Yep. Each country has its own POD, and Korea's is that it pulls a Meiji instead of Japan. The Co-Prosperity Sphere is, in simple terms, a sphere where the members share their prosperity with Korea. Or, more accurately, with four Korean corporations, which have such a stranglehold on Korean politics that the only discernable position of any political party is which company to give money to.
Map Thread XXII
- Thread starter Balkanized U.S.A
- Start date
I'm gonna need the lore for this. Ideally for the world in general, but if I need to be more specific I'd be interested in the situation in Europe.
Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), there's a lot of lore. I'll write up the lore for Europe, and maybe some for the rest of the world later.
The Revolutions of 48 led to the rise of Germany as a power. France fought Germany in 1871, but ultimately failed, nearly falling to revolution and only narrowly managing to re-elect the House of Bonaparte as their monarchy. After an extensive peace, the Germans would reach their apex in 1901, at the end of the Great War. The Great War was fought between the Entente of Britain, France, Russia, Brazil, and Japan, and the League of Nations led by America, Korea, Germany, and Scandinavia. Germany managed to triumph over Russia and France. Discontented by being forced to fight a losing war, and not able to feed their families, veterans and workers established the French Third Republic, and revolted against the capitalist ruling classes. However, Germany helped the French put down the socialists. This rightward shift in France would spread to Spain and Italy, the latter being the birthplace of integralism.
Integralism ITTL is an ultra-fundamentalist Catholic movement, with corporatist economics and a worship of the state. It was intended a repudiation of the more worker-friendly, less authoritarianism, and secular fascism, which would find some success in America in the 30s. In 1921, the Silent War, a war between the German and French colonies but not between the countries themselves, further "credited" the integralists in the eyes of many. Brazil had been under integralism since 1912. In the late 1920s, prominent fascist Benito Mussolini attempted to march on Rome, but was stopped by the widely integralist military. The military promptly overthrew the government under the guise of a second fascist coup brewing. In Spain, the integralist military overthrew the unpopular socialist government, sparking a three-year civil war that the integralists would win with both Italian and, surprisingly, German guns. France was the last to fall, in 1936, falling by both the ballot and a coup d'état by the integralist leader, Philippe Petain.
The integralists put a massive amount of funding into the campaign of Adolf Hitler for chancellor of Germany. Hitler, a committed integralist, would lose to the incredibly popular Henning von Tresckow, hero of the Silent War. Revelations of French involvement, combined with Hitler's attempted March on Berlin, would be the trigger of the World War.
The World War lasted from 1941 to 1949. It was devastating to Europe. France and Italy initially lagged behind, especially as America joined Germany against the integralists. However, they had two saving graces. America was bogged down in China, fighting against Chiang Kai-Shek's attempt to reunite China modelled after the integralist regimes. Furthermore, Russia and Britain joined their side, despite not following integralism. Britain, under Winston Churchill, wanted vengeance after losing most of their African colonies in the Silent War. The Holy Russian Empire, under Vozhd Iosif Stalin, sought to undo the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
After eight years of fighting, Europe was devastated. America was almost done dealing with Chiang Kai-Shek. However, Brazil convinced Germany to accept a peace in which France maintained the Rhineland, which it had controlled since the beginning of the war, and the Entente would stop recognizing Hitler as the rightful leader of Germany. Germany, which faced the threat of a revolution, accepted the peace. A revolution would come to Germany, but one by the ballot. Herbert Frahm, the new Chancellor of Germany, began sweeping reforms, including decolonization and cozying up to America. A devastated France established a puppet Diet after previously disestablishing it, as a democratic concession. Brazil threw Brazilian money at a defeated Integralist Bloc, helping to rebuild their economies and making them dependent on Brazil.
Currently, Europe is waning in power to the benefit of America and Brazil. Russia, in 1954, declared neutrality due to the horrific destruction of industry.
Norway gave up Orkney and Shetland due to the Norwegians failing to pay a dowry on time to the Scottish and the isles being the security in the agreement in the mid 1400s
Wait - how is South and Southeast Asia minus the Philippines a single nation?
Imperialism.
Basically, the Indian Empire went on a conquering spree from 1894 to 1950. Their gains aren't consolidated, and resistance brews on ever corner of every street in every city. However, many have been staved off by freedom of religion and flipping hierarchies on their heads.
Well, the German king of Denmark (who got Norway in the package) pawned off the two islands separately without telling or getting permission from the Norwegians, and the Scottish refused all attempts by the Norwegians to buy them back. I think of it like with Bornholm, where they fought for independence from Sweden after they were annexed by Sweden and the population was extremely mistreated, though not to the semi-genocidal/ethnic cleansing of what they did in Trondheim and the surrounding region. They demanded when rejoining Denmark that they put it in writing that Bornholm could never be ceded to any other country. These has been your fun facts for the day.
Oester Eilanden? I can only imagine the size of the head in their Statue of Liberty equivalent.
Oops, didn't notice a new thread go up; here's the new compilation of all my patches!
... I promise there's gonna be new stuff coming out soon enough.
Previous version here! It's honestly kinda terrifying to think about how it's been 18 months already...
... I promise there's gonna be new stuff coming out soon enough.
Previous version here! It's honestly kinda terrifying to think about how it's been 18 months already...
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the map thread is dead ! long live the map thread !
Another entry into my Liberal Hungary TL
this just focuses on Europe but I'd like to mention the Great War also involves Japan (on the side of UK) and Mexico (on the side of France). I hope to showcase these countries in greater detail soon.
France, Russia, Romania, and Serbia against Germany, the Anglo-Irish United Kingdom of the British Isles, Croatia-Slavonia-Dalmatia-Bosnia, Hungary, Poland, and Belgium
Another entry into my Liberal Hungary TL
this just focuses on Europe but I'd like to mention the Great War also involves Japan (on the side of UK) and Mexico (on the side of France). I hope to showcase these countries in greater detail soon.
France, Russia, Romania, and Serbia against Germany, the Anglo-Irish United Kingdom of the British Isles, Croatia-Slavonia-Dalmatia-Bosnia, Hungary, Poland, and Belgium
Kaiser Wilhelm II has a vision for Europe. A continent where all peoples and nations flourished under the bright sun of liberty. To him, his parents were little more than hypocrites. When the Balkan peoples suffering under the Ottomans rose up in revolt, they had allowed Russia to establish new autocracies. When Poles and the Eastern peoples revolted against the Russian elite, his father compromised away their rightful borders. They flinched at war. Wilhelm II, the great bringer of freedom, would no longer compromise on the spirit of revolution.
