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“When the winds of change blow, some build walls and others build windmills”
After the end of the Great War, the world order created by its victors has shied away from such massive, global conflicts between nations. Instead, the various powers of Earth consolidated their own power blocs to pursue common interests. Communism and Integralism, a far-right, worker’s based ideology, sprung up and challenged what might have been a peaceful, democratic world in the aftermath of the World War. The USSR asserted its ability to exert its influence in the Pacific War, which saw Japan’s empire crippled. Brazil, a major Integralist power, has been slowly overtaking the stagnating as the leader of integralism, and Integralism has reared its face as Catholic movements in Europe struggle against modern liberalism. Most importantly of all, however, smaller nations that were once pinned down are resisting their masters to escape their oppressive spheres of influence. As ideologies and power blocs, only one thing is certain. The winds of change are blowing, and the empires of old will adapt or die.
Welcome to 1990: The Winds of Change, an alternate history RP made by myself with the help of many people on Cobalt Network. Not only does it work to tell a story of “what-ifs”but to tell the story of a unique world, similar to our own but different in many ways. In this RP, you’ll be playing the role of a nation and be tasked with managing internal and foreign affairs in the face of drastic global change. Much of the lore is pre-determined, but so long as it doesn’t contradict anything in the OP, has a POD in the 1860s, and is realistic, you’ll be fine. Keep in mind, however, that you are running a “real” nation, this isn’t Hoi4. The government’s actions must be realistic for the type of government, and keep in mind the state of the populace. They can, and will, revolt depending on how you run things. So long as you keep in mind the ideology of your government and your people, however, you should be fine.
There is no United Nations, League of Nations, etc., so there is no “organized”, legal way of sanctioning a nation. Don’t act like this gives you a free hand. You won’t be sanctioned for your government type, but if you act cruelly and do something and heinous as genociding your own people, you’re at major risk for sanction or invasion. If it isn’t in the name of human rights, it’ll be in the name of natural resources. Morality and imperial interests will always exist, so you shouldn’t be surprised when your oil-rich, genocidal dictatorship ends up with an Abrams parked in the backyard.
Rules
No drama in the OOC
Don’t be an ass. If you go too far and recognize this, I’ll let you off with a warning. Constant harassment, even after Co-Op mediation, is a ban.
No godmoding, no meta-gaming, etc. if you try to bend the rules or pull any gamey tricks, you’ll be warned and any related in-RP actions voided. Continued repetition is a ban.
The word of the OP and Co-Ops is law. You are encouraged to talk about it if you think we’re doing something wrong, but in the end, we call the shots.
The minimum post-length is 5 paragraphs, ideally longer. I won’t be too strict, but you generally shouldn’t have more than a month IRL between your posts. If you get sick/busy IRL, I’ll give you extra time as necessary.
I understand that not everyone can speak perfect English, but your posts need to be in readable English and use correct grammar. This is a suggestion above all, as I’m not a grammar nazi.
You’re running a nation, so act like it. You can’t just invade places as you please, and if you run your nation into the ground, the people will rise up. When making a decision, try to keep in mind “would the people of my nation support this?”
Be realistic, and account for irl political trends. You can’t just magically land divisions across the Pacific Ocean, and federalizing an ethnically diverse nation isn’t going to make regional nationalism disappear.
This RP isn’t just about war, so your posts shouldn’t fully revolve around it. Likewise, when you go to war, you should build it up to psychologically prepare your people for war. No OOC penalties for breaking this rule, but your population won’t like it.
Have fun, no, seriously. This RP should be fun for all involved, if it feels like a chore, you’re welcome to leave. It’s just an RP, you shouldn’t stress yourself over it or have it take priority over your real life.
If you aren’t sure about something, ask the co-ops or myself! We’re not gods or anything, we’re always here to help you with your plans, be it world domination or improving your roads.
