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.

Roma Islamica: A Twilight Histories Map

At long last a classic map has made it's way to the blog.  This was the first map I ever map that was inspired by The Twilight Histories.  This one was based on the episode Roma Islamica.  I got a lot of help from the episode's companion book.  And the rest, as they say, is alternate history.  Well, let's get on with it, shall we?

The Byzantine Empire fell in the 8th century rather than the 15th century. Without a powerful Christian buffer state to oppose it, Islam quickly spread throughout Eastern Europe. Constantinople became both the capital of the Umayyads and a major pilgrimage site that rivaled even Mecca and Medina.

The Abbasids, feeling the Umayyads had grown too decadent and forgetful of the teachings of Islam (and angered over how much money Mecca and Medina were losing to Constantinople) would go on to overthrow the Umayyads as they did in our world.

The Frankish emperor Charlemagne converted to Islam, both due to having several Muslim tutors in his youth and seeing that Islam would most likely become the next major religion. Charlemagne went on to declare Jihad against the Umayyads and anyone he perceived to be an enemy of Islam. After helping establish Abbasid power in the Middle East he went on to conquer the Italian Peninsula.

The Abbasids, realizing they'd inadvertently created a monster, had Charlemagne poisoned. The noble families of Rome, lacking a clear leader, established something similar to the senate of their ancestors. This led to the establishment of an Islamic Roman Empire stretching from the Pillars of Hercules to the River Ganges. Several Romans unwilling to convert to Islam, including the Pope, and several Umayyads, fled to Ireland. The Umayyads converted to Christianity and became the new ruling class of the island nation.

The Mongol Empire managed to last considerably longer than in our world due to the greater emphasis on central government. Although Tengrism is still the dominate religion, Buddhism is winning more coverts by the day. Missionaries from Ireland have ensured that Christians are also a small but growing presence in the empire.

The Mongols were able to successfully conquer Japan. Several Japanese fled prior to the invasion in hopes of establish a new Japanese homeland free of Mongol rule. They arrived in Mexico and quickly conquered several native peoples and establish a new empire combining Japanese and native culture and traditions.

Northern Europe (the parts not under Roman rule) is still pagan. The no alcohol aspect of Islam is somewhat hard to sell. This has prompted many Imans within the empire to reinterpret the rule that "no Muslim shall drink alcohol" to be "no Muslim shall drink alcohol to excess" to encourage the conversion of those territories. This has created considerable controversy within the empire.

Russia was established by Viking princes as in our world, and has served as a (somewhat redundant) buffer state between the Romans and Mongols after many years of passing back and forth between the two empires.

Britain has been balkanized (the in-universe term is "anglicized") between Rome, Ireland, Scotland and the Danish. The Midlands is more of less neutral territory and is the site of much cultural blending. Scotland is a mixture of Christians and pagans due to the work of Irish missionaries.

Several nations have experienced Industrial Revolutions including Rome, the Mongols, Mali and India. Srivijaya and Ireland are currently in the process of industrializing. Mali has remained strong and continues to expand. Though Rome initially wanted to conquer Mali they are now more than happy to have a fellow Islamic empire as an ally.

Srivijaya has become a major power in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. Their empire has expanded and their trading fleets are found in ports in all corners of the world. The fact that they are primarily Hindu and Buddhist has caused some issues when trading with Rome and has lead to their alliance with Hindu India. They are also the primary trading partner (besides Japan-in-exile) with the Inca Empire.

Several powers are beginning to colonize the New World. The Vikings are expanding there colonies along the northeast coast of what would be North America. The Irish established a colony just in case Rome ever conquers them and to spread Christianity to the natives. They originally intended to settle around Massachusetts, but after discovering the Vikings were already there moved to Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay. Rome has also established a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi with its capital at New Alexandria (roughly where New Orleans in OTL). 

Cleopatra Caesar: A Twilight Histories Map

A new map of mine based on The Twilight Histories episode Cleopatra Caesar. Among other things in this world:


Julius Caesar was not assassinated. Caesar went on to establish an empire stretching from the British Isles to India, and in time he would be known as Caesar the Great. Caesar married Cleopatra and they had a son named Ptolemy; Caesar lived to a ripe old age and died a very happy man. However, the good times were not to last. A group of senators, lead by Marcus Brutus, assassinated Ptolemy and all of the senators from the eastern provinces. Not long after this a slave rebellion broke out, lead by a slave named Draco the Greek, and soon Brutus was assassinated.

