Flag of the Commonwealth of New England

This is the flag of the Commonwealth of New England. It comes from a world where the Huron won the Huron-Iroquois War of 1648-1650. This resulted in the complete destruction of the Iroquois Confederacy. Some Iroquois were absorbed into other tribes, including the Huron themselves. The Huron’s victory meant that their vast trading network was never disrupted. This meant that Europeans weapons were able to make their way towards the interior tribes of North America. This made Native American tribes better able to resist European colonialism. New England remained involved in the fur trade longer than it did in our world. Meanwhile, the Huron largely cut France out of the fur trade. 

Another result of all this was that King Philip's War never happened. There were still armed conflicts between the English colonists and Native Americans, but they were part of the larger English-French rivalry. New England never got drained economically by King Philip's War and remained financially self-sufficient. Before long, many in New England began to question if they needed to remain part of England. The Commonwealth of New England formally declared its independence in the early 1700s. It initially included the New England Colonies plus New York and New Jersey, but later expanded to include Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The Middle Colonies faced competition and raids from tribes allied with the Hurons.

By the present day, North America is a patchwork of nations. There are several Native American tribes who were able to maintain their independence and carve out nationstates. Canada has remained largely French, while to the south, the Republic of Grand Florida also includes what would have been the Carolinas. Towards the west lies the nation of Caddo, a result of English and French settlement in Texas.

The New England government takes inspiration from the Roman Republic. It is a bicameral legislature composed of a People’s Council and a Senate. The Council is directly voted on by citizens of New England, and serves as the lower house. The citizens also elect the two praetors, who serve as the co-heads of the executive branch. The Senate is the upper house, and is composed of experts in various fields, as well as former governors and praetors. Praetors serve a single term of six years, while members of the Senate serve for life. Elections for the Council happen every four years. All political parties receive proportional representation within the Council. Praetors are not required to share the same political party. In fact, many people feel it is better when they don’t, as they will keep each other in check.

New England isn’t a major world power like the United States in our world. It is more comparable to Japan or the United Kingdom of our world in terms of international influence. However, New England is quite wealthy, and quite involved in international trade and commerce.

This is reflected in the design of the flag. A golden New England clipper ship is proudly emblazoned in the center of the flag. The green references the forests of New England, and the white recalls snowy New England winters.

U.S. State Flag of Normandy

This is the U.S. State Flag of Normandy. It comes from a world where the Dunkirk evacuation failed, and Britain signed an armistice with Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, the United States never got involved in the war in Europe. Following the Fall of France, Germany focused its full military might on the Soviet Union. Despite a valiant effort, the Soviet Union fell to the Nazis, and Germany now stood as the supreme and uncontested ruler of continental Europe. 

Germany divided France into a series of administrative regions. This was done in hopes of keeping France weak, and preventing it from ever rising against Germany again. Furthermore, Germany also destroyed France’s industry. The French were even denied the use of chemical fertilizers, which lead to millions of deaths via starvation in the resulting famine. Germany implemented similarly harsh measure across the rest of its empire.

By the 1950s, Germany had fallen into a state of civil war. At the same time, America and Britain committed to military action against Germany. By 1960, Europe has been liberated, and Nazi Germany defeated for good. Unfortunately, France was left as an impoverished and deindustrialized shell of its former self. The regions began to process of reunification, but the northern most regions had other plans. They applied to join the United States.

After some debate, Congress approved the application, and the Normandy Territory was established. Normandy officially gained statehood in 1972, making it the 51st State. The State of Normandy includes the regions of Brittany, Normandy, and Hauts-de-France from our world. Becoming an American territory meant that reconstruction went quicker for Normandy than it did for the rest of France. Normandy also received more money for rebuilding. Of course, Normandy wasn’t the only place in Europe to follow this path. Sicily became the 52nd State in 1974. Kyushu became the first American state in Asia in 1977, with Ryukyu following in 1978.

Normandy has received significant immigration from the rest of the French-speaking world. In fact, it is the only state where French is the dominant language. Though, this is only a slight majority. Most Normans are bilingual, and signs are in both English and French. Today, the scars of the past had begun to fade, and Normandy enjoys a high standard of living. The many picturesque towns, especially those with surviving medieval buildings, make it a popular tourist destination for the rest of America. Recently, Normandy has become home to Europe’s first Disneyland park. Normandy is notable for its more relaxed and slower pace to life than most other American states. Normandy combines French and American culture into a truly unique state.

