Flag of the Neo-Hanseatic Republic of Welserland

This is the flag of the Neo-Hanseatic Republic of Welserland. It comes from a world where German settlers established a colony on the northern coast of Venezuela. The initial agreement was that the German settlers would help settle the interior of Venezuela, and produce goods and resources. Settlement would, in theory, be administered by all the kingdoms of Germany. It was hoped that the colony would help give rise to a new Hanseatic League. Unfortunately, this did not come to pass. However, people from all different parts of Germany began to flood into the colony. This gave the colony a very eclectic flavor. It was named Welserland as a reference to Klein-Venedig, the previous attempt by Germany to colonize Venezuela.

The interior mountains have a temperate climate, and allow for the production of crops such as crops such as peaches, strawberries, cabbage, carrots, beets, cauliflower, and lettuce. In fact, the interior mountains wouldn’t be out of place in Bavaria. The coastal regions have a more tropical climate, and allow for the production of crops such as bananas, mangos, oranges, and coffee. Coffee production formed the backbone of Welserland’s economy during its early days. On paper, Welserland was considered part of Venezuela, and merely leased to the kingdoms of Germany. As time went on, however, the Germans exerted greater control over Welserland. Venezuela made various attempts to get Germany to back down, but these never amounted to much. This came to a head following the unification of Germany in 1871. Germany formally purchased Welserland from Venezuela to establish a foothold in the Caribbean and South America.

Welserland enjoyed several decades as a province of the German Empire. Then the First World War broke out. Welserland found itself in the crosshairs of Britain and France’s Caribbean colonies. As the war dragged on, and the odds of a German victory diminished, many in Welserland began to worry about their future. It was decided that independence would be the best course of action. Welserland officially declare independence from Germany in 1917. Welserland added the titled Neo-Hanseatic to its name in reference to its roots as an attempt to revive the Hanseatic League. Welserland survived by playing Britain and France off of each other. It also courted a powerful new ally in the form of the United States. The United States helped ensure that Venezuela didn’t attempt to re-annex Welserland.

Against all odds, Welserland has managed to survive to the present day. It has become a popular destination for German tourists, but they are far from the microstate’s only visitors. Tourists from around the world come to visit the little slice of Germany on the coast of South America. Tourism makes up a big part of Welserland’s economy, and it is also home to many casinos and resorts. It is generally agreed that, of all the nations in the Western Hemisphere, Welserland makes the best beer. In fact, several Welserland breweries have won major awards for their beers. In the past, money laundering, offshore banking, and the illegal drugs trade also formed major contributions to Welserland’s economy. However, they have put all of that behind them…for the most part.

The flag includes the traditional German colors of black, red, and gold. A Lutheran Rose Seal sits in the middle of a St. Andrew’s Cross. Lutherans are the largest religious group in Welserland, but Catholics form a sizable minority. Welserland also has decent-sized communities of Orthodox Christians and Jews.

The flag has caused some controversy with American tourists, due to its superficial similarity to the Confederate Battle Flag. Welserlanders find this rather annoying. They are frequently quick to remind Americans that Welserland sent non-combative volunteer regiments to help fight against Nazi Germany during World War II. Welserland also welcomed Jewish refugees with open-arms during World War II. In fact, most of Welserland’s Jewish community is descended from these refugees.

Some Catholic and secular-minded Welserlanders dislike the inclusion of the Lutheran seal on the flag, and have been known to cut it out. Of course, this also leads to the flag looking even more like the Confederate Battle Flag, so many support keeping it, if only so the American tourists will shut up.

The Kaiser's Assassin: A Twilight Histories Map

I've got another classic map for you.  It's another Twilight Histories map based on the episode The Kaiser's Assassin.  So without furthur ado, let's get on with it.

Germany won World War I, or the Imperial War as it is known in this world. The war lasted from 1914-1915 just as many had hoped it would in our world. After the war Germany allowed the conquered nations to keep their own autonomous governments. In practice, however, these were mostly puppet governments with the real power residing with the Kaiser. Berlin and London are the financial and cultural hearts of the world. The many scientists, artists, musicians and architects who would have died in World War I have transformed German cities. Berlin has numerous Neo-Gothic and Romantic skyscrapers that are taller than those in New York.

