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The Holy Roman Republic

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The Holy Roman Republic:
This is another fun idea that I expanded on.

In this world Henry VI of the House of Hohenstaufen managed to beat the Dukes of the Holy Roman Empire into line and create a hereditary dynasty over the Holy Roman Empire. This would lead to the gradual centralisation of the Empire into a more cohesive entity. The Empire then expanded and over the centuries rose to dominate continental Europe and even launch several successful crusades against the Muslim nations of Northern Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Iberian states eventually discovered the Americas and the Empire founded its own colonies. The power of the Emperor continued to eclipse the power of the Pope and the Empire eventually industrialised. By the 20th Century technology advanced enough for an industrialised world war and things went downhill from there. The losers of the war returned to wreak vengeance and primitive nuclear weapons became involved.

It is now 2012. The Holy Roman Empire died over 70 years ago after the end of the 2nd World War and the Socialist Revolution. The Democratic Union of Europe was born on the ashes of the Holy Roman Empire. The 2nd World War ended with the nuclear bombing of both Rome and Frankfurt which lead to an emergency government lead by the nobility being established. The government proved to be ineffectual and a new government founded by followers of Democracy which is an ATL form of Communism. The DUE was increasingly radical during their early years but have in recent times begun to calm down and some reforms have been made by the government to promote small capitalist industries and new pan-nationalist identities across the DUE. The DUE has begun to face some economic problems as their economy is becoming increasingly inefficient and survives through sheer volume and control of several vital oil sources. The increasingly moderate government has been making further and further concessions to local industries and small scale independent businesses still affiliated with the government but not controlled by them which is beginning to have results but progress is slow.

Some states do hold out in Europe beyond the DUE's reach, many of which are former HRE colonies. The Republic of Flanders is a mercantile nation dominated by an oligarchy of ruling families that periodically change depending on wealth and influence. The houses are hereditary but their titles belong to the state and can be removed and given to another prominent house should they fail their duties and fall into poverty. There is a Kingdom of France but it is now merely a North Western rump state under a limited monarchy. France still retains one large colonial tail overseas that is beginning to wag the dog.

The Empire of Poland is the largest and most powerful non-democratic state in Europe. Poland was previously a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire but after successfully industrialising became a power unto itself in Eastern Europe. Their border with Russia however made it impossible for any significant expansion despite holding the Ukraine for a while in the 1700s before taking it back again in the 1800s and keeping it. Poland is an elective monarchy that thankfully was able to avoid the Liberum Veto of OTL and became a stable and successful institution. Like Flanders, Poland is ruled less by the king and more by the most powerful ruling families of the Empire. Poland has organised many of the other remaining nations of Eastern Europe into a cohesive alliance to oppose the DUE including the rump Holy Roman Empire in Northern Germany. Poland is a reactionary and aristocratic society in reaction to the DUE and their obvious proximity.

England never managed to unify the British Isles successfully but did absorb Wales completely and still rules Ireland with a light touch but Scotland remained elusive to English control. The English were late to colonialism but eventually began to build an empire in Southern Carolina and much of Africa. England never ruled the waves as OTL but did eventually manage to dominate global trade after the traditionally dominant economic powers were crippled by two world wars. England was the first nation to industrialise on a large scale. England has for a long time shared an alliance with Flanders and has even had personal union with Flanders prior to the overthrowing of the Monarchy in 1787. Scotland however is a fairly insignificant republic that has taken in recent decades a technocratic turn. Scotland has a few small colonies but has never been a significant player on the world stage and has largely worked to keep themselves free of English control.

Nordkarolina is a former Holy Roman colony that rebelled after the 1st World War as an independent republic. Nordkarolina is an oligarchic corporate dominated republic due to it being founded originally by Flanders prior to it being taken by the Holy Roman Empire. Nordkarolina abolished slavery in the 1930s but still continues to use a system of laws to keep their black population in their place. The Republic has recently begun to expand overseas in Africa and the Pacific as the European colonies collapsed which has drawn the attention of other colonial powers that are beginning to feel threatened. Nordkarolina is a somewhat decentralised state due to its founding by aristocratic plantation owners which whilst not feudal have led to a division of policy based on the individual rights of the Republic's component states. Nordkarolinan consuls are elected for life from amongst candidates elected from amongst the prominent families of the provinces. There are few national wide policies and the central government has little power over the nation with the exception of military and foreign policy (as well as governance of the colonies). Taxation levels as well as personal freedoms for citizens vary from province to province and there is no single national policy extending over every province. Recently the ruling families and corporations have begun to make an effort to strengthen the bonds of the nation and the power of the government (in context to their power) in order to make Nordkarolina a more powerful nation on the world stage.

Indosreick was a Holy Roman colony until the German Revolution. The emperor was unable to escape but a prominent general with a (self proclaimed) connection to the Imperial family was able to evacuate enough loyalists along with the still loyal navy to Indosreick to maintain control and eventually was assimilated ala Peshawar Lancers into a cohesive empire over some of the subcontinent. Indosreick is now a creole nation after several decades of cultural and generational integration between the European colonists and the local natives. It has many times attempted to conquer of dominate the many Indian states to the North but has ultimately failed to once again establish the control that the former Holy Roman Empire once had. On the other hand the former Crown Colony of the Philippines received further colonisation from refugees and was able to maintain control through divide and conquer and extending privilege to certain ethnic groups (the Eastern Hindus are surprisingly more acceptable than the Muslims). The Philippines is ruled by the Hapsburg family after a distant cousin of the Holy Roman Emperor was able to make it to a ship and flee to the colonies. The Philippines are a surprisingly well developed and a regional power in South East Asia.

The rise of several opposing power-blocs has raised tensions across the world further as ideologies rally together to oppose the ideology they consider a threat to their beliefs. The new blocs at first look to their own and develop them forcibly at times in order to make them viable tools and weapons to use in the coming conflicts. The results of these efforts vary in areas but as many previously docile or non-threatening nations become a viable threat the power-blocs are becoming increasingly reactionary.

The world is less advanced with technology at a 1970s level with weaponry at a 1980s level. In terms of social evolution the world is far more class based and authoritarian even in the DUE. The DUE has perfected national propaganda and indoctrination and each new generation has their techniques tested on them to greater and greater success. There is also greater tension across the world as more advanced nuclear weapons proliferate.
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QuantumBranching's avatar
Hi there, been looking at your gallery: good stuff - might it be that I inspired you a bit? :D