Cleopatra was able to escape to Alexandria along with a group of loyal servants. With Rome occupied with the salve rebellions, Cleopatra set out to reform Egyptian society along Roman lines. Eventually, Rome was able to quell the salve uprisings, but also enacted reforms to prevent future uprisings and paved the way towards greater rights for slaves. Rome, somewhat begrudgingly, granted Egypt its independence due to the overtaxing of the empire's troops and money on the slave uprisings. Before long Egypt began to expand south in search of gold and other resources. Rome had begun work on a canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red seas, but it would be Egypt that would finish the canal.

China never experienced the An Shi Rebellion and remained the primary power in Eastern Asia. Rome has maintained trade relations with China since the days of Caesar, and Egypt has also established trade relations with China. China was the first nation to experience an industrial revolution, but other nations, such as Rome and Egypt, were soon to follow. Despite China's dominance Japan managed to establish itself as a regional power, and has carved out a small empire of its own.

Roman expeditions across the Atlantic lead to the discovery of the New World, or Terra Nova as it was soon known. Before long several nations were scrambling to establish colonies on new continents. The Mande Empire established a series of colonies in Brazil, but it wasn't long before Rome took control of the colonies. Meanwhile, Egypt and Japan competed with each other for control of Australia. Australia had first been discovered by Srivijayan fishing boats, but it had gone largely ignored until this golden age of exploration.

Egypt and Japan also competed with each other in South America. Eventually, it was decided that Japan would have Australia while Egypt would take the southern half of the Incan Empire. Despite the loss of nearly half their empire the Inca managed to maintain their sovereignty.

Rome's colony in Brazil was a unique blend of Roman, Mande, Egyptian, Japanese and native culture. This unique heritage lead the colony, known as Tupia, to develop as sense of identity as something other than a province of Rome. After a few centuries Tupia declared its independence from Rome. Around the same time the Roman province of Mexica, also very much the product of unique ethnic blending, declared its independence as well. After a lengthy war both colonies were granted their independence. Rome's primary North American colony, Occidenta, remain loyal to the empire despite the Tupia and Mexica uprisings.

Mexica established a constitutional monarchy much like Rome and many other nations, but Tupia defended itself as a republic like in the early days of Rome. The Mayans had been able to resist colonization for the most part, and the Mexica quickly formed a defensive alliance with them. Meanwhile, Tupia established good relations with the Incan Empire.

Traditional polytheistic religions are still very much alive and well, but there have been several popular cults over the years such as Mithras, Isis, the three daughters of Allah, but by far the most popular have been Buddhism and Christianity. However, it should be noted that Christianity has had significant Hindu and Buddhist influences to the point of looking almost unrecognizable. For example, Jesus is believed to be an avatar of Vishnu and his teaching emphasized breaking free of the cycle of reincarnation. Due to Christianity and Buddhism emphasizing compassion for all living things vegetarianism is more widespread than in our world.

Despite not having large empires, several nations have become economic and trading tigers in recent years. Such nations include Siam, Mande, Kongo, Lunda and Srivijaya. Japan has also been doing quite well, and is currently in negotiations to possibly purchase some of China's possessions.

Things in general have been looking up for this world. Over the years Rome, Egypt and Mexica have become republics. Rome, Egypt, Tupia and China have all launched missions to orbit; Rome has event sent missions to the Moon. Even nations that are monarchies generally have some from of representative government. Old tensions are dying down and a spirit of international cooperation is spreading throughout the world.  

Hannibal One: Twilight Histories Maps

I've got new maps for my readers based on the Twilight Histories episode Hannibal One.  I've got two maps, one of Earth and one of Mars.  So, among other things in this world:

Carthage, under the leadership of the general Hannibal, won the Punic Wars and thoroughly obliterated Rome.  Carthage would go on the expand and create and empire spanning all the continents of the world.  Several great cities, libraries and centers of learning were established throughout the Carthaginian Empire.  The canal was established in Egypt to allow for easier trade with the east.  

Gwanggaeto the Great managed to survive longer than he did in our world.  Eventually, Gwanggaeto was able to take advantage of political turmoil in China to cease the Mandate of Heaven and establish a massive Korean Empire.  The Korean Empire would go on to become Carthage's primary rival for world domination.  