History
The American elections of 1864 saw a pro-slavery Democrat, John C. Breckinridge, elected to the presidency with the smallest popular vote in American history. Many Republicans and other anti-slavery groups were infuriated by this, and this only added fuel to the fire of government resentment by Northerners. Many pro-slavery compromises had been agreed to by Northern politicians, who often let pro-slavery factions roll over them. It was revealed just after the elections that many of them were under the payroll of slave owners, and this lead to massive social upheaval. This resulted in the secession of the Northeastern states, and following orders to provide troops to fight them, the Great Lakes states.
The American Civil War would rage on for years, with the pro-slavery Unionists in the South and the anti-slavery Union of American States (UAS) in the North. The western front and border states were some of the bloodiest fronts of the war, with the frontline constantly shifting, and militias fighting in the streets. One of the most decisive factors in the war, however, was the British Empire. They were interested in staying on good terms with the USA, however, the Northern states exported significant amounts of grain to the UK and the British government feared potential shortages. Ultimately, the U.K. ended up simply taking advantage of the situation.
In exchange for military intervention, the various border treaties made by the U.K. and USA were deemed null and void, and the Empire occupied vast swathes of the Midwest. It was thought that the British were going to assist in preserving the Union, however, this was false. Though with heavy territorial losses, the UAS had their independence guaranteed by the British, and the two sides were forced into negotiations by 1870. The Treaty of Ottawa would see the USA reduced to the Southern USA, parts of the Midwest, and southern California. The UAS lost its access to the Ohio River, along with ceding most of its territorial claims to the British Empire and the USA, but had its independence recognized by America. In the West, where there was heavy fighting, North California and Utah were formed as buffer states.
The American Civil War ended with few “true” winners, with both sides losing large amounts of land, but it was one of the most influential events in North American history. The UAS would, after a decade of instability, become a stable, liberal democracy. Likewise, the newly formed Dominion of Canada would have follow in its footsteps. However, the USA would devolve into a mess of pseudo-democratic oligarchism. Not even the average white man could vote, and the growing number of poor whites would find themselves just as disadvantaged as their black counterparts. The Southern oligarchs would remain in charge for years to come, but their oppression couldn’t last forever.
As one war ended in the Americas, another started in Europe. North German chancellor Bismarck had baited the French Empire into declaring war, and the Prussians felt confident that they could easily destroy the French. However, this was far from the truth. Even with the assistance of the southern German states, the overconfident Germans were dealt a bitter loss by Napoleon III’s technologically superior army. Worse of all, Austria-Hungary had joined the war to consolidate its influence over Bavaria and to retake parts of Silesia. The war ended in 1872, and saw Luxembourg and the southern left bank of the Rhine transferred to the French while parts of Silesia were returned to Austria. Though France and Austria-Hungary and won in the short term, this would only doom them in the long run. The British would grow closer towards Germany and abandon any intention of allying France, while Austria was stuck in an uncomfortable position due to their relations with Russia.
The late 1870s saw the American population realize the mistake they had made by supporting the slave owners. The oligarchs quickly consolidated control of the country, and with the North gone, managed to use their unrivaled influence to turn what was left of the USA into a hell hole dominated by the rich. In response to this, an ideology known as Integralism appeared in the nation. It advocated for granting control of the economy over to the government, and by extension, the people, while also calling for the government to endorse nationalist policies. Most importantly, it was considered “egalitarian” for the time period, and wanted to see African-Americans freed and assimilated, even if they were to be “below” white men. All of these factors lead to a series of populist uprisings and eventually a military coup in 1885, installing an Integralist government in the USA and ending the rule of the planter oligarchs.
The Revolution of 1885 resulted in what was dubbed the Black Spring. The idea of Integralism spread across Latin America like wildfire, and soon all countries in the Americas had at least some major Integralist movement. The war resulted in the USA installing pro-Integralist regimes around the Caribbean Sea, fulfilling the dream of the “Golden Circle” by ensuring American political, economic, and ideological dominance in the region. Likewise, Pedro II brokered a deal with the pro-Integralist military, promising to give them full authority over the country and make the country a republic after his death. Due to his popularity, the Integralists did not want to kill him. Regardless, Brazil ended up invading several of their neighbors in the ensuing chaos, spreading Integralism across the continent. In the end, only Argentina and Chile remained democratic, though Chile was allied with Brazil for pragmatic reasons.