About the only bad thing that can be said of Normandy is it’s flag. The flag is a simple blue background with the medieval Norman lion, and the state name. That the phrase “In God We Trust” be included on the flag was one of the stipulations for Normandy being granted statehood. The flag is universally considered ugly, and more than a little embarrassing. However, thus far, plans to change it have moved rather slowly.

Flag of the Russo-American Alliance

This is the flag of the Russo-American Alliance.  It comes from a world where World War II dragged on for long than it did in our world, before ending in a stalemate.  The Allies and Axis signed an armistice, but officially, the war never ended.  For the next few decades there was an uneasy peace as the major and minor powers improved their technology in apprehension for the war heating up again.  One development was the beginnings of colonizing the Solar System.  The other major way this world differs from ours is that the Solar System is teaming with habitable worlds, much like it is depicted in science fiction from the 50s and 60s.  

Colonization of the Solar System got a major boost when the war finally started up again.  By this point, both the Allies and the Axis had developed atomic bombs.  Both sides were more than willing to use their nuclear weapon, along with other new weapons such as remote controlled asteroids.  As a result, Earth's environment was completely devastated.  Numerous cities were destroyed, massive crop failure occurred due to nuclear winter, and overall it was not a good time to be living on Earth.

The nations of the Earth, or at least, the ones with space programs, engaged in a mass evacuation attempt.  New alliances were forged and cultures were intermingled.  By the 21st century Earth remains a backwater planet just beginning to show signs of recovery from the nuclear war.  Meanwhile, Mars and Venus shine as bastion of culture and freedom, and are locked in a bitter war against the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. 

The war continued even into space, but for now at least, things are at an uneasy truce.  The Allies laid claim to the Inner Planets, while the Axis were pushed to the Outer Planets.  The astroid belt was claimed by neutral nations, such as Switzerland, and become something of a neutral zone between the two.  Recently, the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt have been designated as neutral zones as well. 

The Russo-American Alliance started off as a coalition the United States, the Soviet Union, the British Empire and the French Empire.  However, Britain and France took quite a beating during the thermonuclear war.  As a result, America and Russia came to dominate the alliance both culturally and in terms of political clout.  The official language of the Alliance is Runglish, a combination of Russian and English, with a few bits of French thrown in.  Venusian Runglish is more similar to Russian, while Martian Runglish is more similar to English.  

The blending of Russian and American culture is most evident with the design of the flag.  The flag is a combination of the American and Soviet flags. 

The Royal Banner of House Washington

This is the Royal Banner of the House of Washington. It comes from a world where the early days of the United States were a lot more unstable than in our world. The future of the young nation was in jeopardy, and a strong leader was needed. To this end, congress asked George Washington to be crowned king, at least temporarily. Although reluctant at first, Washington agreed and was crowned King George I of House Washington. The American government continued to function as it always did; three branches with check and balances. The main difference was that the king now functioned as the executive branch, and had a bit more power than the position of president.

Washington was able to quell the unrest and brought an era of relative peace and prosperity to the United Kingdom of America. Though their troubles were behind them, it was a bittersweet time for the American people. Their fight to throw off an oppressive king 3000 miles away had ended with a new king being crowned in America. Throughout the streets, there were whispers of a desire to return America to a republic. For his part, Washington was a fairly humble king, and was supportive of these sentiments.

Washington died without leaving any heirs. During his last days, Washington expressed hope that this would lead to a return to republicanism. Unfortunately, congress did not share this sentiment. It was feared that, without a strong authority figure like a king, America would descend into chaos once again. Thus, congress sought out Washington's closest surviving male relative: George Washington Parke Custis. At the tender age of eighteen he was crowned King George II of House Washington.

George II lacked the charisma and experience of his more famous step-grandfather. Things were not looking good on the international front. Britain viewed the American monarchy as illegitimate and a slap in the face. This meant that Anglo-American relations never really healed like they did in our world. Relations with France were lukewarm at best. The leaders of the French Revolution wanted nothing to do with the monarchist America, but Napoleon was willing to compromise on a few occasions. Most notably, when he sold the Louisiana Territory to America.