In the former Empire of France, a new republic stands on shaky legs. Between socialists and monarchists, the Anglo-German supported liberals are trying their best to keep their state together. Urban socialists have organized workers councils and communes. Rural monarchists refuse to recognize the new state. Clashes between state and popular authorities occur at nearly every opportunity. So far, the opposition lacks strong leaders to legitimately rival the republic, but if Paris doesn't play its cards right the whole country could collapse. Former colonies of the empire have been divided by Britain and Germany, and some bits to satisfy the Italians.
Across the Atlantic, the United States declared their intent to reinstate the rightful republic government of Mexico. Napoleon III and his son, Napoleon IV maintained the rule of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Their reign was never stable, not in 1864 and certainly not in 1897. Republicans in exile had secured business deals with the United States in the 1870's. When the Great War started the US quickly secured important border territories. Insurrections across Mexico crippled the Empires ability to wage war. From there, the national military was crushed by a combined force of local militias and US troops. Mexico was reorganized similarly to the US, a federal, representative republic.
Russia performed quite well against Germany and Poland. Guerilla tactics were used by revolutionaries in former Polish territories. This allowed German-Polish forces to advance into Western Ukraine, Lithuania, and up to Riga. Conflict cooled down until 1900 when British diplomats convinced Japan to declare war on the Dual Entente. Russia was forced to send its forces eastward, allowing further German advances. By 1903, the navy rendered useless, Serbia and Romania capitulated, and the eastern forces were forced to retreat behind the Amur. Once the Eastern front stabilized some troops could be sent to alleviate the German assault. Fighting continued until the revolutions of 1905 which dealt the killing blow to the Dual Entente. With little alternatives, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate. His younger brother, Michael Alexandrovich, became the regent for his new born son. Michael himself, however, is now at the whims of the newly empowered republican institutions of the empire. Said institutions are inspired by the German state. Wilhelm II may claim freedom is ringing out across Russia, but its built on an unstable foundation. Germany's continued support for the Kadets and the NSP has only decreased their popularity, being seen as foreign puppets. Bitterness toward their loss in the Great War has attracted many Russians to the far left revolutionaries. Besides the new parties, the old military survives. As the next election approaches, its clear conflict will arise.
In the former Empire of France, a new republic stands on shaky legs. Between socialists and monarchists, the Anglo-German supported liberals are trying their best to keep their state together. Urban socialists have organized workers councils and communes. Rural monarchists refuse to recognize the new state. Clashes between state and popular authorities occur at nearly every opportunity. So far, the opposition lacks strong leaders to legitimately rival the republic, but if Paris doesn't play its cards right the whole country could collapse. Former colonies of the empire have been divided by Britain and Germany, and some bits to satisfy the Italians.
Across the Atlantic, the United States declared their intent to reinstate the rightful republic government of Mexico. Napoleon III and his son, Napoleon IV maintained the rule of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Their reign was never stable, not in 1864 and certainly not in 1897. Republicans in exile had secured business deals with the United States in the 1870's. When the Great War started the US quickly secured important border territories. Insurrections across Mexico crippled the Empires ability to wage war. From there, the national military was crushed by a combined force of local militias and US troops. Mexico was reorganized similarly to the US, a federal, representative republic.
Russia performed quite well against Germany and Poland. Guerilla tactics were used by revolutionaries in former Polish territories. This allowed German-Polish forces to advance into Western Ukraine, Lithuania, and up to Riga. Conflict cooled down until 1900 when British diplomats convinced Japan to declare war on the Dual Entente. Russia was forced to send its forces eastward, allowing further German advances. By 1903, the navy rendered useless, Serbia and Romania capitulated, and the eastern forces were forced to retreat behind the Amur. Once the Eastern front stabilized some troops could be sent to alleviate the German assault. Fighting continued until the revolutions of 1905 which dealt the killing blow to the Dual Entente. With little alternatives, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate. His younger brother, Michael Alexandrovich, became the regent for his new born son. Michael himself, however, is now at the whims of the newly empowered republican institutions of the empire. Said institutions are inspired by the German state. Wilhelm II may claim freedom is ringing out across Russia, but its built on an unstable foundation. Germany's continued support for the Kadets and the NSP has only decreased their popularity, being seen as foreign puppets. Bitterness toward their loss in the Great War has attracted many Russians to the far left revolutionaries. Besides the new parties, the old military survives. As the next election approaches, its clear conflict will arise.
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Hey can anyone find that one map about a Russian collapse? One of the factions was a democratic Karelia and some gasopron Petro state in the Arctic
Sounds a lot like Death of Russia
The Death of Russia - TL
EDIT: The extended version of this timeline is now available on Amazon. The Death of Russia All is Well Extract from ‘A Continent of Fire’ by James Melfi Those heady days of 1989, 1991. We thought we’d escaped it. Escaped the third and final cataclysm of the Twentieth Century. True, we...
www.alternatehistory.com
Ah, TDoR. Very good TL, but re; this:
I could maybe see Disney mothballing the resort for a few years until tourism recovered sufficiently to open it back up, but I'm almost certain anyone who would seriously consider shutting down and demolishing EDL would no longer be working at Disney. They poured too much money into it, and it'd actually started to improve in 1995 with their Space Mountain coaster.
Sadly don't have any maps on me for thread tax
Planet Jambudvipa (or, a 'Puranic' World):
A fantasy world inspired by the Hindu Puranas: this is 50% a ten-year overdue sequel to a fantastic map that B. Munro made for me, and 50% a love-letter to India's history and culture, at a time when, as ever, the future of India is uncertain.
In the jungles of Suvarnabhumi, Kinnaras (beings which are human from the waist up, bird from the waist down) advise human kings and watch the construction of great golden palaces. In the sky-clad steppes of Uttarakuru, horse-riding nomads and sedentary Yakshas (nature spirits) mingle in trading posts and around campfires. In the olive-tree fields and river valleys of Ketumala, the ruins of nearly forgotten ancient civilizations rest beneath the battlefields of clashing armies, known only from the powerful mantras that have been preserved in hidden grottos. Across the southern isles, from Kushadvipa, the Isle of Grass, in the West, to Varunadvipa, the Isle of the Rain God, in the East, the foaming ocean is awash with the ships of pirates and thieves, transporting gold and silver and mother of pearl across thousands of miles. In the eastern-most plains of Bhadrashva, masked actors depicting Hayagriva, the fearsome horse-necked deity popular among the locals, and his battle against a demon of the same name, are performed in stadiums filled with cheering crowds of ten thousand, alongside chariot races and chaturanga (chess) competitions. In the center of the world island, as the altitude rises across parched deserts and windswept Himalayan peaks, lies the mystical kingdom of yogis and immortal ones, Ilavrta, where Mount Meru, stairway to the kingdom of the gods, rises into the sun.