As Carthage and Korea began to expand their empires they frequently got involved in boarder skirmishes, and territories often passed back and forth between the two empires.  In particular, this occurred in India on more than a few occasions.  However, the frequent invasions did wonders for Indian unity as now Indians throughout the subcontinent had a clear goal: keep Carthage and Korea out.  In time India established its own empire that, while not as vast as Carthage or Korea, could still give the empires a run for their money.  

With Carthage occupied elsewhere, the Lithuanians were able to able to expand throughout Eastern Europe and establish and small empire of their own.  Lithuania fell increasingly within Carthage's sphere of influence as the years went on, but ultimately remained independent.  The two empires remain on good terms with each other, and their citizens have been known to get into friendly rivalries over whether Baal or Perkunus would win in a fight.  

Carthage and Korea discovered new lands, such as Australia and the Americas, as they continued to expand.  However, they weren't alone in their exploration.  The Norse also sent expeditions to North America and established settlements; all the while forging alliances with multiple tribes of natives.  Eventually, the Norse settlements and tribal alliances grew into the nation of Skraland.  The Norse we able to establish good terms with Carthage and Korea, but still had to frequently deal with both empires nibbling around the edges of Skraland.  

The Mayans formed an alliance to resist colonization as Carthage expanded into Central America.  Like India before them, this unity allowed for the establishment of a Mayan Empire.  India has also historically been a supporter of the Mayans against Carthage and Korea.  The natives of the Great Plains also faced the prospect of colonization, but they managed to avoid this mostly due to Carthage and Korea being occupied elsewhere.  Unlike the Maya, however, they failed to adapt to the reality of the new socio-political landscape.  As a result, combined with their lack of natural resources, the Confederation of the Plains has the highest poverty and unemployment rate of any nation on Earth.  

The Incan Empire managed to survive by playing Carthage and Korea off of each other.  They've allied with India and the Maya.  The Inca have managed to take quite a bite out of South America, the bits Carthage didn't claim anyway.  Meanwhile, the Creek Confederation decided the best survival strategy was an alliance with Carthage.  They're well within the Carthaginian sphere of influence, but remain independent, if somewhat in name only.  

The Zulu were able to establish an empire in Southern Africa at a time when Carthage was dealing with the effects of accidental hyperinflation resulting from their gold and silver mines in the New World.  With Carthage's relentless expiation temporarily paused, the Zulu were able to use their vast mineral wealth to fund their new nations and their diplomas courted good relations with other nations.  The Kingdom of Lunda also experienced a period of growth and expansion around this time.    

Carthage, Korea and India produced several inventions and advances in technology over the centuries.  Before long all three nations experienced industrial revolutions, and it wasn't long before several other nations industrialized as well.  Within a matter of decades air travel was achieved, and before long the first manned missions to space were launched.  Carthage was the first to launch a human into space, but Korea was first to land on the Moon.  

Korea's victory in the Moon Race prompted Carthage to achieve their next goal.  They vowed not only to send a manned mission to Mars, but a one-way mission of colonization.  Carthage achieved this goal with its mission Hannibal One; launched on the 1000th anniversary of Hannibal's sacking of Rome.  The success of the Hannibal One mission prompted Korea to speed the production of their own Mars mission known as Gwanggaeto One. 

 Both missions suffered numerous set backs.  The crew of Hannibal One experienced bouts of religious fanaticism to the point of performing multiple human sacrifices.  Meanwhile, the crew of Gwanggaeto One suffered multiple technological failures and were forced to throw one of their one out of the airlock after the life support systems received critical damage.  Despite the hardships, both missions were ultimately successful in no small part due to international cooperation.  The crew of Hannibal One provided critical  replacement equipment, while the crew of Gwanggaeto One provided human companionship in the harsh and isolated environment.  

Over the years several more missions were sent to Mars; including ones funded by third party nations.  Numerous discoveries were made, but perhaps the biggest the the discovery of native Martian microbial life.  This provided a major moral quandary due to the discovery occurring in the middle of terraforming negotiations.  Ultimately, it was decided that terraforming would be delayed, but only by fifty years.  Currently, terraforming efforts have raised temperatures and atmospheric pressure to Earth levels.  

