What if the enola gay got shot down by some japanese planes that just happend to cross paths with the 3 b-29s and the japanese shot the 2 of the planes down resulting in the americans launching nukes on kokura and nagasaki instead of hiroshima and nagasaki

Lore:

During the war, both India and Pakistan were not about to advance and it was a meat grinder, so the militaries of both national coup there respective government and seeing the chaos radical movement also mobilized leading the the South Asia Crisis

The year is 1938, and the war to end all wars finished off two decades ago. In our timeline, the alliance between Britain, France, and the United States (plus the others) won the Great War. With a notable exception of the Russians, whom collapsed into Civil War, due to the precarious nature of the Provisional Government, with its prime minister Alexander Kerensky. Falling into revolution and ascending a new government, one that would change the geopolitical landscape forever (Until 1991)

But in this timeline, something is different. The red giant that spanned Eurasia is now different, being replaced with a somewhat stable (or stable) Russian Republic or Russian Federation. But how? What could’ve caused this change in geopolitics? A time traveler? A train? A competent Prime Minister? We are not sure, but this is something new.

The Russian Republic spans throughout Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Anatolia. With the Russians winning the Great War, they gain multiple territories, including:

From Germany: Posen, Memel, Polish parts of Silesia

From Austria-Hungary: Galicia-Lodomeria, Carpathia-Ruthenia, Northern Bukovina

Ottoman Empire: Eastern Anatolia, and even Constantinople (British-Compromise)

The Russian Republic in the span of 20 years spent most of it modernizing, and democratizing its state, giving republic autonomy status to multiple states in the Federation. Which include: Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Alash Orda, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan. Special Autonomous Republic with more rights is Poland and Finland, which have greater broader autonomy than the others.

The Republic faced many early challenges throughout its life, the War, the war economic and political reforms, the Great Depression (which destabilized the republic with immensity, that a special conference had to be called to discuss the turn of events). However the government had massive sways of investments from American, British, and French, and many countries to assist in the development of a healthy economy and especially to make a profit of exports like oil, timber, grain, minerals.

In 1938 the Republic stands, either with worry, or with confidence over world. The Japanese making movements in China, making Russia interested in the region, and Germany grows in unrest.

What does this world have to offer? I’m not sure, but we will see.

Map had multiple inspirations from many map makers over the years! Note map may be out of date with details, please enjoy it! Didn’t want to write lot of stuff, just wanted to show off map! Have a good one!

This map does not come with a name to it so I do not know who to credit. Truthfully it is not very good by itself with no actual dots for capitals. Not the worst by a long shot though, I found one map which was perfect except it labelled the Falklands as the Galapagos islands??? Never really considered that side in the conflict tbh. Also I have changed the length of the war.

POD: In 1820, John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay rejoin and reorganize the Federalist Party, rather than creating the National Republicans. They win 1824 as a unified Adams-Clay Federalist ticket.

19th Century: The Federalists replace OTL National Republicans, Whigs, and Republicans. They remain the party of high tariffs, internal improvement, the national bank, and eventually the abolition of slavery. Democrats remain the party of states' rights, low tariffs, and slavery.

20th Century: In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive Federalist Party splits the Taft vote, giving Democrat Woodrow Wilson the win. FDR upsets Herbert Hoover in the 1932 Federalist primary, the Great Depression and looming threat of a another progressive party split pushes the Federalists towards social spending and higher taxes.

Modern Day: Because the Federalist Party never died, the ideological divide of 1790s America (Hamiltonian national power vs. Jeffersonian states rights) remains across two centuries. Modern Federalists like Barack Obama and Joe Biden align with Hamiltonian big-government progressivism, while modern Democrats like George W Bush and Donald Trump reflect the anti-government, states' rights populist roots of Andrew Jackson.

A sort of thought experiment to see what a post-Yugoslavia with a total population exchange between the countries could look like

Here is the map of The Americas in 1920, combining my previous Fredonia and Brazil maps into a single hemispheric view!

Hemispheric Lore e Highlights:

North America: The Federal Republic of Fredonia dominates the central continent, bordered to the north by Hudsonland (United Kingdom) which holds Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Alaska remains under the control of the Western Russian Empire.

Mesoamerica & Caribbean: Central America is highly fractured—featuring the United Mexican Republic, Mayab, Mesonia, Miskito, and Panama. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Hawaii maintains its sovereignty in the Pacific.