All of Russia west of the Urals came under German occupation, but everything east remained nominally independent. The Czar still rules the puppet government of German occupied Russia. Free Russia, or the Republic of Siberia as some call it, briefly dabbled in communism, but a few failed crops later and the revolutionary government was replaced by a democracy.

The German Empire's runaway success took everyone by surprise, but especially the United States. Many Americans had hoped their nation would establish colonies to compete with the other Imperial powers. Germany's post-war success motivated the desire the spread a little bit of America throughout the world. Eventually, war was declared on Mexico, albeit on some very suspect reasons. The United States also invaded several nations in the Caribbean and Central America, but in those cases claimed they did so out of a desire to protect those nations from Britain and Germany.

The Austria-Hungary has successfully become more federated and is now known as the United States of Austria and Hungry. Austria-Hungry bought Italy's former colonies from Germany following the war. The colonies were supposed to be a stepping stone towards a greater overseas empire, but managing colonies turned out to be more difficult than Austria-Hungry had originally considered.

The Ottomans have also reformed themselves and have spent the last couple decades reversing their sick man status. The empire has embraced its multicultural nature thanks to the calls for reform and is far more diverse than in our world. As a result the empire protects the rights of all minorities within its borders.

China has once again become an empire under the Zhang Dynasty following a coup against the republican government by opportunistic politicians. The resorted Chinese Empire has also spent the last few decades reversing its decline and has quickly become something of a regional power.

Japan is also a rising power. Following the war Germany sold them Indochina and several islands of Indonesia. They have further expanded their empire by invading Thailand. Japan has recently been inching closer to war with the United States over disputed claims to Borneo and the Philippines. Foreign policy experts concur America could reasonably form an alliance with China, while Japan might be able to convince Germany or Britain to come to their aid. Either a cold war is forming or else this may become another flash point for a future war.

Although Britain stayed out of the Imperial War, several French resistance/terrorist groups were funded by members of the British government hoping to regain the economic benefits of an independent France. Ironically, when the Kaiser was killed at the Imperial Musical Gala it was by members of his own government eager for a war with Britain. The two nations went to war, but fortunately it didn't last any longer than the Imperial War had. There were still loses and those killed in the Anglo-Germanic War included JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and Ernest Hemingway.

Culturally, the world is somewhat more conservative than our world. Without the horrors of the First World War the Romantic era never really ended in Europe. Jazz is very popular in America, but has only recently found an audience across the Atlantic. Jews are still viewed rather unfavorably and face discrimination, but nowhere near what they would have under the Nazis.

Speaking of which, Hitler is currently working at a coat hanger factory after having flunked out of art school. Meanwhile, Joseph Jugashvili is a priest of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Anime Review: Hetalia

So today I'm going to be reviewing the anime Hetalia. The series began its life as a popular webcomic by Hidekaz Himaruya, but it didn't take long for it to receive an anime adaptation. The series is a lighthearted and humorous retelling of various world history events with the nations of the world anthropomorphized as humans. Originally the focus of the series was on the Axis Powers and their on-going struggle against the Allies. Hetalia has since moved beyond World War II and has focused on other historical events and nations.

Some of you probably think that this sounds kind of similar to Polandball. I suppose that's more or less true, but there's a couple of things you ought to keep in mind. First of all, Hetalia did come first, but it's hardly the first series to feature anthropomorphic nations. Second, and far more importantly, do not under any circumstance compare the two to each other. While there are fans of both Hetalia and Polandball, for the most part the fandoms tend not to play well together. All I'm saying is tread carefully when discussing Hetalia and Polandball in the same forum thread.

Now then, let's talk about the series itself. There really isn't any overarching plotline to speak of. Certain historical periods do tend to get more episodes than others, but overall the series is just as episodic as the webcomic that inspired it. Each episode clocks in at about five minutes if you count the intro and credits. So if you're short on time, or have a short attention span, then Hetalia should suit you quite well.

