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The Restored Roman Empire 2015

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The Restored Roman Empire 2015:

A request by EmperorAlexander for a continuation of mdc01957' 'The Restored Roman Empire' map.


The 20th Century was a turbulent one that upset the delicate balance of power that the world had been experiencing at the turn of the century. Despite the best attempts of diplomats and peace advocates the tensions between nations worsened. The Great War of 1921-24 didn't do anyone any favours and its follow up in 1940 which lasted until 1949 (with a brief ceasefire interim from 1945-47) changed everything.


Through it all the Roman Empire (or Byzantines to the foreigners) has managed to make it through the turmoil more or less intact with only a few superfluous overseas territories being shed in the name of financial recovery. The Roman government has become even more inclusive over the last century though traditional elitism and mild racism does still generate a glass ceiling of sorts. The monarchy is held in high regard still but they essentially have no power beyond ceremonial recognition by this point. At the same time a new republican movement has emerged though it is by no means violent, instead it advocates for peaceful abolition of the monarchy and a gradual extension of the electoral government's power.


The stresses of the war did lead to some unfortunate reactions against various ethnicities that people believed were causing unrest. The Turks received the worst of the racial backlash in the middle of the century and relations have still not recovered fully since then. The Romans were also pitted against the Islamic states of Persia and their Muslim allies during the Great War which also led to further backlashes against the remaining Islamic sects that remain in the empire. This backlash has calmed down but religious relationships are still very strained.


The rise of oil and petrol dependent technology was an immense boon for the Romans though it also made them a prime target during both Great Wars. Aside from the oil industry most of the Roman Empire's economic power comes from finances and services for the rest of the Mediterranean. Cultural exports are also a rather lucrative business alongside the tourist industry. The Basileus' Palace is one of the world's most famous tourist destinations in the world.


Hungary-Poland, the Roman Empire's closest ally throughout the 20th Century, unfortunately did not survive the turmoil of the Second Great War and their dismantlement during the middle of the war was never undone.


At the same time the restored German Empire has come to dominate much of the European Continent in a new hegemony. Germany is very much a confederation of the various states that the old German Empire was broken up into that has managed to gain enough cohesion to outdo their competitors. The damages of the Great Wars have been recovered from, largely because their neighbours have failed to do so and therefore fallen behind. The German government is still very elitist but less so than the previous empire. The Kaiser is a hereditary position but has little power which has been ceded to the new Diet.


The absolute defeat and temporary partition of the empire did humble the Germans somewhat. However the current generation of Germans have undergone a political backlash to all of this and are now belligerently nationalistic. Though they are able to engage other nations well enough to build up their complex and inclusive web of economic policies and deals with the rest of Northern Europe. Taking a leaf from the Romans book, the Germans have absorbed and assimilated the recent waves of Slavic and Nordic immigrants that have moved into their nation though they are finding Turks and Africans much less palatable. Germany is officially Catholic though they do not always follow every decree from the Reformed Catholic Church in Pisa. Dissenting churches have proliferated in their territory and are tolerated alongside the Jewish population and even agnostics and atheists thanks to a largely secular social attitude and government.


France was finally reunited under the southern kingdom (they renamed themselves after they won which led to some issues when they dismantled the strong Gallian identity) during the First Great War when both states picked different sides of the war in a bid to conquer the other. Though not a fully fledged power they have made a name for themselves as the inheritor of much of Iberia's overseas territories as well as a few other bits and pieces here and there. The manpower and resources of these new colonies has been put to good use by the government since then. The colonies are being integrated into France itself and French has replaced Spanish as the new primary language though this often leads to melange languages in the colonies. Nationalist and separatist movements in the colonies are also becoming a problem with many of them (especially the more radical Muslim organisations) turning violent in recent years. The monarchy is fully constitutional now with a parliament holding all of the actual power by this point. The colonies also have their own regional departments of the parliament which handle their administration and local policy making.


The Imperial Realm of Britannia, once one of the foremost powers of the world, is trying to retain its position of primacy. As one of the first nations to discover the Brasiels (ATL Americas) they were able to grab the largest amount of territory and have managed to hold their empire together despite a lot of turmoil since their empire reached its greatest extent. After the Great Wars -which they largely stayed out of- they have been shedding superfluous or liable territories and have worked to keep their useful or productive viceroyalties within the Realm through a very complex political and economic system they have built.


Britannia's empire is still very large, the majority of the viceroyalties having been incorporated into a new semi-federal political and economic union. Several former colonies from other empires have even been invited and incorporated into the Realm. However the entire edifice is rather unwieldy and the political system is confusing and labyrinthine in its complexity. A network of cultural and regional privileges placate the members of the realm but also prevent political cohesion in most matters. A rather sparse constitution of sorts does outline the laws and human rights that all members share as well as the power of the admittedly weak central government but more local policies and standards of living are all handled independently. Collectively the power of Britannia is incredible and makes them one of the worlds top superpowers but exercising that power is much more difficult than foreigners and the more belligerent Britannian politicians think.


Portugal has also managed to keep most of its empire as well, having granted autonomy to the more settled colonies and integrating the others into the economy of the heartland. Their willingness to accept the indigenous populations of their colonies into their government and economy is the primary reason why their empire has survived. Of course for most of their history the people of their colonies had to convert to some form of Catholicism before they were accepted and there is a glass ceiling of sorts for non-Christian Africans and Amerindians. The old settler colonies on the other hand are a bit less willing to accept indigenous people into their local governments though people of mixed racial origins are alright.


Novgorodian Russia had the strangest experience of the 20th Century. They allied with the Continental System for the express purpose of conquering and assimilating Kiev and once that was done they cut all ties with their old allies and declared themselves neutral for the rest of the war. They then allied with the Romans during the Second Great War simply for support in their campaigns of conquest in Central Asia. By the 1950s they had not only built an empire but had rocketed from the status of a minor power all the way to a world superpower.


Russia is a confusing nation now. It is still a republic, albeit a highly aristocratic one with an elected monarchy on top of it (a strange kind of political tactic the government of the time experimented with in the 40s). The monarchy is a life-time appointment but has little real power and the standards and requirements for candidacy are comparatively small. They have adapted to their power quite readily but the last few elected governments have not been that interested in territorial expansion, with a few exceptions such as the colonies they recently bought from other powers. Religious tolerance has eased the transition to Russian rule in some places but others still put up violent resistance. Aside from copious amounts of autonomy the various states within the Russian Empire also have their own representatives in the Duma in Novgorod. Russia is still an economically successful nation and the new territories have at least provided them with more resources to trade with.


Technological advancement has been slightly slower than OTL due to several factors including the lack of a Renaissance (Classical ideas survived in a more unadulterated form rather than the re-imagined forms they took in OTL). Currently technology levels are about at the same level as the OTL 1970s. Nuclear weapons were developed during the Second Great War and even saw use as a means of ending the war (they still haven't fully repopulated Madrid). Rocket technology is actually more developed than OTL due to different developments for fuel chambers that have reduced the cost of fuelling them. The Space Race was less a matter of competing ideologies and more of an international endeavour between the leading nations of the world for the sake of scientific advancement. This meant it was slower but also less costly on an individual basis and finally ended with a Roman/Britannian team landing on the Moon in 1965. Computers are the latest article of public enthusiasm with endless speculation about the possibilities the new devices could present for the world. Already plans for new forms and innovations are being drawn and some are even suggesting linking all of the worlds computers in a massive network to improve connectivity and communication. 

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How come China always ends up getting split in half?