And between the Himalayas in the North, Dvaraka in the west, across great bustling cosmopolitan centers to Vanga in the east, where the Holy Ganges River flows into the world ocean, across the Deccan hills and forests and down to the southernmost point of Kanyakumari in the South, stretches the jeweled land of the lotus flower, of ghee butter and coconut milk, of the flame of timeless wisdom: Bharata.
The earth is a sphere orbiting around a fiery sun in space, billions of years old and in a galaxy containing nearly a hundred billion worlds. This is a universe of incredible size, across ten dimensions, and inhabited by gods and demons whose physical capabilities are to humans what humans are to gnats. They are otherworldly, and from an earthly perspective, their true forms have driven human observers to both ecstasy and madness. Nonetheless, several of the gods and demons take a keen interest in human affairs and are, on the whole, not the horrific tyrants or Lovecraftian monsters that one might imagine; the gods who have spent longer times on Earth display remarkable emotional intelligence and claim to view human agency (and spiritual growth) as necessary for the universe’s wellbeing, while even the demons generally recognize that strong, well-run human societies make better slaves (with the hope that humanity will one day act as loyal foot soldiers in the march to conquer other worlds in their wars with the gods). A few gods and demons have been moved to tears in watching human acts of selfless dharma (virtuous conduct) and have even taken human counsel in times of grave difficulty.
Though reluctant to admit it openly, the gods and demons recognize another truth; that the yogic, or spiritual, capacity of some humans (and, incidentally, many cows) renders them awesome powers of their own, with a select few who are impervious to all control or harm, unattached from the four ‘gross’ dimensions of space and time and existing only in the six dimensions of ‘subtle’ space-time. And inwardly, many of the gods and demons share the common (though by no means universal) human belief in a ‘capital g’ God, an unseen ‘Lord of all things,’ by whose power the infinite universes are born and will one day come to an end; the eternal one without a second. Though it may not necessarily be the case that morality depends on a belief in a superior power, the belief in God helps keep some of the gods on their toes, so to speak, when dealing with lesser creatures.
Five thousand one hundred and twenty-five years prior, at the conclusion of the previous age, brought about by the use of ultra-destructive ‘astra’ weapons, Earth descended into a hideous fire and maelstrom, the likes of which human civilization is only now recovering from.
Today, Vedic civilization (or rather, the heritage of this civilization in the form of Brahmanical teachings passed down from guru to student) is a feature of all human societies. Sanskrit poetry, treatises on yoga, dance, ceremonial rites, astronomy, mathematics, law, medicine, and philosophy are found to a greater or lesser degree everywhere. The debates between the Realists, Atomists, Metaphysical Dualists, Atheistic Ritualists, Acosmic Pantheists, and Anti-Causalists are as fierce in universities and monasteries in Roma or Yogyakarta as they are in Takshashila or Kashi.
For a flavor of these debates: the school of Realism uses logic to defend the real existence of more-or-less common-sense understandings of –
· the unity of self and body (in contrast to the Atomists, who regard selves to be a distinct type of atom within the body, and the Metaphysical Dualists, who regard selves to be completely immaterial),
· the material world of things (deconstructed by the Atomists and denied completely by the Acosmic Pantheists),
· God as the Creator (denied by the Atheistic Ritualists, who say that just as the eternal injunctions of the Vedas exist without an author so too do laws of nature exist without a lawmaker, and relegated by the Acosmic Pantheists to merely existing without ever creating anything),
· and karma (denied by the Anti-Causalists, which makes them a bit of a laughingstock among the other five schools who all base their theories of morality, aesthetics, and spiritual liberation on some version of cause and effect).
Of course, such obtuse considerations are primarily the focus of Brahmins and world-renunciates. Popular attention is aimed at tales around the lives of ideal historical figures who continue to have considerable popular followings. Among them are Shri Bhagavan Rishabha, who taught renunciate focus, Shri Bhagavan Rama, who taught righteous action, Shri Bhagavan Krishna, who taught loving devotion, and Shri Bhagavan Buddha, who taught discriminating wisdom.
The people of all societies are divided, according to their ancestry, into hundreds or even thousands of endogamous clans (micro-castes), which are in turn characterized, according to their inclinations and vocations, as one or four ‘hues’ (macro-castes). In a world of kings who have rather little in the way of state-building institutions to support them (let alone out-live them), ‘good governance’ is more often achieved with the ‘checks and balances’ of a multi-caste society wherein the division of resources and interests is such that all groups must work together. In this, Brahmins hold scholarly education and the communication lines to the gods, Kshatriyas hold bravery and the use of force, Vaishyas hold wealth and ownership of land, and Shudras hold labor and the right to strike. Under such a system, even the greatest king can be a landowner OR a commander of armies OR an emissary of the gods, but never more than one of these options, necessitating collaboration with others. While life is certainly harder for Shudras, in theory, at least, separation between castes means that rather than having their construction, manufacturing, or crop harvesting projects be overseen by higher castes, Shudra elders and chieftains act as overseers for their own kind. The boundaries of these castes are hard, but not entirely impermeable; being ‘trans-caste’ is a little controversial and is opposed by extra-conservative types, but is at least tolerated by many people, particularly if one has undergone prescribed transitioning rituals. In addition, nearly a fifth of the population remains outside of the caste system altogether; namely – criminals, beggars, those who deal with dead bodies, a dwindling number of wandering tribes, renunciate ascetics, and crazy tantrics. Diets are largely vegetarian, particularly for upper castes, and animal (and human) sacrifice is outlawed in all contemporary societies (though stories of tantrics who derive occult powers from dead bodies are not unheard of).
Earth is also inhabited by several other species with human-like intelligence, who often have their own caste-based societies. Vanaras are squat, ape-men who, despite their general hairiness, are unable to grow a mustache; historically, there was something of a competition between humans and vanaras as to which ape would dominate the terrestrial realm – now that vanaras have largely lost this fight, relations between them and humans have improved. Gandharvas are very tall, translucently blue, sweet-smelling, floating elf-like creatures who are renowned for their beauty and creativity, often present in human societies as public entertainers, but who can also be skilled in battle; when not taking up roles in human societies, they reside in Gandharva-nagaras, or floating cities, positioned in the skies. Nagas are scaly reptilian creatures with fearsome snake-like bodies, sometimes with many heads (like a Hydra), who are surprisingly friendly with most humans. Perhaps as a result of this friendliness, there are, in addition to ‘pure’ nagas, a large variety of human/naga mixed people; in some societies whole castes exist of peoples who are of mixed Naga/Human heritage. Yakshas are naked, green-skinned, pot-bellied nature sprites (or smaller ogre-like beings) with bulging eyes, fangs, and a child-like demeanor and intelligence; they can appear and disappear into trees and rocks at will, and heartily enjoy having a laugh at others’ expense. Cows are, incidentally, super-intelligent and wise beings who only appear dull because they are almost always in a meditative stupor or using their telepathic powers to engage in much more interesting conversations with beings on other worlds; the gods have asked humans to take good care of them.