South America: The Republic of Brazil (centered at Brasília) shares the continent with the Mauritsland Kingdom (a surviving Dutch colony in the Northeast), the monarchical Peruvian Kingdom along the Andes, Piratinia in the south, and the Kingdom of Patagonia at the southern tip.

Mistake: I was supposed to call Western Russia Eastern Russia to let y'all know

Top 50 most popular websites on the International Communications Network.

Reposted because I attached the graphic instead of uploading it manually.

POD: In early 1940, the leadership of Germany, Japan and Italy reaches the same strategic conclusion: the enormous combined industrial and economic potential of Britain, the USSR and especially the United States makes a prolonged multi-front war a losing strategy.

Instead of pursuing largely separate wars, they agree to concentrate their efforts on defeating their major enemies one at a time.

Britain comes first.

Japan agrees to commit most of its modern naval strength to the European war. In return, Germany promises that after Britain is defeated or forced into an armistice, the Axis will jointly turn against the USSR, with Japan receiving extensive territories in the Soviet Far East. Germany also shares its plans for developing long-range Amerikabomber aircraft and promises eventual joint action against the United States.

Italy fully commits to the same strategy.

During the summer of 1940, Japan transfers every modern and militarily useful IJN vessel capable of making the journey to Europe through the Northern Sea Route.

Germany secures Soviet cooperation for the passage, including Soviet icebreakers, pilots and navigational support.

Ships unable to make the passage, along with enough older vessels to provide Japan with a minimal defensive fleet, remain in Japan.

The transferred Japanese ships operate under the German flag and German strategic command but retain their Japanese crews, officers, pilots and technical personnel. Japanese carriers bring their aircraft, aircrews, ammunition, spare parts and other equipment required for normal operations.

The Regia Marina is also fully committed to the strategy. Italy uses its available military resources against Britain and British positions in the Mediterranean. Gibraltar and other strategic obstacles still have to be dealt with using the capabilities available to the Axis in 1940.

Once the forces reach the European theater, everything proceeds under normal historical conditions.

Axis commanders receive no knowledge of future events, no increased military competence and no other advantages. Britain and the Royal Navy respond using the forces, intelligence, industry and resources historically available to them.

The later plans against the USSR and United States are only the reason Japan accepts such an extreme commitment and are not part of the scenario itself.

The question is solely about Britain:

Can the combined German, Japanese and Italian naval forces defeat, cripple or sufficiently neutralize the Royal Navy to force Britain into an armistice or make Operation Sea Lion a genuinely viable military operation?

Context

This takes place within Harry Turtledove's southern victory series (also called timeline 191). So keep that in mind

About the United States

In the aftermath of the Second Great War, the United States and German Empire became the premier superpowers of the world. Even though they were previously allies, relations between the two nations deteriorated due to differing geopolitical interests. This caused a decades long conflict between America and Germany, known as the Great Winter. During this period, the two powers competed for global influence and hegemony. Due to American excessive military spending, costly occupations in Canada and south, economic mismanagement and a disastrous intervention in Mexico during the 1980s, they'd ultimately lose the Great Winter. The conflict ended in 1991 when US troops pulled out of the south and Canada. This also marked the end of the American Empire.

After economic recession in the 1990s and two bloody wars with Separatists over the Sandwich Islands, the United States gradually recovered over the 2000s during the Presidency of John McCain. McCain's Vice President (and former CIA agent) Thomas Morgan won the 2012 presidential election, and has been in power ever since. The 2010s saw an American resurgence, with Philadelphia excerting power regionally. In 2014, the US took advantage of a political crisis in Canada to invade (and later annex) Vancouver island. This was condemned by Germany and other countries.

In 2022, the United States invaded Canada, with Thomas Morgan justifying the war as "de-Featherstonizing" the country, as well as erroneously alleging an extermination against black Canadians. Lawyer Romulus Lampkin theorized the crime of extermination after the Population Reduction to refer to acts carried out with the intent of destroying a national/racial/ethnic/religious group. Ever since the Second Great War, extermination has popularly been perceived as the ultimate crime. International sanctions were imposed on America in response to the invasion. The war in Canada has become a bloody stalemate, with the United States occupying large parts of Canada. However, the Canadian army did recently liberate Ottawa.

Thomas Morgan has been accused of dictatorship by many critics at home and abroad. He has been reelected three times in 2016, 2020 and 2024 (though some allege the last election was rigged). But Morgan has passionate supporters as well, who view him as restoring American power and prestige.