Things really came to a head during the War of 1812. The British were much more focused on fighting America than they were in our world. New England, along with New York and New Jersey, used the war as an opportunity to declare independence. The British provided support to New England as a means of getting back at America. Republican sentiment has always been strongest in New England, and they weren't too pleased with how George II had handled the Embargo Act. By the time the war was over, the Republic of New England had gained international recognition.

The War of 1812 ended in a decisive British victory. America was forced to cede the Louisiana Territory, as well as large chunks of Georgia and South Carolina, back to the British. Thomas Jefferson, along with several supporters of republicanism, had formed their own nation in the Appalachian Mountains to protest the monarchy. Though a rump United Kingdom of America still exists, it is a shadow of its former glory. America never got the chance to become a great power.

The American Revolution is not viewed as a symbol liberty and freedom by this world. Rather, it is seen as a cautionary tale about the fragility of revolution and the dangers of corruption.

The Royal Banner of the House of Washington depicts George Washington as a new Hercules. Initially, the banner was considered incredibly scandalous for depicting Washington in such little clothes. For his part, Washington didn't actually want a royal banner, but nevertheless he appreciated the design.

Flag of the Commonwealth of California

I'm back with another flag.  So without further ado, let's dive into it:

This is the flag of The Commonwealth of California.  It comes from a world where the Constitution was never ratified, and the Articles of Confederation remained the primary governing document for the United States.  Unfortunately, this meant that the federal government remained weak and ineffectual.  The states soon began to question why they needed to take orders from Washington, and regionalist movements began to spring up.  By the early 19th century the United States had completely collapsed.  Each state became its own nation, with smaller states joining bigger ones either willingly or by force.  Though the United States had failed as a nation, the idea of the United States inspired other colonies to rebel against their mother nations and seek independence.

The ideal of Manifest Destiny never really became a thing, but there was a general westward movement among the peoples of North America.  However, how they got westward was considerably different than in our world.  That brings us to California.  It was primarily settled by British colonist from the Oregon Territory.  This had multiple effects on California's development.  For example, California is governed by a parliament, led by a prime minister, and the Queen's Birthday is a national holiday.  California is also a proud member of the Commonwealth of Nations.  Just as in our world, California has a significant Mexican minority, and most Californians are bilingual. 

California is one of the most prosperous nations in North America. It has a booming tech sector, and it's farms help feed people across North America. In the past, California had a history in intervening in wars, but it has backed off from that in more recent times.  The big focus now is space exploration.  California has launched multiple missions to the Moon and now there's talk of a possible Mars mission.

California's British heritage is very much reflected on its flag with the blue background and St. George's canton.  The seal hearkens back to the early days of British settlement, all under the watchful eye of Britannia herself. The tree in the canton is a California Redwood. 

Flag of the United American Workers Republic

This is the flag of the United American Workers Republic.  It's ties in with the map I made called Red White and Blue, but Mostly Red.  It comes from a world where Theodore Roosevelt was assassinated early into his presidency and never instigated any of his reforms.  By the 1920s and 1930s socialist and communist movements had gained considerable traction.  Thing came to ahead during the Great Depression, and before long an all-out Second Civil War had broken out.  When the dust settled and the fighting stopped the United States of America had ceased to exist.  It its place rose the United American Workers Republic.  The new nation reformed American society along socialist and communist lines.  

The UAWR fought against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan during World War II.  It was also a key figure in the founding of the Japanese Workers Republic, the Socialist Republic of South Korea and the People's Republic of Taiwan.  It also supported socialist revolutions in Latin America, who retain strong diplomatic ties with their Tio Samuel.  America also provided support for Iran during their socialist revolution in 1954.  America took in several Jews to Alaska during World War II, so only two million were killed in the Holocaust.  Besides the territory that the USA does in our world, the UAWR also includes the Philippines, Cuba, Panama and Liberia.

Traditionally, the United America Workers Republic has been in a Cold War against the Russian Empire and the Franco-British Union.  In more recent times, however, the three superpowers are beginning to warm up to each other, and have become more like frenemies than outright hostile.

Flags of E Pluribus Unum

Well I'm back with another flag haul.  This is another project I did in collaboration with Lynn Davis.  You may have heard that Lynn and I have had a bit of a falling out and...well, it's true.  To be perfectly honest it was only a matter of time before this happened.  Lynn has some strong opinions, and she doesn't take kindly to those who disagree with her.  Well, that's the Tumbler set for ya.  I could have kept quiet, but I figured if Lynn was really my friend she wouldn't break off out friendship over a disagreement of opinion...apparently not.