Humanity is, for all its grandeur, only at the beginning of its journey. The exploration of space – both inner as well as outer – remains an exciting frontier of untold potential. Seen from a distance, the cultural fads and the rise and fall of civilizations found on Earth, have much in common with the ups and downs found in the lives of individual humans, animals, and even gods. Yearning for more, sentient beings seek out experiences and the knowledge of others, finding much to love or hate, until such arisings turn to passings-away, and – after a brief respite – the cycle continues all over again as one looks for the ‘next thing’ which will surely clarify the meaning of it all. Such is the course of samsara. And at a cosmic scale, it is mirrored by the blinking of the universe into – and out of – existence.
And between the Himalayas in the North, Dvaraka in the west, across great bustling cosmopolitan centers to Vanga in the east, where the Holy Ganges River flows into the world ocean, across the Deccan hills and forests and down to the southernmost point of Kanyakumari in the South, stretches the jeweled land of the lotus flower, of ghee butter and coconut milk, of the flame of timeless wisdom: Bharata.
The earth is a sphere orbiting around a fiery sun in space, billions of years old and in a galaxy containing nearly a hundred billion worlds. This is a universe of incredible size, across ten dimensions, and inhabited by gods and demons whose physical capabilities are to humans what humans are to gnats. They are otherworldly, and from an earthly perspective, their true forms have driven human observers to both ecstasy and madness. Nonetheless, several of the gods and demons take a keen interest in human affairs and are, on the whole, not the horrific tyrants or Lovecraftian monsters that one might imagine; the gods who have spent longer times on Earth display remarkable emotional intelligence and claim to view human agency (and spiritual growth) as necessary for the universe’s wellbeing, while even the demons generally recognize that strong, well-run human societies make better slaves (with the hope that humanity will one day act as loyal foot soldiers in the march to conquer other worlds in their wars with the gods). A few gods and demons have been moved to tears in watching human acts of selfless dharma (virtuous conduct) and have even taken human counsel in times of grave difficulty.
Though reluctant to admit it openly, the gods and demons recognize another truth; that the yogic, or spiritual, capacity of some humans (and, incidentally, many cows) renders them awesome powers of their own, with a select few who are impervious to all control or harm, unattached from the four ‘gross’ dimensions of space and time and existing only in the six dimensions of ‘subtle’ space-time. And inwardly, many of the gods and demons share the common (though by no means universal) human belief in a ‘capital g’ God, an unseen ‘Lord of all things,’ by whose power the infinite universes are born and will one day come to an end; the eternal one without a second. Though it may not necessarily be the case that morality depends on a belief in a superior power, the belief in God helps keep some of the gods on their toes, so to speak, when dealing with lesser creatures.
Five thousand one hundred and twenty-five years prior, at the conclusion of the previous age, brought about by the use of ultra-destructive ‘astra’ weapons, Earth descended into a hideous fire and maelstrom, the likes of which human civilization is only now recovering from.
Today, Vedic civilization (or rather, the heritage of this civilization in the form of Brahmanical teachings passed down from guru to student) is a feature of all human societies. Sanskrit poetry, treatises on yoga, dance, ceremonial rites, astronomy, mathematics, law, medicine, and philosophy are found to a greater or lesser degree everywhere. The debates between the Realists, Atomists, Metaphysical Dualists, Atheistic Ritualists, Acosmic Pantheists, and Anti-Causalists are as fierce in universities and monasteries in Roma or Yogyakarta as they are in Takshashila or Kashi.
For a flavor of these debates: the school of Realism uses logic to defend the real existence of more-or-less common-sense understandings of –
· the unity of self and body (in contrast to the Atomists, who regard selves to be a distinct type of atom within the body, and the Metaphysical Dualists, who regard selves to be completely immaterial),
· the material world of things (deconstructed by the Atomists and denied completely by the Acosmic Pantheists),
· God as the Creator (denied by the Atheistic Ritualists, who say that just as the eternal injunctions of the Vedas exist without an author so too do laws of nature exist without a lawmaker, and relegated by the Acosmic Pantheists to merely existing without ever creating anything),
· and karma (denied by the Anti-Causalists, which makes them a bit of a laughingstock among the other five schools who all base their theories of morality, aesthetics, and spiritual liberation on some version of cause and effect).
Of course, such obtuse considerations are primarily the focus of Brahmins and world-renunciates. Popular attention is aimed at tales around the lives of ideal historical figures who continue to have considerable popular followings. Among them are Shri Bhagavan Rishabha, who taught renunciate focus, Shri Bhagavan Rama, who taught righteous action, Shri Bhagavan Krishna, who taught loving devotion, and Shri Bhagavan Buddha, who taught discriminating wisdom.
The people of all societies are divided, according to their ancestry, into hundreds or even thousands of endogamous clans (micro-castes), which are in turn characterized, according to their inclinations and vocations, as one or four ‘hues’ (macro-castes). In a world of kings who have rather little in the way of state-building institutions to support them (let alone out-live them), ‘good governance’ is more often achieved with the ‘checks and balances’ of a multi-caste society wherein the division of resources and interests is such that all groups must work together. In this, Brahmins hold scholarly education and the communication lines to the gods, Kshatriyas hold bravery and the use of force, Vaishyas hold wealth and ownership of land, and Shudras hold labor and the right to strike. Under such a system, even the greatest king can be a landowner OR a commander of armies OR an emissary of the gods, but never more than one of these options, necessitating collaboration with others. While life is certainly harder for Shudras, in theory, at least, separation between castes means that rather than having their construction, manufacturing, or crop harvesting projects be overseen by higher castes, Shudra elders and chieftains act as overseers for their own kind. The boundaries of these castes are hard, but not entirely impermeable; being ‘trans-caste’ is a little controversial and is opposed by extra-conservative types, but is at least tolerated by many people, particularly if one has undergone prescribed transitioning rituals. In addition, nearly a fifth of the population remains outside of the caste system altogether; namely – criminals, beggars, those who deal with dead bodies, a dwindling number of wandering tribes, renunciate ascetics, and crazy tantrics. Diets are largely vegetarian, particularly for upper castes, and animal (and human) sacrifice is outlawed in all contemporary societies (though stories of tantrics who derive occult powers from dead bodies are not unheard of).