The characterization of the various nations are, in large part, based upon Japanese stereotypes of those nations. As a result we have Italy, rather than France, as the one who's cowardly and quick to surrender. It's all meant in good natured fun and isn't meant to be offensive or taken too seriously. Even Japan gets in on the fun, being portrayed as a shut-in who takes way too many pictures while on vacation. In fact most viewers tend to find the depiction of their home nations absolutely hilarious.

Hetalia may be a comedy series, but it does know how to be serious when the occasion calls for it. The most notable example of this episode that involves the American Revolution. Rather than a glorious struggle for independence it is portrayed as a tragic parting of ways between America and England. It packs even more of an impact when we see how England was like a big brother to America during America's younger days. Admittedly, the American Revolution episode was hyped to hell and back, which killed a bit of its impact. That being said, it still is easily one of the most powerful episodes of the whole series.

In general, though, Hetalia keeps things on the lighter side and tends to stay away from topics that are too serious or controversial. Himaruya has stated that this is why Mexico has yet to have an on-screen appearance. Curiously though, Cuba, who arguably would be more controversial, has appeared on a couple of occasions. Germany does feature prominently in the World War II segments, but he's never depicted as subscribing to Nazism and he isn't exactly fond of his boss Hitler.

The historical and cultural references are very well researched. Don't worry about missing out on any of the jokes or references. The anime has several text pop-ups that explain things in great detail, and the webcomic has little notes that also provide explanations. In fact, Hetalia's one of the best researched anime with regards to European History and history in general. If you're not careful you might just learn something new.

The gender balance of characters is skewed towards the male side. Himaruya admits that this is largely because he had trouble drawing female characters when he first started the webcomic. You might think this would hurt Hetalia's popularity with the female demographic, but you'd be quite wrong. As a matter of fact women make up the majority of Hetalia fans, and there's also a strong LGBT fan base.

Hetalia has proven to be the inspiration for a few other series over the years. The most prominent being the webcomic Scandinavia and the World. It's pretty similar to Hetalia, but the cast is more gender balanced and the stereotypes are ones Scandinavians hold. You can find Scandinavia and the World on Deviantart and it is worth checking out.

In other inspirations we have the webcomic Planetary Moe. It's basically Hetalia but with celestial bodies rather than nations. In fact, some of the character designs are similar to Hetalia designs. I've only recently found out about this one so I can't say much. I can say, from what little I've seen, it looks like a pretty good webcomic. It can also be found on Deviantart.

I thought that the English dub was quite excellent as well. I can't imagine anyone other than Todd Haberkorn as Italy or Eric Vale as America and Canada. Though Vic Mignogna, who was eventually cast as Greece, gave some very admirable auditions for Italy and America. J. Michael Tatum gave such a good performance as France that I almost didn't realize that it was him.

Seasons one and two of Hetalia are known as Hetalia: Axis Powers. Seasons three and four are called Hetalia: World Series. Season five is known as Hetalia: The Beautiful World, while season six has yet to be released stateside. There's also been a movie released called Hetalia: Paint it White. Several of the webcomics have been collected in manga format and are available for purchase.

Well there you have it. Hetalia: it's funny, it's educational and it's a whole lot of fun. It's a series that I enjoy quite a bit and I'm sure you will to. Well that does it for now. I've got a very special edition of The Audio File for next time, so that's something to look forward to. I will see you guys next time.

Red, White and Blue, But Mostly Red

A new maps I've created, because hey, it's been more than long enough. Among other things in this world:


The American Labor movement got strangled in its cradle. There were many reasons for this, but one of the biggest reasons was the assassination of Theodore Roosevelt shortly fairly early into his presidency. As a result progressive reforms never came about and class tents ion continued to strain. Things finally came to a head follow the 1929 stock market crash. Communist and socialist movements had been growing for years, and revolution soon engulfed the nation like wild fire. Eventually, the capitalist government was overthrown and the United States of America ceased to exist. From the ashes rose a new nation: the United American Workers Republic. The first few years of the new nation's existence with a tumultuous and trying time, but eventually law and order were reestablished. Reforms were put into places to make the lives of workers fairer and equality was guaranteed regardless of race, gender or (in time) sexuality.