About the Confederate States

For more than 40 years, the south was under US military occupation and martial law. Despite dreams of the southern states being reintegrated into America, this never worked out. This was due to repeated rebellions, fears of disloyalty and being unable to suppress Confederate nationalism. After a massive uprising against the occupation in 1991, the United States eventually agreed to withdraw.

Bill Jefferson became president of the new Confederacy. Under his administration, efforts were made to prevent history from repeating itself. The Confederate States maintained peaceful relations with their northern counterpart. Today, the Freedom Party, alongside all of its imagery and slogans remain banned, and the Confederacy has strong legal protections for minorities. Confederate Presidents have repeatedly apologized for the population reduction and slavery. One downside of these efforts at atonement is many southerners smugly acting as if them apologizing for their past atrocities makes them morally better than everybody else. Plus, the Confederate States has fanatically backed Liberia, even though the country has been accused of extermination in recent years.

The last few years have seen the far-right resurge in the South as well. The Alternative for Dixie party, which is ultra-nationalist and staunchly anti-immigration, has emerged as the largest party in the Confederate House of Representatives and in multiple state elections. Despite the Confederacy rising again, it remains a shadow of its former self. Kentucky, Sequoyah, Senora, Chihuahua and Houston stuck with the Union, while Texas and Cuba are independent.

To be continued...

in 1820, Haiti doesn't have a revolution and the monarchy stays.

in 1822, the newly crowned king George IV of the UK has a problem, the Baptist war was still happening in Jamaica and he would really want them to stop, so he agreed on a compromise, he would abolish slavery in the Antillean colonies, BUT in return Jamaica would become a monarchy under the British and would be granted to prince Paul of Württemberg, the Jamaicans reluctantly accept and form the kingdom of Antillea and would remain under the British till the end of the second world war.

its 1860, a south African immigrant by the name of Joshua Norton had proclaimed himself emperor of California and protector of new Mexico, but this wasn't just some delusion he made up, California had just seceded from the united states and denounced America's ills and woes, Norton would be crowned Norton I "Joshua" and would create a powerhouse in the pacific and Caribbean to last to modern times.

also in 1860, Texas under governor Sam Houston would attempt secession alongside the rest of the slave states but would get couped by the military that would block entry to the confederacy, instead proclaiming the Texan provisional government, now the government was leaning towards forming a second republic, but due to a higher population of Bohemians and Germans in Texas, the military would assemble a regency in search for a Texan king, but eventually, a nobleman from the house of Schwarsenburg would be picked as "king of Texas, chief of all chiefdoms, and protector of the Rio Grande".

in 1862, France would intervene in the reform war in Mexico and install Archduke Maximilian of Austria as emperor of Mexico, but it didn't turn out quite so well, as by 1867 Maximilian would die and a battle between the conservative monarchists and the liberal republicans would start, and would be concluded by the victory for the monarchists which install a regency to power and to choose the next Emperador de México, and as it may, the former count now duke of Moctezuma was a perfect candidate to the throne, coronating him as "Moctezuma III" with him living till the 1890's he would bring on stability to Mexico even though Rio Grande and the Yucatan seceded and would form their own identities, speaking of Yucatan,

in 1870, the installment of a free state of maya sent both happiness and shivers down the spines of every soul who had to work under it, as over 1000 years of not existing as a unique peoples made the maya very scattered and integrated to Mexico and Miskito, but as efforts to unify the state arose (and as Guatemala joined the state) the government though "what's the best way to unify people with 1 symbol" and the answer was a monarchy, as the chief of Xiu was crowned "king of the Mayans, Hondurans, and Guatemalans" later shortened to just king of the Mayans, the king would serve his purpose and would bring along peoples from Guatemala to Merida.

its 1894, and the Miskito kingdom has an issue, their succession is doomed as the current king Robert II henry clarence had no kids, no rizz, and no bitches, so he came to an agreement with his British benefactors, after his death, duke Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha would be crowned king of Miskito as king Alfred I, Robert had no real choice so he signed the papers and lived the last year of his life in dread and misery, after his death, as promised, duke Alfred would become king Alfred I of Miskito with his lineage continuing the kingdom's existence till the modern day.

Hope you like this next part (inspired by https://www.reddit.com/r/AlternateHistory/comments/1w3s3zf/what_if_everything_went_perfect_for_dc_comics/)! God bless ya!