But you didn't come here to talk about my personal life, you came for the flags.  These flags come from a world where the American Revolution was peacefully avoided, and Britain's former American colonies were organized into a European Union-esque organization.  These flags were a spin-off from Lynn's previous map Excelsior.  Let's meet them, shall we?

Here we have the flag of New York.  It's orange, white and blue to reflect New York's Dutch heritage and the design reference's New York's Iroquois heritage.  It comprises New York and the Ontario Peninsula.  Like most entire's on this list it's a European style liberal democracy with separation of church and state and a healthy advocacy of democracy without being too OTL French style.

Here we have the Confederated State of America, or CSA for short.  It comprises Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Delaware, northern Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and some of Minnesota.  I made it look kind of like the Freedom Party flag from Timeline-191 for purposes of allohistorical irony.  

Here we've got the flag of Vermont.  It's basically the same as the northern states, but with more of a libertarian bent to its politics.  It's design is based on the historical flag of Vermont.  

Next up is the flag of Manitoba. Comprising OTL Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, Northern Territories and Nunavut. It is a very liberal and progressive democracy based on the radical democratic ideals of Thomas Spence, who founded the state. It's not very religious and believes absolutely in the ideals of democracy and the people.  It features Liberty leading the people with a sword at the ready to strike down tyrants, and the motto is emblazoned above her. 

Now on deck we have Louisiana.  It comprises the southern half of the Louisiana Purchase. It's a French Revolution style democracy due to the failure of the French Revolution leading many refugees to flee to Louisiana, which later joined the United States. It's Catholic, French speaking and kind of does its own thing compared to the other states.  Based on the historical flag of Louisiana.

Here we've got New England.  OTL New England minus Vermont. You might be wondering why New England has six stars, well it's beacuse each subdivision gets a star and there's also a star for New England as a whole. Alternatively, the stars are purely decorative (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Anyway, New England is a social democracy in the style of Europe, but without being too French. It has separation of church and state. It is very religious without being very conservative, and religion rarely factors into its politics.

Next up is Florida.  OTL Florida plus the coastal regions of Mississippi and Alabama. Like most of the southern nations it's a conservative democracy like Poland or Italy, and usually has a lot of crazy politics and backwater bumpkins running things. Not as progressive as the other states and religion factors a lot into day-to-day operations.

Up next is Georgia.  The Xs can be interpreted as Saint Andrew's crosses, but I thought it would be funny if such a conservative nation inadvertently had a reference to hard core porn on it's flag.

Here we have Carolina.  Comprising Tennessee and the Carolinas.  The cotton bush is a reference to the state's primary economic engine.   

Next up is Canada.  Comprising OTL Quebec, Ontario minus the peninsula, Prince Edward Island and Larbador.

And here's the flag of Maryland.  I thought he knight was a night touch. 

Say hello to Oregon. Comprising OTL Oregon, Washington State, British Columbia and Idaho.  The killer whales reflect the region's native heritage and the wave symbolize the importance of the sea to the people of Oregon.

Here we have the flag of Alabama (Alabama and Mississippi minus their coastal regions). It's the only majority black state of the United States and as such is a Switzerland style direct democracy with emphasis on everyone being represented. It's very religious, but religion doesn't really factor into politics. There's also strong feelings of Pan-Africanism throughout the state, and that's reflected in the flag.

 This is the flag of Acadia, comprising OTL Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  Yeah, it's basically the flag of Acadia Parish, this one beat me up.  

This is the flag of Lakota.  Comprises the northern half of the Louisiana Purchase.  It’s red and has tepees to reflect the high native population.  It’s a pennant flag to mix things up. 

This one's the flag of Virginia.  Comprising Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, southern Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

Finally, we have the flag of the United States as a whole.  I used purple because it's such an under-utilized color.  I went with a Romanesque/Futuristic design because it pleased me and I liked that it seemed slightly sinister, even though this isn't a dystopia.  Well, that and I'd been watching The Hunger Games movie.  

Well we've reached the end of our list.  my teamwork with Lynn is over, but at least I got some good flags to show off.  Also, if you'd like me to make some flags for you let me know and I'll see what I can do.  I can't guarantee it'll be a showstopper, but I'll certainly try my best.  No charge of course.  