Earth is also inhabited by several other species with human-like intelligence, who often have their own caste-based societies. Vanaras are squat, ape-men who, despite their general hairiness, are unable to grow a mustache; historically, there was something of a competition between humans and vanaras as to which ape would dominate the terrestrial realm – now that vanaras have largely lost this fight, relations between them and humans have improved. Gandharvas are very tall, translucently blue, sweet-smelling, floating elf-like creatures who are renowned for their beauty and creativity, often present in human societies as public entertainers, but who can also be skilled in battle; when not taking up roles in human societies, they reside in Gandharva-nagaras, or floating cities, positioned in the skies. Nagas are scaly reptilian creatures with fearsome snake-like bodies, sometimes with many heads (like a Hydra), who are surprisingly friendly with most humans. Perhaps as a result of this friendliness, there are, in addition to ‘pure’ nagas, a large variety of human/naga mixed people; in some societies whole castes exist of peoples who are of mixed Naga/Human heritage. Yakshas are naked, green-skinned, pot-bellied nature sprites (or smaller ogre-like beings) with bulging eyes, fangs, and a child-like demeanor and intelligence; they can appear and disappear into trees and rocks at will, and heartily enjoy having a laugh at others’ expense. Cows are, incidentally, super-intelligent and wise beings who only appear dull because they are almost always in a meditative stupor or using their telepathic powers to engage in much more interesting conversations with beings on other worlds; the gods have asked humans to take good care of them.
Humanity is, for all its grandeur, only at the beginning of its journey. The exploration of space – both inner as well as outer – remains an exciting frontier of untold potential. Seen from a distance, the cultural fads and the rise and fall of civilizations found on Earth, have much in common with the ups and downs found in the lives of individual humans, animals, and even gods. Yearning for more, sentient beings seek out experiences and the knowledge of others, finding much to love or hate, until such arisings turn to passings-away, and – after a brief respite – the cycle continues all over again as one looks for the ‘next thing’ which will surely clarify the meaning of it all. Such is the course of samsara. And at a cosmic scale, it is mirrored by the blinking of the universe into – and out of – existence.
Bharata (i.e., the Indian Subcontinent/South Asia)
Names self-explanatory
Suvarnabhumi (i.e., Southeast Asia)
1. Pyu city-states; ‘Airavati’ is the Sanskrit form of ‘Irawaddy,’ and is the name of the region’s prominent river.
2. Mon city-states like the Thaton Kingdom; the Ramana are a minor tribe mentioned in the Mahabharata, and ‘Ramannadesha’ (country of the Ramannas) was one of the names used by Indian Buddhist missionaries who brought Theravada Buddhism to (Lower) Myanmar under the reign of Emperor Ashoka. In Thai, the Mon people are still called ‘Raman.’ Another name used for Lower Myanmar, Suvarnabhumi (‘The Golden Land’) would eventually expand in scope to refer to all of Southeast Asia – to be distinguished from Suvarnadvipa, see #5 below.
3. Funan-era Cambodia (pre-Angkorian Khmer civilization); In Indic texts, the Kambojas are a mleccha (barbarian, non-Indic) people, however those Kambojas are horse-riding, fire-worshiping Zoroastrians found to the north and west of India (in fact, one interpretation is that ‘Kamboja’ refers to the Achaemenid Empire of ancient Persia, whose second king, Cambyses, is known as ‘Kambuja’ in Sanskrit). In real world history, Khmer civilization, eager to tie itself to an ancient and venerable Sanskrit-based historical tradition, claimed to have been founded by a Kamboja prince who traveled eastwards after the destruction of his kingdom, marrying a Naga princess and creating the royal house that would rule Kamboja country, Kamboja-desha (eventually known locally as Kampuchea). In this world, this story is no mere national myth-building, but an actual historical fact.
4. Kedah and the Malay Peninsula; Indian explorers and traders knew of Kedah since at least the 2nd century A.D., and Sanskrit and Tamil sources referred to the straits of Malacca as ‘the straits of Kataha and Sri Vjiya’ (see below).
5. Sumatra, the Island of Gold (pre-Srivijayan Empire); here, I am using a distinction between the Golden Land (Survanabhumi) and the Golden Island (Suvarnadvipa), with the former referring to the entirety of Southeast Asia and the latter referring specifically to Sumatra.
6. Java, the Island of Barley.
7. Borneo, the Island of Varuna (the god of water, making this name equivalent to ‘Neptunia’). Varuna-dvipa shows up in a variety of mythological stories as the abode of Lord Varuna; this being a fantasy world, Varunadvipa is equal parts Borneo and a watery realm acting as the seat of the storm god’s above-sea palace.
Bhadrashva (i.e., East Asia)
1. Nepal/Western Tibet; representing the Yaksha (*Fairy) Kingdom and the Khasa tribes of the Mahabharata, and here identified with the civilization referred to by Medieval Tibetans as ‘Zhangzhung.’ As with Indian accounts of the Yaksha Kingdom, Tibetan accounts of Zhangzhung describe a royal capitol (Alaka or Alakavati in Sanskrit) near Mount Kailash, a holy site for Hindus/Jains/Buddhists as well as for the (pre-Buddhist) Bon religion of Tibet. Although the evidence is still limited, it seems that Zhangzhung was a Himalayan civilization with clear Indo-European influence (Indic, Iranic, or both) which was conquered by Bhota (Tibet) in the 7th Century A.D. (see #3 below). The ‘Khasha’ are described in classical Indian texts as a mleccha (barbarian, non-Vedic) people; since at least Medieval times members of the largest ethnic group of Nepal have referred to themselves as ‘Khas’ and may be the same people, though they now practice Hinduism.
2. The (misnamed) Tocharians, Indo-European inhabitants of the Tarim basin, who referred to themselves as ‘Arshi,’ among other names, and were to known to the Chinese as ‘Yuezhi’ and the Greeks/Romans as ‘Asii’. [In Sanskrit, -ka is a suffix which means essentially ‘-ians’ (see, for example, that the Romans are referred to as ‘Romaka’ and the inhabitants of Andhra are referred to as ‘Andhraka’).] Although modern scholars continue to call these people ‘Tocharian,’ this is a convention based on a 20th century misidentification; the actual Tocharians were, in my view, the same as the ‘Tushara’ of Sanskrit sources (see #2 in the Uttakuru section).