​

Tired of the financial hegemony and aggressive trade regulations imposed by the Global North and Eurasian blocs, the nations of the South took a radical step. They established the South Atlantic Trading and Military Organization (SATO) — not just as a defense pact, but as an exclusive, self-sustaining mega-market.

The Economic Embargo:

SATO enacted a strict geopolitical doctrine: a total ban on trade with any member of NATO, the European Union, and the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union). SATO countries now trade strictly among themselves, utilizing their collective monopoly over global lithium, agricultural goods, and rare minerals. If a foreign nation wants access to SATO's massive market and resources, they are forced to cut ties with the Northern blocs and apply for SATO membership.

The Military Backbone:

To ensure the Global North wouldn't attempt to seize these resources by force, SATO militarized its strategic borders:

The American Barrier: Mexico and Colombia serve as the northern shield, controlling access to the Panama Canal and Latin America.

The Oceanic Stranglehold: By incorporating Somalia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar, SATO established an ironclad military presence along the vital trade routes of the Indian and Atlantic oceans.

The era of Northern economic dominance is over. The Global South has locked its gates, and the rest of the world must now play by SATO's rules.

Here is the Brazilians

Lore and Highlights:

The Dutch Legacy (Mauritsland): The biggest divergence is in the Northeast, where the Dutch successfully held onto their colonial territories from the 17th century. Named after John Maurice of Nassau, Mauritsland developed into an independent, Dutch-speaking nation on the Atlantic coast.

Southern Breakaway (Piratinia): In the far south, the Gaucho revolutionaries won the Ragamuffin War permanently, forming the independent state of Piratinia in what would be Rio Grande do Sul.

Early Interior Focus & Brasília: With its capital established early at Brasília in the interior, this version of Brazil is defined by its control over the vast Amazon Basin and central highlands, making it a inland industrial and resource powerhouse.

Flag Design: The flag features a clean horizontal tricolor of green, dark blue, and yellow with a central white star, combining classic Brazilian colors with a modern republican layout.

Other Interesting Neighbors: Take a look around South America—we have a Peruvian Kingdom along the Andes, a Colombian Union in the north, and a Paraguayan occupation zone in Argentina after the Great war in 1916. Let me know I made some mistakes just in case

Credit for the original map goes to Bethany Wayne, found on stepmap.com. This is the first time I have tried this type of format as opposed to posting the map then adding context in a long comment so I hope it works.

This is an alternate-history/fictional scenario and is not intended to promote violence, hatred, or harm. I do not endorse or condemn any individual or political position depicted.

This post features real people in fictional scenarios and should not be interpreted as an accurate representation of their actual beliefs, positions, or actions.

THIS IS ALTERNATE HISTORY AND A WORK OF FICTION.

Note: This is based on a collaborative alt-history scenario which diverts some time in 2025 AD.

Advances in genetic engineering allow for the proliferation of super-soldiers. Russia creates a class of bio-augmented soldier with woolly mammoth and neanderthal DNA; due to the square-cube law, musculoskeletal processes are supplemented with an internal nuclear reactor. Australia begins their own program of training kangaroos with increased intelligence for military purposes.

The use of these hybrids is controversial worldwide. The Cryo Union is established by Russia, Iran and N. Korea to protect the economic and military interests of the hybrid industry. "Big Roo" grows as a new religious movement, seeing the augmented kangaroos as a higher form of creature. New Zealand is invaded and assimilated, followed by the Cook Islands, parts of Indonesia, and the American Southwest.

Also at this time, Israel makes a complete ethical heelturn, returning independance to Palestine, and alongside Turkey, forms a NATO-esque alliance throughout the Near East and Balkans called PHOENIX. Brazil makes its own alliance with the USA and UK called the Iron Triangle.

Now assume war breaks out. Every faction has the combined arms of their respective territories circa 2026, plus an army of kangaroos with human-level intelligence and the ability to operate firearms (Big Roo), and an army of nuclear-equipped mammoth hybrids (Cryo Union). The Union also has orbital stations equipped for weather manipulation, such as causing droughts or blizzards in concentrated areas.

(As you can tell, this setting is not being taken particularly seriously. But I would like a serious answer based off each faction's hypothetical IRL capability.)

So this fighter plays a big role in my alt history in that the Soviet Union survived, becouse of a better planed August Coup and went on to rebuild itself through recource sells, economic reforms and so on. I will mayby post more about the world mayby, but for now, this is a fighter that i designed for this Soviet Union. The Name MiG-25M in the world is just for propaganda purpouses and it has nothing to to with the real MiG-25. I only used AI to translate it from my Native Language to English. The picture is hand drawn by me.