The immense distances between Earth and Mars have created challenges for the administration of the colonies.  Recently, a Carthaginian colony declared its independence with little resistance.  Other off-world colonies have also begun to consider self-governance, and this has prompted a revaluation of the administration of the colonies.  In any event, the Martian colonies have always been friendlier with each other than their mother countries ever were with one another.  

Having said that, there's still been quite a bit of increased international cooperation recently.  Old tensions are dying down and the world in general is becoming a more peaceful place.  Attendance at the temples of the gods is slipping, and secularism is on the rise, but there is still religion.  Missions have been sent to the other worlds of the Solar System, and there is now talk of a possible mission to Proxima Centauri.  Geneticists have been able to revive long dead Ice Age animals, but it's still a matter of debate whether Neanderthals should be revived.  Recently, advances have been made in the field of AI technology to the point that a scientist is currently on trial for the attempted murder (read: deletion) of an AI.  

It's a crazy and different world, but they're working out the kinks.  Hey, they made it this far and the future is looking pretty bright for everyone.  

Cato's War: A Twilight Histories Map

Well, I promised you that I'd post one of my Twilight Histories maps and here it is.  With these maps I take what is said in the show and expand on it to try to flesh out the worlds and their histories.  This maps was based on the episode Cato's War and is set in 1962:

The South won the American Civil War. There were numerous factor that caused this. Among them included the deaths of Union generals Grant and Sherman early into the war, and the survival of Confederate generals Albert Sydney Johnson and Stonewall Jackson. The Confederates saw victory at the battles of Shiloh, Antietam and Gettysburg. These victories allowed the Confederacy to receive support from Britain and France. Eventually, the fighting came all the way to Washington DC. While standing on a rampart and observing a battle, Abraham Lincoln was shot by a stray bullet and died of his injures a few hours latter. Andrew Johnson was also injured, but not quite as badly; he died of his injuries a few months later. Johnson's successor proved to be less than competent at handling the war effort and was defeated in a landslide in election of 1864.

By 1865 the Union's will to continue the war had dried up, and the Confederacy officially received its independence. As part of the peace treaty Kentucky and Indian Territory were ceded to the Confederacy. The Confederate sympathizers within Kentucky had tightened their grip on the state government early on. Though Kentucky saw more battle than in our world, it also served as a buffer for the rest of the Confederacy. Though the Confederacy promised Native Americans a place in the new government, even granting them their own state of Sequoyah, they would violate these treaties increasingly over the years. Native Americans were frequently forced off of their land to make way for white settlers.

The early years of independence would come to define the Confederacy. The Confederacy was far from united, and many of its citizens had been opposed to the War of Succession. Rebellions are uprisings were frequent, but most were quickly put down, and this served to strengthen the power of the federal government. As the years went on, however, the Confederate government had to take increasingly authoritarian measures to maintain order. Eventually, the Confederacy devolved into little more than a tin pot dictatorship. Industrialization occurred, but at a snails pace and the Confederacy remained primarily an agrarian nation. An anti-slavery movements were quickly put down, and after considerable debate, it was decided that Native Americans counted as blacks and thus could be enslaved.

In the United States, the Republicans continued to unsuccessfully field candidates against the Democrats. Over the next few decades the Democrats ran almost completely unopposed. However, that changed when Theodore Roosevelt and a group of splinter Republicans formed the Bull Moose Party. Around the same time the Labor Movement, along with more left leaning Republicans, formed the Labor Party. In contrast to the Democrats right-wing nature the Bull Moose Party took a centrist stance, while the Labor Party stood as the primary left-wing party. The formation of the Bull Moose and Labour parties officially signaled the end of the Republican Party.

The United States lead an expiation to open Japan to the world. Over the years the two nations grew very close to each other. During the Spanish-American War the Japanese provided support for the United States. After the war Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the United States; while the Philippines was ceded to Japan. Eventually, Cuba and Puerto Rico were admitted as states. The United States had previously accepted the Dominican Republic's request to become a territory; it too became a state in time.

In China, the Taiping Rebellion was more successful. More emphasis was placed on civil administration, and foreign aid was received in exchange for favorable trade agreements following the rebellion. Hong Xiuquan was killed early into the rebellion, but his charismatic brand of Christianity would live on. Shi Dakai took over command of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and instigated reforms. One such reform was that Hong Xiuquan's interpretation of Christianity would be the nation's official religion, but other religions would not be penalized. Over the years the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom grew to encompass most of southern China.