3. Eastern Tibet; while there is already a Sanskrit name for Tibet, Bhota, the origin and ‘feel’ of that word is connected to Tibet’s conversion to Buddhism in the late 7th century A.D., so including ‘Bhota’ in a fantasy world based on ancient times would be like including ‘France’ rather than ‘Gaul’ in a Eurocentric fantasy world. The much earlier term ‘Kirata’ refers to the various Sino-Tibetan tribes that Indic civilization encountered in the Northern and Eastern regions of the subcontinent. When the Newars, a Sino-Tibetan people, ruled the Kathmandu valley prior to the 4th century A.D., their territory was referred to in Sanskrit sources as ‘Kiratarajya’ (the Kirata Kingdom).
4. “Great(er) China,” i.e., the Han Dynasty; the Sanskrit word ‘China’ (pronounced “chee-nuh) is the source of most of the words used for China in languages west of the Himalayas, including English, and could derive from the name of the Qin Dynasty.
5. “Further China,” here identified with Goguryeo and the kingdoms of the Korean peninsula. Parama China is another kingdom mentioned in the Mahabharata.
Ilavrta (i.e., Kashmir)
Uttarakuru (i.e., Northern Eurasia)
1. The Scythians, Sakas, and Massagetae; a cultural-sphere now termed ‘Scytho-Siberian’ by archeologists who use the term ‘Scythia,’ which comes from the Greeks and Romans, to refer to the western edge of this culture, and the Old Persian term ‘Saka’ to refer to its eastern portions. Ossetian is a modern language descended from this group.
2. The Turks; in real world history the term ‘Tushara’ (known in Greek sources as ‘Tokharioi’ and in Chinese sources as ‘Daixia’) probably originally referred to an Iranic people living in Central Asia. However, as the area became progressively more Turkic in language and culture after 600 A.D., medieval Indian scholars conflated ancient Tushara with (then-contemporary) Turkic peoples.
3. The Huns; here identified with the Xiongnu and the proto-Mongols. In my opinion, the evidence of recent years is quite compelling that the Huns and Xiongnu were in fact the same people; however even if that wasn’t the case, as early as the 3rd century A.D. the Buddhist translator Dharmaraksha translated the Sanskrit word ‘Huna’ into Chinese as ‘Xiongnu’ in two texts. Also, ‘Xiongnu’ is the modern Mandarin pronunciation; even without getting into historical linguistics, the modern Cantonese pronunciation ‘Hung-no’ hints that these are the same word. At any rate, the Hunas, both before and after their invasions into India, are mentioned in many ancient Indian texts.
Ketumala (i.e., the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean)
1. The Romans (as referenced in the Mahabharata)
2. The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt (as referenced in the Edits of Ashoka, also as ‘Turamaya’)
3. The Greeks, or more specifically, the Greeks of Antioch; i.e., the Seleucid Empire, which had its capitol at Antioch, and which was known to ancient Indians as ‘Yavanarajya’ (the Greek Kingdom). The term ‘Yavana’ ultimately derives from ‘Ionia.’ Antakhi (Antioch) is mentioned in some versions of the Mahabharata, where “Antioch, Rome, and (other) cities of the Greeks” are depicted as giving tribute to the Pandavas (the story’s good guys).
4. Parthia
5. Persia
6. Bactria
Kushadvipa (i.e., the Horn of East Africa)
1. Somali city-states like Malao; the ancient Greeks, Romans, and even the Medieval Chinese referred to the coast of Somalia as ‘Barbaria’ and here I have somewhat speculatively located the ‘Barbara’ tribe of classical Indian sources in Somalia. This could be ahistorical as the Barbaras mentioned in texts like the Mahabharata are described as coming from the North (and might just be confusion stemming from Indian writers not understanding Greek references to ‘Barbarians’), but for the purposes of this map I choose to interpret that as meaning the Barbaras of those days traveled to Bharata (India) via Pahlava (Parthia) and Balhika (Bactria). It is worth noting, however, that even in ancient times trade between India and East Africa was extensive, with Somali traders acting as middlemen for goods going between the Indian and Greco-Roman worlds.
Also, Kusha-dvipa, one of the places mentioned in ancient Indian literature, literally means ‘Grass Island,’ but interpreters have rather speculatively linked it to the Kingdom/region of Kush, south of Egypt. While this might be a stretch, I don’t think it’s entirely impossible; the Persians ruled parts of Northwestern India for nearly 300 years and described their Empire as stretching from “Hind to Kush.”
Names self-explanatory
Suvarnabhumi (i.e., Southeast Asia)
1. Pyu city-states; ‘Airavati’ is the Sanskrit form of ‘Irawaddy,’ and is the name of the region’s prominent river.
2. Mon city-states like the Thaton Kingdom; the Ramana are a minor tribe mentioned in the Mahabharata, and ‘Ramannadesha’ (country of the Ramannas) was one of the names used by Indian Buddhist missionaries who brought Theravada Buddhism to (Lower) Myanmar under the reign of Emperor Ashoka. In Thai, the Mon people are still called ‘Raman.’ Another name used for Lower Myanmar, Suvarnabhumi (‘The Golden Land’) would eventually expand in scope to refer to all of Southeast Asia – to be distinguished from Suvarnadvipa, see #5 below.
3. Funan-era Cambodia (pre-Angkorian Khmer civilization); In Indic texts, the Kambojas are a mleccha (barbarian, non-Indic) people, however those Kambojas are horse-riding, fire-worshiping Zoroastrians found to the north and west of India (in fact, one interpretation is that ‘Kamboja’ refers to the Achaemenid Empire of ancient Persia, whose second king, Cambyses, is known as ‘Kambuja’ in Sanskrit). In real world history, Khmer civilization, eager to tie itself to an ancient and venerable Sanskrit-based historical tradition, claimed to have been founded by a Kamboja prince who traveled eastwards after the destruction of his kingdom, marrying a Naga princess and creating the royal house that would rule Kamboja country, Kamboja-desha (eventually known locally as Kampuchea). In this world, this story is no mere national myth-building, but an actual historical fact.
4. Kedah and the Malay Peninsula; Indian explorers and traders knew of Kedah since at least the 2nd century A.D., and Sanskrit and Tamil sources referred to the straits of Malacca as ‘the straits of Kataha and Sri Vjiya’ (see below).
5. Sumatra, the Island of Gold (pre-Srivijayan Empire); here, I am using a distinction between the Golden Land (Survanabhumi) and the Golden Island (Suvarnadvipa), with the former referring to the entirety of Southeast Asia and the latter referring specifically to Sumatra.
6. Java, the Island of Barley.
7. Borneo, the Island of Varuna (the god of water, making this name equivalent to ‘Neptunia’). Varuna-dvipa shows up in a variety of mythological stories as the abode of Lord Varuna; this being a fantasy world, Varunadvipa is equal parts Borneo and a watery realm acting as the seat of the storm god’s above-sea palace.