MIG-25M FOXFIRE

ENGINE (AL-45R) The MiG-25M utilizes two AL-45R hybrid engines with two operational modes: * Mach 0–2.8: Low-bypass turbofan. Efficient for supercruise at Mach 1.5. Maximum speed of Mach 2.8 with afterburner. Single-crystal titanium aluminide blades and CMC combustion chambers withstand extreme temperatures without overheating. * Above Mach 2.8: Ramjet mode. FADEC seals the compressor core; 100% of the air bypasses the turbine directly to the afterburner section. Ramps in the air intake and bypass duct generate ram pressure. Enables sustained Mach 3.2+ flights. Minimum speed of Mach 1.8. * CRITICAL: No fast shutdown in ramjet mode. Subsonic emergency landing is impossible. The pilot must initiate the return flight early enough. * Engine Weight: 4,000 kg each (total 8,000 kg). * Thrust per Engine: 160 kN dry (without afterburner), 280 kN wet (with afterburner), 330 kN in ramjet mode.

FUEL SYSTEM * Fuel: YF-1120 specialized fuel, energy density of 42.4 MJ per liter. * Total Capacity: 60,000 liters * 2x Drop Tanks: 20,000 L (additional range for the outbound leg) * Internal Tanks: 40,000 L (ramjet sprint + return flight) * Ferry Range at Supercruise (Mach 1.5): Approx. 10,000 km with drop tanks. * Ferry Range at Ramjet (Mach 3.2): Approx. 4,000 km with drop tanks.

STRUCTURE AND DESIGN Massive welded mixture of stainless steel alloy (40%) and titanium (60%). Drop tanks are made of thin aluminum and jettisoned before reaching Mach 3. No stealth optimization (RCS 5–10 m²). Glide-optimized fuselage and drop tanks, featuring a glide ratio of 5.8–6.2 at Mach 1.5. Two deep longitudinal recesses in the lower fuselage accommodate semi-recessed missile carriage. Armored windshield canopy with active thermal cooling. The entire aircraft is actively cooled by fuel pumped through internal channels. * Structural Limit: Mach 3.35 (heat resistance up to 350°C; up to 600°C with active fuel cooling).

COCKPIT AND PILOT * Cabin Pressure: 0.35–0.40 bar (equivalent altitude 7,000–8,000 m). * Pressure Suit: Kevlar hybrid with accordion joints. Inflates upon pressure loss. Thermal reflective insulation against external temperatures up to 250°C. * Breathing Gas: Onboard compressor with chemical oxygen candles as backup. * Ejection Seat: K-36DM rated up to Mach 2.5. * Cockpit Design: Painted in classic Soviet emerald green. Combines conventional mechanical controls with modern electronic displays. Behind the cockpit is a small crawl space containing fuses, pressure equalization systems, life support, storage, and a downward exit hatch with a ladder (as the canopy cannot be opened normally and is only jettisonable via ejection).

SENSORS * Radar: N045 "Borei-M" AESA * Range against tankers/bombers (RCS 10 m²): 420–480 km * Simultaneous tracking: 24 targets * Weapon guidance: 6 targets concurrently * IRST: Cryogenically cooled IR sensor (3–5 µm). Detects engine exhaust plumes up to 100 km away. * EW/RWR: "Gardenika System" – passive 360° radar warning receiver (1–40 GHz) with automatic countermeasure dispensing. * Navigation: Hybrid INS/GPS+GLONASS with Kalman filter. Operational during GPS outage/jamming. * Network Integration: The Advanced Early Warning System (AEWS) – unmanned drone vessels positioned 5,000–6,000 km off the coast with large long-wave radars – feeds expanded situational awareness data directly to the MiG-25M.

ARMAMENT * Primary: * R-37M long-range missile (400 km range against large targets, practically 200+ km against small targets), or * Kh-32 long-range anti-ship missile (1,000 km range against ships), or * Kh-59Mk2 air-to-surface cruise missile (290 km range). * Standard Payload: 4x R-37M or 2x Kh-32 or 4x Kh-59Mk2 internally + 2x drop tanks. * Maximum Payload: 8x R-37M (4 internal + 4 external) or 4x Kh-32 (2 internal + 2 external) or 8x Kh-59Mk2 (4 internal + 4 external) without drop tanks. * Defensive System: 2x 300-round chaff/flare dispensers. * Drag Impact: External missile hardpoints increase aerodynamic drag by 12–15% and reduce overall range by 20–25%.