The Ottoman Empire won the Russo-Turkish War. The empire had been undergoing reforms before the war, but victory over the Russians gave the reformers the extra boost they need to make real changes. In the issuing years the empire was reformed into a parliamentary monarchy, non-Turks were granted increasing rights and the army and navy remained at their peak. The Sultanate of Aceh appealed to the Ottomans for help fighting the Dutch. The Ottoman's defeated the Dutch and established Aceh as a protectorate, but in time would incorporate Aceh and Sumatra as a whole into the empire.

In Thailand, King Mongkut managed to survive his malaria long enough to name Prince Chulalongkorn heir to the throne. Chulalongkorn promised reforms such as the abolition of slavery and free elementary education for all citizens. Though an anti-reform faction soon arose it was quickly put down thanks to Chulalongkorn's strong political base. Upon ascending the throne Chulalongkorn began expanding the canal systems and ordered the construction of shipping fleets for increasing international trade. A general industrialization program was instituted, numerous schools and hospitals were established, and the military was reformed to be comprised of volunteers rather than the defendants of prisoners of war. Thailand also reaffirmed their good relations with nations such as the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Mexican Revolution ended in a victory for the Revolutionaries. This was partially thanks to support from the United States and the German Empire. Mexico, with the help of their American and German allies, was able to reform and mend most of its internal issues. Eventually, Mexico was raised to what we would call first world status. Mexico and the United States helped to unite the nations Central America into the United Proveniences of Central America. A canal was constructed in Nicaragua both to compliment and compete with the Panama Canal.

Over the years the United States grew close to the German Empire, and remained bitter at Britain and France for their support of the Confederacy. When the First World War broke out in 1914 the United States, along with Italy and Japan, joined the Central Powers. The Confederacy remained neutral during the war. The United States invaded Canada on the grounds that the British might use it as an invasion route (despite the fact that the British had never attempted anything like that before). Ultimately the war end with a Central Powers victory in 1917. Following the war the Ententes were stripped of large sections of their colonial empires and forced to pay crushing reparations.

Following the war the United States passed a bill granting universal Civil Rights to all of its citizens. Meanwhile, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was unable to solve its internal issues and collapsed in the early 1920s. The former empire was split between Germany and Italy. Among nations that were granted independence as a result of the war included Ireland (which included the Ulster provinces) and India (which was never partitioned). India is a federation of semiautonomous provinces, which has helped ease religious and ethnic tensions.

Russia had originally fought for the Ententes, but later pulled out due to their revolution. What few members of the Royal Family that managed to survive the revolution were able to find refuge in Ethiopia. Upon Lenin's death in 1924 a speech was read naming his successor as Premier of the Soviet Union. However, Leon Trotsky made a series of creative "edits" so that the speech denounced Stalin and named himself as successor. Unfortunately, Trotsky soon wound up alienating most of his would-be supporters and was soon assassinated. Some of the effects of this meant that the Great Purge never occurred and Jews received somewhat better treatment.

The Spanish Civil War ended in a victory for the Republicans. Following infighting among groups such as the Marxist, Anarchists and Communists it was decided that the Spanish Republic would be a social democracy. Since its founding the Spanish Republic has always been somewhat close to the Soviet Union, but has maintained good relations with the other major powers as well.

The war reparations France was forced to pay lead to runaway hyperinflation and economic collapse. Millions of French citizens were homeless and starving in the streets. France wanted revenge against the Central Powers, and they wanted it soon. The United Kingdom's reparations weren't quite as severe as those of France, but they too had grown bitter towards the Central Powers. While the British found solace in the assurances of the British Fascist Party, lead by Oswald Mosley, the French found hope in the form of Gaston Delacroix. Delacroix had written a nationally best selling memoir entitled The Dream Within: Those Who Seek Tomorrow. In his memoir Delacroix blamed France's fall from glory on the influences of foreigners, but especially the Romani. By 1938 Action Francaise had come to power and Delacroix now ruled as King of France.