In Russia, Czar Alexander II survived his assassination attempt and managed to bring democratic reforms to Russia. Czar Alexander also increased Russia's ties with its fellow Orthodox nation Ethiopia, and in time the royal families would go on to intermarry and unite the two nations. Thanks to Alexander's reforms Russia was set on a path toward becoming a great nation and never fell to communism.

America's fall to communism shocked more than a few nations in Europe, but all the same, they were more than happy to receive American support when World War II broke out. Following the war the world became dominated by three great powers: the United American Workers Republic, the Russian Empire and the Franco-British Union. Following the end of the war the British and French combined their empires and governments to form an stronger nation than they could be individually. America was the first nation to develop atomic bombs, but it wasn't long before Russia and the Franco-British developed their own bombs as well.

During the war America allowed millions of European Jews to temporarily settle in Alaska. As a result only two million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. What to do now is a bit of a hotly debated topic. Resettlement in Franco-British Palestine and Trans-Jordan has been suggested by some, but it isn't considered a serious option. More feasible options include accepting the settlements as their own state, incorporating the settlements into Alaska or turning the settlements into something akin to Native Reservations.

The United American Workers Republic had maintained good relationships with its Latin American and Caribbean neighbors since its founding. Said good relations also include funding more than a few socialist and communist movements. The nations of Latin America have seen quite a bit of prosperity, are all rather fond of their Tio Samuel and are among America's closest allies. Iran is also a close ally of America due to America's support of the 1954 Revolution. Thanks to the success of the revolution Iran is a successful secular social democracy that never fell to Islamic fundamentalism. Turkey has traditionally been Russia's ally, but lately it has been warming up to America. This is partially due to how, even though they claimed they'd give it back, Russia has been occupying Istanbul, or rather Constantinople, since the end of the war.

Following the war America reformed Japan along socialist lines. The imperial family abdicated the throne, and the Workers Republic of Japan was born. The Korean peninsula was divided America and Russia; America helped set up socialist government in the south, while Russia established a constitutional monarchy in the north. Russia also established a constitutional monarchy in Manchuria, and America established a socialist government on the island of Taiwan. Mainland China, despite Russia's best efforts, ultimately decided to become a representative democracy; though the two nations remain close allies.

Things also changed in Europe after the war. Germany and Italy were divided with the hopes of preventing another war, new nations were born and existing nations had their boarders redrawn. Russia, with the hope of preventing another world war, established an economic union of European nations. The founding members included Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and East Germany. Over the years Greece, Austria, South Italy, the Nordic Nations and even Turkey joined the Union of European Nations. The Franco-British established their own union, know as the Western European Alliance, to counter the UEN. The Alliance includes Spain, Portugal, North Italy, the Benelux nations and of course the Franco-British.

All three of the major powers have space programs and have gotten involved in a space race. America dominated the first half of the race launching the first satellite, animal, man, woman, person of color and eventually landing on the Moon. The second half, featuring atomic powered crafts constructed in orbit, was a bit more evenly matched. America still made it to Mars first, but it wasn't quite the landslide victory the Moon Race was. The next step is a mission to the Jovian Moons, with Europa being a prime candidate. However, finding a way to deal with Jupiter's radiation belts is proving a bit of an issue, but many are still convinced that solutions will be found.


Tensions between the three great powers are beginning to ease as of lately. America and Russia have historically been fairly liberal, and the Franco-British have started to loosen up as well. Speaking of the Franco-British, their empire is increasingly becoming more of a federation and citizens of all races are enjoying greater rights. Granted this is mostly as a means of preventing socialist uprisings, but everyone agrees it's a step in the right direction. America and its allies are frequently stereotyped as being communist, but in reality their a lot closer to democratic socialists. Korea has been peacefully reunited as a representative democracy. Germany and Italy remain divided, their halves beginning to develop destructive identities; however, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.

The three great powers still have something of a competition, but they've become frenemies rather than outright rivals. Even at their worst the competition was never really that bad. On the whole this world isn't exactly better or worse than ours, though it is rather different