The 1890s saw Japan assert itself as a great power in the continent of Asia, and it looked across the Pacific for allies. The USA and Latin America were great bases for trade and Integralist ideology was friendly to them. As a result of this, the USA and Japan agreed to become allies, and soon set their eyes on spain. In 1899, the two sponsored major uprisings in the Philippines and Cuba, and following harsh Spanish repression, moved in to protect “oppressed natives”. After less than a year, the Spanish yielded, and Spain ceded their territory in the Pacific to Japan while giving their land in the Caribbean to America. The USA granted Cuba heavy autonomy, though ultimately refused full independence.
There was peace for many years, but the powers in Europe still conspired against one another. It a powder keg ready to be blown, and as should be expected, it blew up in the Balkans. Bitter disagreements and a failed attempt at federalization saw Hungary separate from Austria in 1910, and Austria worked with Russia in an attempt and squash the Hungarians. North Germany and Britain recognized the Hungarians and set out to defend their independence, leading Europe to war. It was Britain, North Germany, Italy, the Ottomans up against France, Austria, the southern German states, Russia, Romania, and Serbia, with Bulgaria taking this opportunity to attack Serbia. Belgium refused German offers to peacefully move through their nation, resulting in a brief military takeover approved by Britain.
The Great War ended in 1914, with the Anglo-German alliance prevailing. North Germany annexed its land back from France while annexing the southern German states, Austria, Czechia, and Slovenia. At long last, the German people had been united under one banner. France’s colonial empire was divided up between France and Germany, though they were allowed to keep their Saharan territories. Italy achieved almost all of their war goals, and their government soared in popularity. Bulgaria ended up annexing parts of neighboring Serbia, while Romania switched sides at the end of the war in exchange for Bukovina. Russia fell into a communist revolt, and while Poland, Finland, and the Baltics were freed, the White Army was expelled and the USSR was formed. The Ottomans couldn’t handle the pressure from Russia and Russo-French backed rebels, and were partitioned into spheres of influence with Italy gaining the Levant, Britain gaining Iraq, and the USSR, much to the reluctance of the other great powers, gaining Kurdistan.
While this was occurring however, the Integralists and the Japanese were plotting their own plans. The USA, in a show of force, coerced the Europeans into giving it full control of the Caribbean by threatening to declare war. This increased the ruling government’s popularity, but saw the USA isolated. Japan, however, was more aggressive. During this time period they attacked all of the European colonies in the East, taking over their concessions in China and conquering all of Southeast Asia. The 1921 Treaty of Darwin saw the weary Europeans de facto recognize the Japanese occupation, and Japan was granted vast swathes of resources.
The USSR, having made secret deals with various factions of the Chinese government opposed to Japan, declared war on the Japanese in 1940. China had a military coup resulting in pro-Japanese politicians being rounded up and executed, with the new government allowing the Red Army to freely enter China to expel the Japanese from their land. Korea just barely holds against the combined might of the Chinese and Soviet armies, and Japanese occupied land in China and Indochina is liberated. The USA supplied the Japanese with resources, supplies, and logistical assistance, but made it clear that they will stay out of the war.
By 1943, the European powers had realized that Japan’s time had come. Seeing the tide of war, the British, with extra support from Germany and especially the UAS, launched an attack from Australia and India to force Japan from Southeast Asia. On the UAS’s insistence, and to gain the support of nationalists in SEA, they made it clear that they will not retake control of any of their colonies there or return Indonesia to the Dutch. As a result of this invasion, Southeast Asia light up with nationalist revolts. By 1944, Japan had finally surrendered. In the 1947 Treaty of Tokyo, they retained most of their smaller Pacific islands, Sakhalin, most of the Kuril Islands, and Taiwan, while Korea and the Philippines became autonomous satellite states as the Japanese try to combat local nationalism. Their territory in China was lost completely, and Japanese citizens were forcibly expelled, and likewise happened in the rest of their former empire. China solidified itself as a democracy with two coalitions, left wing and right, vying for control of the government, with the left wing winning the first elections.