By 1940 the world was in engulfed in a Second World War. Within a matter of months France controlled the Iberian Peninsula, the Low Countries, Italy, the Balkans and Greece. An anti-Delacroix coalition, lead by Charles de Gaulle, established a government-in-exile centered in Algeria named France-outré-mer. The exiles correctly guessed that Delacroix would focus more on conquering Europe and getting revenge on the Central Powers. The war raged on, but the Central Powers continued to push back the British and French. By 1946 victory was finally in sight thanks to a new invention created by a coalition of German and American scientists: the atomic bomb. The French and British formally surrendered following the atomic bombings of Orleans, Lyon and Southampton.

During the war hundreds of thousands of Romani had been shipped to Madagascar as part of Delacroix's anti-Romani policies. Unfortunately, many American and German submarines targeted several ships bound for Madagascar; not knowing the true purpose of the ships. As the war drew on it became increasingly costly to ship the Romani to Madagascar. As a result the Romani, along with several Irish Travelers, were shipped to a series of mass extermination camps. In total over 2,000,000 Romani died either in the camps, en route to Madagascar or due to poor conditions after arriving. However, over 300,000 Romani successfully made it to Madagascar.

After the war Madagascar was turned into a Romani homeland and received millions of immigrants. This was somewhat controversial as there had also been a movement to establish Madagascar as a Jewish homeland since before the war. It was decided that the island was more than big enough for both peoples, and at worst could be divided into two separate nations. The Romani and Jews have so far managed to coexist relatively peacefully, but the treatment of the native Malagasy, and their calls for great representation in the government of Madagascar, remains a pressing issue.

Japan stayed out of the European Theater and focused on securing its holdings in Asia and the Pacific. Following the First World War, Japan had taken Malaysia from the British and Indochina from the French; by the Second World War they had expanded their holdings to include Manchuria (renamed Manchukuo) as well as most of Indonesia. Japan attempted to extend its rule into China and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but ultimately this proved to be more trouble than it was worth. After the war it was decided the Japanese would keep Manchukuo, the Taiping would remain independent and a communist People's Republic of China serve as a buffer state between the two. Japan, along with the Soviet Union, acquired atomic bombs after the war thanks to the work of its scientists and spies.

The leaders of France-outré-mer had long since decided that they liked their new position of power reorganized themselves into the Republic of Algeria. Many international experts have noted, in light of the increasing tensions between the Algerian government and its native inhabitants, worry that the Algerian government may be heading in a similar direction to the Delacroix Regime and South Africa. Elsewhere, decolonization have been going slow, but also much more smoothly than in our world. Infrastructure is being established and the natives of the colonies are being educated in how to manage their nations when they achieve independence. Germany's colonies have been doing especially well in this regard. In a few years elections will be held to decide if the colonies will go independent, stay as they are or if the empire should be reformed into a federation.

The Soviet Union has been on everyone's minds lately. The Soviets first attempted to flex their international muscles when they intervened in the Greek Civil War, which resulted in a communist victory. The Soviets began to grow worried being surrounded by three nuclear armed nations. Things only got worse when the United States and Germany offered to help start nuclear weapons programs in the Italian and Ottoman Empires. In response, the Soviet Union attempted to send a shipment of atomic bombs to the Confederacy; and event later referred to as the Confederate Missile Crisis. For a few tense days it seemed that a Third World War would be imminent. However, the United States and Germany agreed to halt their efforts with the Italians and Ottoman's if the Soviets recalled the missiles from the Confederacy. Fortunately both sides held up their end of the agreement.

A space race has been established between the major nations of the world. Germany lead the way with the launch of the first artificial satellite in 1950, shortly followed by the first manned mission to orbit. The ultimate prize was a mission to the Moon by 1961. It was a close call but the Germans made it first, followed by the United States and Japan. The next major destination is a mission to Mars by either the 1970s or 1980s. Recently, work has begun on an international space station as well as establishing permanent bases on the Moon.

By the present day, the Confederacy has become an international pariah; it's only ally, and primary supplier of slaves, is South Africa. To overall state can generally be described as a cross between North Korea and South Africa under Apartheid. Seven out of ever ten citizens are slaves, technology is severely behind that of most other nations and there's a staggering wealth gap. Confederate slavery got so bad over the years that by the 20th century almost completely discredited all previous notions of racism. To many nations the Confederacy is evil incarnate.