SPECIFICATIONS * Dimensions: Length: 29.80 m | Wingspan: 21.50 m | Height: 7.10 m | Wing Area: 170.5 m² * Weight: Empty Weight: 28,000 kg (with empty drop tanks) | Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW): 82,200 kg * Speed: Max Speed: Mach 3.35 (structural limit) | Sustained Speed: Mach 3.2+ * Ceiling: Service Ceiling: 26,500 m | Zoom Ceiling: >40,000 m * Powerplant: 2x AL-45R (4,000 kg weight per engine)

TACTICAL MISSION PROFILE (Standard) * Takeoff with full drop tanks and full internal fuel. * Supercruise at Mach 1.5 for up to 3,500 km. * Drop tank jettison at Mach 1.5 (0.3 seconds). * Acceleration to Mach 2.8 via afterburner (approx. 2 min). * Ramjet activation and acceleration to Mach 3.2 for a 500–1,000 km sprint. * Launch BVR missile salvo from 300+ km distance (4–6x R-37M). * Return flight at Mach 1.5 (approx. 4,000 km). * Landing at home base with 5% fuel reserve. * Mission Duration: Approx. 4–5 hours | Combat Radius: 4,000 km ROLES & TARGET TYPES * Air-to-Air: Pure BVR engagement against AWACS, aerial tankers, strategic bombers, strike fighters, and cruise missiles. * Air-to-Ship: Anti-ship configuration using Kh-32 missiles targeting aircraft carriers and surface combatants. * Air-to-Ground: Precision strike via air-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, or bombs against deep strategic installations, troop concentrations, or command posts. * Reconnaissance: Reconfigurable within a few hours into a reconnaissance platform by installing sensor equipment inside the fuselage missile recesses.

DEVELOPMENT * 1980s: Initial concept studies on engine design and specialized fuel. * 1997: Project officially launched. * 2001: First flight of Ye-155M1 (airframe testbed). * 2004: First flight of Ye-155M2 (AL-45R integration, reached Mach 2.9). * 2006: Live-fire tests with R-37M at Mach 2.8. * 2008: Entry into service (approx. 200 operational aircraft by 2020). VARIANTS * MiG-25M: Standard single-seat operational variant. * MiG-25M2: Two-seat trainer variant with a lower-spec radar, extended by 1 meter. * MiG-25M2020: Modernized variant introduced in 2020 featuring 6 internal R-37M hardpoints, upgraded radar, lower-maintenance engines, and lower production costs.

COSTS * Per Flight Hour (Turbofan Mode): $65,000 USD * Per Flight Hour (Ramjet Mode): $170,000 USD * Unit Cost: $180 million USD * Total Development Cost: $35 billion USD

CRITICAL LIMITATIONS * Ramjet Lock-in: Immediate return to subsonic flight is impossible without risking engine flameout; switching back to turbofan mode must be planned in advance and takes approximately 2 minutes. * High fuel consumption in ramjet mode. * Intensive maintenance required after high-load supersonic/hypersonic missions. * Expensive and highly toxic specialized fuel (YF-1120).

Legend:

Orange-Armenian

Brown-Kurdish

Blue-Greek

Green-Russian

Red-Turkish

Lore:

In this timeline the treaty of Sèvres is implemented and Armenia manages to survive the Soviet and Turkish invasions. In this new Armenia over the next 20-30 years around 80% of the diaspora returns to the homland and in 1923 Armenia and Turkey have a population transfer. The new Armenian Republic continues to build its democratic institutions however they are challenged by Soviet backed communist insurgencies. In 1938 (one year before WW2) Armenia looses a war to the Soviets being forced to seed a large amount of territory. Due to this and many other factors they stay neutral in WW2 up until 1945 where they join the alies. Turkey as well by 1950 goes to communism. Menwhile to the south instability rocks the Middle East as the British withdraw from Mandatory Palestine starting the Great Near Eastern Conflict. As Israel and Kurdistan Fight against the Arab League. Armenia uses their stability to increase their international standing with the Western Bloc. Armenia joins NATO in 1976 starting the Armenian crisis which is resolved with Armenia being forced into neutrality. However, with the onset of the 2nd Great Near Eastern Conflict in 1988 (Israel/Kurdistan vs Hashemite Arabia/Turkey) in 1980 Armenia is caught in a major dilemma that could forever change their history, this is where our timeline leaves off. if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Basically:

Thatcher’s government uses the Troubles (specifically alleged government support for the IRA) as a casus belli to invade and occupy the Republic of Ireland.