Well that about does this for this flag haul.  I'll see you guys next time

Napoleon in Afghanistan: A Twilight Histories Map

My latest map based on the Twilight Histories episode Napoleon in Afghanistan.  It's set in the mid-19th century where among other things...



Napoleon was far more successful than he was in our world.  One of his biggest successes was his victory against the Russians.  Napoleon chased Czar Alexander and his forces across Central Asia for quite some time.  Eventually, the French army faced off against the forces of Britain and Russia in the Khyber Pass of Afghanistan.  It was a tough and gurgling battle, but ultimately the French prevails and dealt a crippling blow to the British by capturing India.  Unfortunately, Napoleon didn't get to enjoy his success for long as he contracted cancer and was dead by his mid-sixties.  Still, despite his early death, Napoleon managed to create a French Empire stretching from Portugal to Indochina.

While Napoleon was busy building his empire the United States was going through considerable turmoil.  The Embargo Act was never repealed and New England seceded from the Union.  Soon the United States found itself in a war against New England and Britain.  All went well at first, but then Thomas Jefferson was assassinated.  James Madison severely mishandled the war and caused New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to join New England.  By the end of the war New England was recognized as a sovereign nation and the area that would have been the states of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin Indiana and Ohio had become part of British North America.

Napoleon never wasted troops in Haiti and was able to retain Louisiana.  In recent times Louisiana has been granted a higher degree of personal autonomy, akin to the British Dominion system, as a bit of a trial run of giving other regions of the French Empire more autonomy.  Louisiana has a highly cosmopolitan culture with its citizens comes from across the French Empire.  New Orleans is very much the finical and cultural heart of Louisiana, and occupies a position not too dissimilar to New York during our world's 19th century.  There is a movement within western Louisiana to breakaway and become its own separate dominion.  Time will tell what becomes of this.

Following Russia's defeat by Napoleon many Russians, including the royal family, fled to Russia's possessions in North America.  Novorossiya has expanded to include much of the Pacific Northwest, and has opened its doors to many immigrants.  One of the most notable group of immigrants has been Mormons.  The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints originated in New England, but its members soon moved to Louisiana under the guidance of church founder Joseph Smith.  The Mormons sought to establish a nation of their own in sparsely populated upper Louisiana.  Unfortunately, it wasn't long before they found themselves in conflict with the French military in what would become known as the Deseret War.  Brigham Young, following Smith's death in the war, led the remaining Mormon's to southern Novorossiya.  The Russians allowed the Mormons to settle, but made it very clear they were not attempt anything like in Louisiana.  Novorossiya is culturally divided between a Russian Orthodox north and an Anglo Mormon south.

Latin America experienced several revolutions thanks to Napoleon.  Simon Bolivar received support from Napoleon and achieved his dream of a unified Republic of Gran Columbia.  Mexico is an empire that is ruled by a relative of Napoleon; on paper it's independent, but in practice it's very much a French puppet state.  The Portuguese royal family, as in our world, relocated to Brazil; Rio de Janeiro is the heart of the Brazilian Empire.  Argentina and Uruguay have fallen the British, eager for new lands following their losses to the French.  Chile has managed to maintain its independence thanks to its mountainous terrain.

Much of the Middle East is either under French control or French influence.  Oman has managed to maintain its independence by doing everything it can to suck up to the French.  Thanks to this tactic Oman has been able to begin establishing colonies in East Africa and is becoming something of a regional power.  There was a rebellion and uprising by Wahhabi Muslims against French influence in the region, but it we quickly suppressed.  Following the fall of the Ottoman Empire an Islamic Holy State was established around the region containing Mecca and Medina.  The French leave the Holy State mostly to its own devices, figuring that it's more trouble than it's worth.

The rapid expat ions of the French Empire gave China the motion it needed to being a modernization campaign.  The empire's cultural regulations were relaxed and non-Manchurians were allowed to practice their cultures more freely, which has led to an increase in the number of hanfu being made and purchased.  Industrialization programs are underway and China has even been able to negotiate for the purchase of several Philippine islands from France.  Meanwhile, Japan has opened itself up to the outside world and is also in the middle of its own industrialization.  The Japanese government has been reformed under a Meiji style restoration.  Korea is doing its best to prosper in the shade of its neighbors and is looking to start its own industrialization program.  Hawaii has managed to maintain its independence and is in the process of reforming its society along French lines.