Bhadrashva (i.e., East Asia)
1. Nepal/Western Tibet; representing the Yaksha (*Fairy) Kingdom and the Khasa tribes of the Mahabharata, and here identified with the civilization referred to by Medieval Tibetans as ‘Zhangzhung.’ As with Indian accounts of the Yaksha Kingdom, Tibetan accounts of Zhangzhung describe a royal capitol (Alaka or Alakavati in Sanskrit) near Mount Kailash, a holy site for Hindus/Jains/Buddhists as well as for the (pre-Buddhist) Bon religion of Tibet. Although the evidence is still limited, it seems that Zhangzhung was a Himalayan civilization with clear Indo-European influence (Indic, Iranic, or both) which was conquered by Bhota (Tibet) in the 7th Century A.D. (see #3 below). The ‘Khasha’ are described in classical Indian texts as a mleccha (barbarian, non-Vedic) people; since at least Medieval times members of the largest ethnic group of Nepal have referred to themselves as ‘Khas’ and may be the same people, though they now practice Hinduism.
2. The (misnamed) Tocharians, Indo-European inhabitants of the Tarim basin, who referred to themselves as ‘Arshi,’ among other names, and were to known to the Chinese as ‘Yuezhi’ and the Greeks/Romans as ‘Asii’. [In Sanskrit, -ka is a suffix which means essentially ‘-ians’ (see, for example, that the Romans are referred to as ‘Romaka’ and the inhabitants of Andhra are referred to as ‘Andhraka’).] Although modern scholars continue to call these people ‘Tocharian,’ this is a convention based on a 20th century misidentification; the actual Tocharians were, in my view, the same as the ‘Tushara’ of Sanskrit sources (see #2 in the Uttakuru section).
3. Eastern Tibet; while there is already a Sanskrit name for Tibet, Bhota, the origin and ‘feel’ of that word is connected to Tibet’s conversion to Buddhism in the late 7th century A.D., so including ‘Bhota’ in a fantasy world based on ancient times would be like including ‘France’ rather than ‘Gaul’ in a Eurocentric fantasy world. The much earlier term ‘Kirata’ refers to the various Sino-Tibetan tribes that Indic civilization encountered in the Northern and Eastern regions of the subcontinent. When the Newars, a Sino-Tibetan people, ruled the Kathmandu valley prior to the 4th century A.D., their territory was referred to in Sanskrit sources as ‘Kiratarajya’ (the Kirata Kingdom).
4. “Great(er) China,” i.e., the Han Dynasty; the Sanskrit word ‘China’ (pronounced “chee-nuh) is the source of most of the words used for China in languages west of the Himalayas, including English, and could derive from the name of the Qin Dynasty.
5. “Further China,” here identified with Goguryeo and the kingdoms of the Korean peninsula. Parama China is another kingdom mentioned in the Mahabharata.
Ilavrta (i.e., Kashmir)
Uttarakuru (i.e., Northern Eurasia)
1. The Scythians, Sakas, and Massagetae; a cultural-sphere now termed ‘Scytho-Siberian’ by archeologists who use the term ‘Scythia,’ which comes from the Greeks and Romans, to refer to the western edge of this culture, and the Old Persian term ‘Saka’ to refer to its eastern portions. Ossetian is a modern language descended from this group.
2. The Turks; in real world history the term ‘Tushara’ (known in Greek sources as ‘Tokharioi’ and in Chinese sources as ‘Daixia’) probably originally referred to an Iranic people living in Central Asia. However, as the area became progressively more Turkic in language and culture after 600 A.D., medieval Indian scholars conflated ancient Tushara with (then-contemporary) Turkic peoples.
3. The Huns; here identified with the Xiongnu and the proto-Mongols. In my opinion, the evidence of recent years is quite compelling that the Huns and Xiongnu were in fact the same people; however even if that wasn’t the case, as early as the 3rd century A.D. the Buddhist translator Dharmaraksha translated the Sanskrit word ‘Huna’ into Chinese as ‘Xiongnu’ in two texts. Also, ‘Xiongnu’ is the modern Mandarin pronunciation; even without getting into historical linguistics, the modern Cantonese pronunciation ‘Hung-no’ hints that these are the same word. At any rate, the Hunas, both before and after their invasions into India, are mentioned in many ancient Indian texts.
Ketumala (i.e., the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean)
1. The Romans (as referenced in the Mahabharata)
2. The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt (as referenced in the Edits of Ashoka, also as ‘Turamaya’)
3. The Greeks, or more specifically, the Greeks of Antioch; i.e., the Seleucid Empire, which had its capitol at Antioch, and which was known to ancient Indians as ‘Yavanarajya’ (the Greek Kingdom). The term ‘Yavana’ ultimately derives from ‘Ionia.’ Antakhi (Antioch) is mentioned in some versions of the Mahabharata, where “Antioch, Rome, and (other) cities of the Greeks” are depicted as giving tribute to the Pandavas (the story’s good guys).
4. Parthia
5. Persia
6. Bactria
Kushadvipa (i.e., the Horn of East Africa)
1. Somali city-states like Malao; the ancient Greeks, Romans, and even the Medieval Chinese referred to the coast of Somalia as ‘Barbaria’ and here I have somewhat speculatively located the ‘Barbara’ tribe of classical Indian sources in Somalia. This could be ahistorical as the Barbaras mentioned in texts like the Mahabharata are described as coming from the North (and might just be confusion stemming from Indian writers not understanding Greek references to ‘Barbarians’), but for the purposes of this map I choose to interpret that as meaning the Barbaras of those days traveled to Bharata (India) via Pahlava (Parthia) and Balhika (Bactria). It is worth noting, however, that even in ancient times trade between India and East Africa was extensive, with Somali traders acting as middlemen for goods going between the Indian and Greco-Roman worlds.
Also, Kusha-dvipa, one of the places mentioned in ancient Indian literature, literally means ‘Grass Island,’ but interpreters have rather speculatively linked it to the Kingdom/region of Kush, south of Egypt. While this might be a stretch, I don’t think it’s entirely impossible; the Persians ruled parts of Northwestern India for nearly 300 years and described their Empire as stretching from “Hind to Kush.”