However, things are about to change. In a textile mill in Stonewall, Louisiana lives a factory slave named Cato. To his friends he's easy going and makes the best of his horrible lot in life. He has a wife and children despite this being illegal for factory slaves. Cato may seem unassuming, but he's about to lead a rebellion that will bring the entire Confederacy to its knees.

The Twilight Histories Podcast

So we begin with the first official blog post.  There's a lot of topics that could be covered in this post, but I think I start with one that, if you've followed my work in the past, you're probably familiar with.  In this post we're going to talk about one of my favorite podcasts: The Twilight Histories with Jordan Harbour.  

It feel at this point that I should point out that this podcast has nothing to do with a certain book series by Stephenie Meyer.  The title is intended to be an allusion to Rod Serling's classic series The Twilight Zone.  Trust me, there are no sparkly vampires, and if vampires ever do appear in the show I assure you they will be proper ones.  Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about the podcast.  

This is both a time travel and alternate history podcast in the style of old time radio adventure serials where you, yes you the listener, go on an adventure.  The first few episodes, collected as bonus material in the members only section of the website, tell their stories in a detached narrative focusing more on the history of their timeline rather than on stories and characters.  Starting with the episodes Roma Islamica and Ice Age Misery, however, things changed.  Jordan really found his voice, and the stories became much more character driven and personal.  Bonus tracks to the mains shows, continuing the stories of the world's presented, have recently become available on the show's website.  A series of shorter blitz shows, focusing on first-hand accounts of historical events, have also recently been produced.   

There's not enough words to describe how much I love this podcast.  The engaging stories, the creative new worlds, fresh takes on familiar places, the music and sound effects.  It all just works so well!  Ah, but maybe I have other reasons?  Perhaps I have a bit of a personal connection?  Well, you not to terribly off the mark.  

Last year I'd been trying to find my voice/style in alternate history map making.  I had posted a few joke maps, as well as some more serious maps, on Alternatehistory.com's maps and graphics section.  I knew what my next map would be: based on my favorite episode of the Twilight Histories, Roma Islamica, and set 500 years in the future of the timeline.  I made the map, consulted the companion book for details, used my imagination and posted it to Alternatehistory.com.  The reaction...to say it was almost universally negative would perhaps be a major understatement.  

I was under a nearly nonstop attack from all sides.  The other members of the maps board seemed to be under the impression that I'd just massacred 1000 handicapped orphans by hail of gunfire; or that's how there comments seemed anyway.  Thankfully, a few kind hearted members actually stood up for me and called for an end to the torment.  I know it was just a stupid message board, and a bunch of stupid (mostly) Brits, Scots, Aussies and Kiwis (the Americans, by contrast, were much nicer and more laid back) but the damage had been done.  

I began to doubt my ability as a map maker and I was at the end of my rope.  Then I thought, what if I were to post to the Twilight Histories Facebook Page?  I figured I didn't have much left to lose, and if Jordan didn't like it I figured it would be a fitting final nail in the coffin for my map making career.  So I posted the map and...he absolutely loved it!  I really loved it!  

Not only did Jordan repost it on the main page, but it got honorable mention on a Map Monday in Alternate History Weekly Update.  Before long I made maps of other episodes, and then they got an article all to themselves on the Update (two in fact).  I got to meet someone I admired, a celebrity if only to me, and I couldn't think of a happier ending to the story.  

Oh, but the story doesn't end there.  I'm a fairly regular contributor over at Alternate History Weekly Update; and ever since my recent column,The Audio File, skyrocketed in popularity it seems that I'll be writing about audio magazines offering free alternate history, historical fantasy, time travel and all the various punks for the foreseeable future.  That might seem like a problem with regards to the maps and flags I make, but then I started this blog.  I also want to make it clear I'm not being forced to write about audio magazines, it's just how I feel that, for the moment, I can best contribute to the Update.  

So, I shall be posting my future maps for the Twilight Histories to this blog, as well as my own original maps and maps I have produced in the past.  I can't wait to post these maps, I might even post one tonight, and I hope you can't wait either.  Here's too good times, good maps, and good stories all around.  

And to Jordan Harbour and Matt Mitrovich, although I've probably told you both many times and many ways, thank you both for everything you've done for me and all the opportunities you've granted me.  I only know how to pay you back with even more maps and articles, and I can only hope it's enough.