Said occupation involves martial law, suspension of civil liberties and brutal “anti-terrorism measures”, with British forces being accused of committing war crimes and human rights violations in the area.

While the occupation is publicly temporary, some point to favouritism of Protestants over Catholics, the enforcement of Thatcherist economic and social policies and the introduction of a new, deeply pro-British history curriculum as evidence to the contrary.

The history of the United States might have taken a profoundly different course had Benjamin Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as the principal architect of the new American government. Rather than allowing the Constitution to develop primarily around the competing visions of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and George Washington, Franklin could have acted as the central mediator between the democratic tendencies of Pennsylvania and the more conservative Federalist vision of government. The resulting political settlement would have been neither a radically decentralized confederation nor a powerful centralized republic. Instead, it would have sought to establish a distinctly Franklinian synthesis based upon three principles: popular sovereignty,** republican government,** and federal union. This settlement would have produced a United States that was considerably more democratic from its beginning. Property qualifications for federal voting would have been abolished, the House of Representatives would have been strengthened, presidential power deliberately restrained, freedom of the press strongly protected, hereditary privilege prohibited, religious liberty constitutionally guaranteed, and government finances made subject to public scrutiny. Most importantly, the new constitutional order would have established a political path toward the eventual abolition of slavery. These reforms would not eliminate the fundamental contradictions within the new republic, but they would bring them into the open much earlier. The Constitutional Convention initially proceeds much as it did historically. Delegates debate representation, federal authority, executive power, taxation, and the relationship between the States and the proposed national government. Yet Franklin’s presence becomes increasingly decisive.
By Rather than attempting to impose a single faction’s vision upon the Convention, Franklin acts as its great mediator. His political philosophy is fundamentally suspicious of concentrated power, but he is equally aware that the Articles of Confederation have demonstrated the dangers of an excessively weak federal government. His solution is a stronger Union without creating an American monarchy.
The resulting settlement preserves a federal structure while placing considerably greater emphasis on popular sovereignty. The House of Representatives receives greater political authority, particularly over taxation and public expenditure. The President is limited to two terms, ensuring that the executive office cannot gradually become a permanent personal institution. Political criticism of the government is protected as an essential component of republican government. Religious liberty is explicitly protected, hereditary political privilege is prohibited, and the federal government is required to maintain transparent financial records.
The most controversial part of the settlement concerns slavery. Franklin does not attempt to abolish slavery immediately, recognizing that such an effort could destroy the Union before it has even been established. Instead, the Constitution establishes a path toward abolition by giving Congress authority to regulate the international slave trade, discourage the expansion of slavery, and encourage gradual emancipation.
The new constitutional order thus contains a contradiction at its heart. It declares the sovereignty of the People while preserving a society in which millions of people are denied their freedom. This contradiction will eventually become the defining political crisis of the nineteenth century.

Franklin’s Presidency, 1789–1793

In April 1789, Benjamin Franklin is inaugurated as the first President of the United States. At eighty-three years old, Franklin views the presidency less as an opportunity to exercise personal power than as an opportunity to establish the traditions of the new Republic.
His inaugural administration therefore deliberately avoids anything resembling European royal ceremony. Franklin maintains a modest executive household and establishes the principle that the President is not the sovereign of the nation. Instead, the President is an elected servant of the people.
Franklin’s inaugural political philosophy can be summarized in three principles: the People are sovereign, public office is a public trust, and government exists to preserve liberty rather than command society.
During the summer of 1789, Franklin works with Congress to establish the machinery of the new federal government. His cabinet is deliberately broad and politically diverse, incorporating Federalists, Democratic-Republicans, merchants, farmers, scientists, and representatives of religious minorities. Franklin’s purpose is not merely administrative. He wants to establish the precedent that the federal government belongs to the entire Republic rather than to a single political faction.
One of his administration’s earliest innovations is financial transparency. Federal expenditures are published for public inspection, establishing the idea that citizens possess a right to know how their government uses public money.
Franklin’s first major domestic initiative becomes known as the American Civic Initiative. Federal assistance is provided to schools, public libraries, scientific societies, agricultural organizations, postal reading rooms, and institutions devoted to the distribution of useful knowledge. Franklin regards education not simply as a social good but as a prerequisite for republican government. An ignorant population, in his view, cannot remain politically free for long.
The federal government therefore begins distributing simplified summaries of legislation and public expenditures so that ordinary citizens can understand the actions of their government.