1947 saw the Treaty of Jakarta being signed. New Guinea, Molucca, and Lesser Sunda became Australian mandates until independence in the 50s, laying the foundations for Australian influence in the region. The Republic of Indonesia, despite many politicians claiming the entirety of the former Dutch East Indies, normalized relations with its neighbors. 1950 saw the British and German monarchs release the symbolic “Heligoland Proclamation”, in which they promised to gradually grant their colonies in Africa independence. Through a slow process involving plenty of compromise, most of Africa had been peacefully transitioned into functioning nations by the 70s.
1950 saw the first atomic bomb be dropped on an isolated part of German Africa, confirming that nuclear weapons could be used in warfare. The German were the first to make nuclear technology, but they were by no means the last. The sheer size and radioactivity of the bomb scared large chunks of the world, and Germany, the UK, France, Brazil, China, the USSR, the USA, and Italy agreed to limit their usage to 50 nukes each. India would later start a nuclear program following its independence, but only keep 10 around.
After its first elections in 1954, the Dominion of India was granted independence, with Burma becoming a separate country but no Muslim state being created. The Integralists won the election, but scrapped the democratic, parliamentary system originally set up in favor of a secular dictatorship. This caused outrage in the country, with several Islamic and Hindu groups rebelling. After several years of fighting, they were brutally crushed, and the government would use this rebellion to tighten control over their citizens’ lives. Despite their integralist leaning, they would remain relatively neutral in foreign affairs, preferring to consolidate their own territory and control the lives of their citizens tightly.
The 1960 Treaty of Algiers resulted in the formation of the French Union, a multinational confederation of France and the Francophone African states lasting to this day. It is not quite a country, but shares a common foreign policy, currency, and a unified military while each member state has heavy autonomy. The prime minister is only elected by French citizens but is the head of state of the entire French Union. Though there is considerable discontent, the French government manages to keep most of the African apathetic by supporting infrastructure projects in the region.
Following disagreements with the British government, Rhodesia declared independence under white minority in 1960 with the support of South Africa and most Integralist governments, though the U.K. does not recognize it.
1967 saw Portugal, under an Integralist government supported by Brazil, incorporate their African territories as overseas provinces and state it will not decolonize in Africa. Brazil had integrated Portugal and its colonies in the “Lusitanian Union”, with the goal of reviving the Portuguese Empire of old under Brazilian dominance.
Frustration in Romania and Bulgaria over gross government incompetence, wealth inequality, and in Romania’s case, territorial disputes, led to successful communist uprisings in the early 70s. Though Greece and Serbia had occupied some of Bulgaria’s land, and Germany was ready to intervene, Soviet intervention saved the two countries. The two People’s Republics joined the Comintern, and the USSR proved that it would not limit its meddling to Asia.
Following several years of stagnation and internal division between Integralists, a military coup in 1979 placed the USA under a new ruling party. The “New Integralists” as they call themselves work towards lessening government control over the economy and the people, while still asserting the USA as a bastion of Integralism that will not give up its roots. Cuba and FACS became independence under friendly Integralist governments, and the continental “Golden Circle” nations are given more leeway with their foreign and internal policy, slowing drifting towards Brazil’s sphere of influence.
Due to frustration with the Integralist government and fear of being absorbed by Brazil, a military coup in 1985 against the integralist Portuguese government established a socialist government. Following a failed attempt to reinstall the original government, Brazil and the USA embargoed Portugal. Portugal’s economy was instantly shattered, and its various African territories became closely integrated Brazilian puppets.