Top Ten Largest Cities:
1. Pataliputra, Magadha: 15,002,223 (Patna)
2. Romakapura, Romakadesha: 14,543,543 (The city of the Romans, in the country of the Romans)
3. Dhanyakataka, Andhra: 8,984,033 (Amaravati)
4. Madhura, Pandya: 6,673,436 (Madurai)
5. Shantimayapura, Parama-China: 5,985,837 (Pyongyang, Goguryeo)
6. Vyadhapura, Kamboja: 5,344,430
7. Ayodhya, Kosala: 4,783,465
8. Antakhi, Yavana: 4,567,346 (Antioch)
9. Kashi, Kosala: 4,345,213 (Varanasi)
10. Sri Kshetra, Airavati: 4,163,442
1. Pataliputra, Magadha: 15,002,223 (Patna)
2. Romakapura, Romakadesha: 14,543,543 (The city of the Romans, in the country of the Romans)
3. Dhanyakataka, Andhra: 8,984,033 (Amaravati)
4. Madhura, Pandya: 6,673,436 (Madurai)
5. Shantimayapura, Parama-China: 5,985,837 (Pyongyang, Goguryeo)
6. Vyadhapura, Kamboja: 5,344,430
7. Ayodhya, Kosala: 4,783,465
8. Antakhi, Yavana: 4,567,346 (Antioch)
9. Kashi, Kosala: 4,345,213 (Varanasi)
10. Sri Kshetra, Airavati: 4,163,442
The world if everything went right for Putin. Inspired partially by Dugin's 'Foundations of Geopolitics'.
2014: Russian troops invade Ukraine following the ousting of President Yanukovych in a revolution. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia holds a 'referendum' that resulted in the secession of Novorossiya from Ukraine and joining Russia. Russian troops would permanently occupy rump Ukraine under a pro-Russian oligarchy.
2015: The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is established.
2016: Bernie Sanders, who is able to win the Democratic nomination against Hillary Clinton, goes on to win the 2016 presidential election. President Sanders promises to defund the American military budget and to distance the USA from foreign wars. President Sanders would withdraw the US military from Eastern Europe.
2019: Riots and protests in Belarus following the election of Alexader Lukashenko results in Russian intervention to crush the riots and restore order. Belarus is annexed into the Russian Federation as an autonomous region.
2020: War breaks out between pro-Russian Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagaro-Karabackh. Russia intervenes on the side of Armenia, resulting in a resounding Russo-Armenian victory over Azerbaijan. Armenia would annex their disputed territory while Azerbaijan would have a pro-Russian regime installed.
2022: Riots and unrest plunge Kazakhstan into chaos. Russian troops occupy the whole of Kazakhstan and strip away Russian-populated territories in the North through referendums. In the following years, Russia would incorporate the rest of Central Asia into the EAEU through military and diplomatic pressure and supporting pro-Russia coups.
2022: Russia invades Moldova over disputes related to the status of Transnistria and the rise of a pro-EU government in Moldova. Moldova is quickly overrun by Russian troops and the country is occupied, with Russia annexing Transnistria directly while the rest of the nation is puppeted under a Russophilic regime.
2022-2023: Crisis in the Balkans grows as Serbia starts to initiate instability in Bosnia and Kosovo, with the Serbs allying with the Russians. Serbia first invades Kosovo in 2023 over a dispute in North Kosovo, with Serbia managing to conquer the whole nation with Russian support. The Serbian government begins to fund Serb nationalists in Bosnia and Montenegro.
2023: Russia invades Georgia in the Second Russo-Georgian War following the Russian annexation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia through a Duma-passed act. Georgia is quickly crushed by the Russian military and a pro-Russian regime is installed to power.
2024: Tucker Carlson is elected president of the United States of America, who campaigns on a right-wing populist platform that is isolation and aims to withdraw the United States from NATO.
2025: Border skirmishes between Poland and Russia along the Ukrainian border result in heightened tensions over Polish support to anti-Russian Ukrainian insurgents. Russia would send an ultimatum to the Poles and NATO to cease military support to anti-Russian 'terrorists' and in addition, Russia would also demand the 'demilitarization' of all of Eastern Europe and the Balkans. NATO rejects the demands initially, resulting in a full-on Russian invasion of Eastern Europe taking place. President Carlson declares the United States neutral in the Euro-Russian conflict, withdrawing the United States from NATO.
2025: Russian troops march into the Baltic nations and after fierce battles, the Russians conquer all of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia within months of the conflict. Russian troops also invade Finland, Poland, and Romania. Serbia would also join the war on the side of Russia, invading Montenegro, Kosovo, and Bosnia. The first cracks start to appear in NATO following the start of the war, with Turkey declaring neutrality and withdrawing from NATO altogether. Hungary would switch sides and ally with Russia outright, withdrawing from NATO and the EU. Within six months, Russian troops reached the Vistula River and lay siege to Warsaw.
2026: Pro-Russian regimes initiate electoral takeovers in the Balkans. Greece would fall under a far-right populist regime that would sign peace with Russia. Other nations such as Bulgaria and North Macedonia follow suit. In Western Europe, anti-war sentiment starts to brew in nations such as France and Germany, with slogans being preached, 'Why die for Poland?'. Fearing Russian nuclear consequences for continuing the war, EU diplomats engage in secret talks with the Russians in Vienna to end the war. Russia demands that the EU withdraw from all of Eastern Europe, which includes a line stretching from the Oder-Neisse, to the Czech-Slovak border, through Hungary, and to Bosnia. Russia also demands the abolition of NATO, though Russia has no concern about the EU continuing to exist.
2026: The EU and Russia eventually conclude peace talks, with the EU agreeing to Russian demands in the Vienna Accords. Western Europe pulls out of the war against Russia. Poland and Finland are outraged and vow to continue their fight against Russia. After a couple of months and ruthless bombing campaigns, Poland and Finland are conquered by Russia, with Russia declaring victory.
2026-2027: Russia forms its new order in Eurasia. Poland is demilitarized and deindustrialized, with much of Poland's economy falling under the control of Russian oligarchs while Warsaw is controlled by a coalition of Russophilic Poles from the left and right. The Baltic nations are forced to cede Latgale and Narva to Russia while their nations are placed under permanent occupation. Russia treats the Eastern Orthodox Balkan nations much nicer and their territory is left intact, though with pro-Russian regimes being installed in each nation. Serbia is enlarged to include all of Serbian Bosnia and Montenegro. The EAEU is enlarged to include all of Russian-controlled Europe.
2027-20XX: Tensions begin to brew between Russia and China into a Cold War. China conquered Taiwan in 2023 and occupied the South China Sea from their neighbors, intimidating Southeast Asian nations into accepting Chinese domination in the South China Sea. China would also emerge victorious in a war against India in 2025. Russia would sign military alliances with nations such as Iran, India, and Vietnam. Russia would admit Mongolia into the EAEU in 2027 much to China's chagrin. With the decline of the USA as a world power, China would compete with Russia for global influence, with a possible war looming on the horizon.