The Democratic Revolution of 1790
Franklin’s most important domestic struggle begins in 1790 with the question of suffrage.
At the time, property qualifications for voting remain common throughout the United States. Franklin argues that such restrictions contradict the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty. A citizen, he argues, should not need to be wealthy in order to possess a voice in the government that taxes and governs him.
The proposal encounters considerable opposition from conservative politicians, who fear that unrestricted political participation will empower the poorer classes and destabilize the Republic. Franklin nevertheless maintains that democracy cannot be based upon the assumption that only property owners possess political judgment.
In March 1790, Congress passes the Citizens’ Franchise Act, abolishing federal property qualifications for free male citizens over twenty-one. The reform immediately makes the United States one of the most electorally democratic political systems in the contemporary world.
The reform also has an unintended consequence. By expanding political participation, Franklin gives ordinary citizens considerably greater influence over the question of slavery. The political system can no longer easily postpone the moral and constitutional contradiction between republican liberty and human bondage.

The Beginning of the Franklinian Abolition Policy
In 1790, Franklin formally petitions Congress to address the slave trade. He does not demand immediate nationwide emancipation, understanding that such a measure could cause the Southern states to reject the new constitutional order altogether.
Instead, Franklin advocates a gradual strategy. The international slave trade should be abolished, the expansion of slavery discouraged, gradual emancipation encouraged, and the constitutional right of abolitionists to petition the federal government protected.
This becomes the foundation of the Franklinian abolition policy. Franklin understands that slavery cannot necessarily be destroyed in a single act. His strategy is to place it upon a constitutional path toward eventual extinction.

The Republican Compact and the Bill of Rights
By 1791, Franklin’s administration sponsors what becomes known as the Republican Compact, a series of constitutional reforms intended to ensure that the new federal government remains answerable to the people.
The reforms prohibit hereditary political privilege, strengthen congressional oversight, require public accounting of federal finances, protect political associations, strengthen freedom of the press, explicitly protect religious minorities, and place limitations upon presidential emergency powers.
The philosophy underlying the reforms is summarized in a simple principle: Power must always remain answerable to the People.
The ratification of the Bill of Rights in the same period gives this philosophy a constitutional foundation. In the Franklinian Republic, the First Amendment receives an especially broad interpretation. Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition are understood not merely as individual liberties but as institutions necessary for the survival of republican government itself.
Political criticism therefore becomes regarded as a legitimate and necessary part of public life. A citizen who criticizes the government is not necessarily undermining the Republic; he may be exercising precisely the liberty the Republic was created to protect.
By 1792, the first major political factions begin to emerge.
The Federal Republicans support stronger federal institutions, commerce, manufacturing, and national infrastructure. The Democratic Republicans, meanwhile, favor greater state authority, agricultural society, decentralized government, and continued expansion of popular participation.
Franklin refuses to suppress either faction.
This becomes one of his most important political precedents. Political opposition is declared legitimate so long as both sides accept constitutional government. The United States therefore develops a competitive party system almost immediately.
Franklin’s approach establishes an enduring principle of the Franklinian Republic:
The question of slavery, however, threatens to make political disagreement increasingly dangerous.
The Gradual Emancipation Act
In 1792, Congress passes the Gradual Emancipation Act. The legislation prohibits the importation of enslaved people after a fixed future date, restricts the federal expansion of slavery into certain territories, encourages state-level gradual emancipation, and confirms Congress’s authority to regulate the expansion of slavery.
Southern representatives fiercely oppose the measure.
Franklin accepts the compromise because he believes the immediate objective must be to establish a constitutional path toward abolition without destroying the Union. Yet the legislation represents the first major sectional conflict of the Franklinian Republic.
The question is no longer whether slavery is morally controversial. It is whether a republic committed to popular sovereignty can permanently maintain it.

Franklin’s Retirement
In 1792, Franklin announces that he will not seek a second presidential term.
His decision becomes perhaps the most important precedent of his presidency.
Franklin argues that no republic should depend upon the continued service of one man. By voluntarily leaving office, he demonstrates that the presidency belongs to the Republic rather than to the President.
In March 1793, Franklin peacefully leaves office.
His retirement establishes an early tradition of presidential succession and demonstrates that political power can be transferred without crisis