russian Empire

By 1918 same as in OTL. With Russia anyway important change happens in 1918 when Lenin is succesfully assassinated and later some other Bolshevik leaders are killed causing much of troubles for Soviet regime. Whites manage take defeat remaining Reds in 1920 but soon Russia fells to Second Time of Troubles. Tsarist faction make Cyril Vladimirovich as claimant and he manage unite most of Russsia. Russia loses Finland, Baltics, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaidzhan. Russia becomes later constitutional monarchy with pretty strong Duma altough tsar has still more power than other monarchs in Europe.

United States

In 1912 Theodore Roosevelt is elected as president of USA. With some way USA goes war with Mexico and after short fighting USA takes Baja California. USA enters to Great War earlier than in OTL. Baja California and Puerto Rico becomes states in 1990's.

Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire

Austria-Hungary collapses pretty much same way as in OTL. Hungary gets much milder Treaty of Trianon and becomes kingdom under Habsburgs. Otherwise fate of regions of the empire are quiet close of OTL. Only differences are that Italy gets what it wants and Austria joins to Germany permanentally. Czechoslovakia gives huge autonomy to Sudetelands so there is not dispute between Germany and Czechoslovakia.

OE collapses somehow same way as in OTL. But there is not Balfour's Declaration and Brits keep their promises to Arabs and Entente allows formation of Hashemite Kingdom of Arabia (includes Hejaz, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq). France and UK anyway gets quiet favorable deal over Arabian oil fields.

Japan

Emperor Yoshihito lives longer and Taisho Dmocracy manage stabilise the country altough it is still somehow nationalist and expansionist but not such nuthead nationalist as in OTL. Japan manage keep Korea and Pacific Islands when it doesn't go against USA. Japan takes Manchuria and some other parts of China. Later Japanese nationalism somehow is toned down and gives some regions, speciality to Korea, more autonomy. In 1970's Japan developes its own nuclear bomb (due lack of WW2 nuclear bomb is invented later).

 

[Calcaterra]

If you can add this in, consider it an added bonus:

-There is an (OOC: at the very least regional) communist/Marxist power
-There is a non-Vatican state that functions as an absolute monarchy while still being recognized by a majority of governments

 

[ArtosStark]

If you can add this in, consider it an added bonus:

-There is an (OOC: at the very least regional) communist/Marxist power
-There is a non-Vatican state that functions as an absolute monarchy while still being recognized by a majority of governments

For the communist power, I would suggest France. Absent the Soviet Union it seems like the best candidate for radical ideas to come to centre stage. At least of the countries not mandated to be under monarchal control.
As to the Absolute Monarchy, that depends a bit on your definition. But several Arab nations were along those lines in OTL. I don’t see any reason why they would not be if they remained. Saudi Arabia for instance. Even if it remains in a smaller state, it has a fair chance of being absolute.

 

[Calcaterra]

For the communist power, I would suggest France. Absent the Soviet Union it seems like the best candidate for radical ideas to come to centre stage. At least of the countries not mandated to be under monarchal control.
As to the Absolute Monarchy, that depends a bit on your definition. But several Arab nations were along those lines in OTL. I don’t see any reason why they would not be if they remained. Saudi Arabia for instance. Even if it remains in a smaller state, it has a fair chance of being absolute.

That would make sense, especially under the original Marxist idea that a revolution would be likely to break out to an industrialized country, like France, contrary to rural Russia. Also, I would have put them under monarchical control but that seemed like it would be ASB given some of the other PODs.

Yes, I was wondering how to exclude the Middle East from the question, as they practically function with absolutism as the norm. I guess what I'm saying is that a nation outside of the Middle East or the Vatican is an absolute monarchy that still maintains overall recognition of legitimacy on the world stage. That being said, I would guess that such a nation would hold some degree of power in one way or another, either they have a favorable advantage in geography, resources, or military strength, as absolutist regimes without at least one of these tend to fall quickly, either from the inside or out.

 

[ArtosStark]

Hmmm, Keeping an absolute monarchy as we understand it was actually hard for even renaissance monarchs. It was nearly impossible for medieval ones. For modern Absolute monarchs you basically need an uneducated populace, a powerful internal apparatus and possibly a powerful military. Those get harder as technology improves and you need more educated people to compete. Part of why Saudi Arabia and similar places work is because they are surrounded by other dysfunctional states and they have specific value to more democratic nations. Hard to do that when so much oft he worlds resources are already under more limited monarchs.

I would suggest either somewhere like Serbia, or maybe an Empire of Brazil. Both could maybe have Royal dictatorships survive for some time. Maybe.

 

[Lalli]

Could Albania work? It has always been pretty poor country and almost no one wasn't intrested about that.

Or could it be some war lord regime in China which takes over the country?

 

[Calcaterra]

I would suggest either somewhere like Serbia, or maybe an Empire of Brazil. Both could maybe have Royal dictatorships survive for some time. Maybe.

Brazil would be interesting, although it'd be interesting to fit in restoration with the given timeline.

Could Albania work? It has always been pretty poor country and almost no one wasn't intrested about that.

That may not work in it's favor, though, because there wouldn't be too many forces that could help prop up an otherwise isolated regime. Although I suppose that may not be an issue in this more monarchical world.