The 19th century is without doubt a very French Century.  The French Empire reigns supreme and without challenge.  The British Empire has been thoroughly humbled and never quite became the great power that it did in our world.  For the most part the world has been relatively peaceful following Napoleon's wars of conquest.  Slavery has been phased out of most nation with the exception of the rump United States and Brazil, though the Brazilians are creating plans to do so.  Because of the size of the French Empire it is possible that Africa won't be colonized quite to the same extent as in our world.  Still, despite its success the French Empire is beginning to show strains and groan under its own weight.  It's possible that more regions will be granted greater autonomy like Louisiana.  Time will tell what will become of the world that Napoleon made. 

Flag of the American Empire

This is the flag of the Empire of America. It comes from a world where, following the American Revolution, George Washington was able to convince the newly formed nation to declares him emperor. Despite being called an empire the nation is a constitutional monarchy. Emperors are elected by the people and serve a lifetime term, and Congress still wields a considerable amount of power. The Empire of America spans all of North America as well as a considerable chunk of South America.

The colors, as well as the eagle, is a reference to how America views itself as the heir and modern day incarnation of the Roman Empire. Indeed, much of America's government is closely modeled on that of Ancient Rome. The cross is a reference to America's ties to England, but is not intended to represent Christianity. Despite much debate, it was decided that the empire would have no official religion. The single stripe the unity and equality of all citizens of the empire.

By the present day the Empire of America is a major international power and a leader in technology and the arts. The empire has begun to extend its reach into space with colonies on The Moon, Venus Mars, and even missions to Jupiter and Saturn. America remains a land of many political parties, from Republicans who want to abolish the monarchy, to Crown Loyalists who support it, to Pirates who want Internet piracy to no longer be a crime, but despite it all most are still happy to support the emperor and toast to his health.

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

The Dustbin of History

My latest map set in an alternate 1990s were among other things:


Following the assassination of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 the United States suffered a second civil war which ultimately tore the nation apart. The Northeast became the communist United American Commune, the Mid-Atlantic and Upland South there about became a fascist military dictatorship, the black belt states became the socialist-leaning Republic of New Afrika and Texas is once again a republic with fascist leanings. Something of a rump United States exists in the upper Mid-West, but it's been many years since elections were last held and its increasingly falling under socialist influences. Meanwhile, most of the West Coast states were conquered by the Japanese during World War II.

Speaking of World War II, it dragged one for a few years longer, but ultimately ended in an Allied Victory, albeit with considerably more dead Soviets. Following the war the Soviets were able to bargain for a bigger piece of the post-war pie thanks to their added contributions to the war effort. Before long Germany, Greece, Turkey, Austria, Finland and large portions of Italy and France fell to Soviet occupation. The nations of Western Europe banded together, but in a very Finlandization kind of way.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Empire emerged from the war stronger than ever. Their East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere has become more of a Pan-Pacific Co-Prosperity Sphere with the addition of the American territories. The Japanese are the primary rivals of the Soviets and have funded several right-wing juntas to combat Soviet expansionism.

Alaska is a bit of buffer territory between the Soviet Union and Japanese North America. Over the years it has become homeland for the Jews. Skirmishes with Native Alaskans and old settler Americans are still common occurrences, and the threat of invasion remains an ever present possibility. Still, for many Jews having a place to call home make all of that worth it.

As decolonization moved forward during the 50s and 60s it created several new trading partners for the Soviets. Prominent African socialists include the United States of Latin Africa and the East African Federation. Destalinization occurred much more smoothly, Soviet republics were given greater autonomy and non-Russians were able to move up the ranks of allowed to ascend to positions of authority. The Soviet Union also emphasis infrastructure and consumer goods; adding to the overall quality of life for the average citizen.

Meanwhile, Japan also experienced reforms and changes to its empire. Japanese society began to liberalize and the rights of non-Japanese citizens were expanded. Japan also focused on building up its infrastructure and consumer goods. Japan lent aid to the right wing juntas of Brazil, Argentina and Chile after much of Latin America formed the Soviet sponsored Republic of Latin American Socialists. Support was also provided to South Africa to counter the Soviet Union's African allies.

Pan-Arabism is in full bloom. Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq has formed the United Arab Republic. The UAR was originally a close Soviet ally, but in recent years has begun to move away and form a Third Party power block. Islam still plays a major role in daily life, but the UAR is much more laid back and liberal than in our world.

The few non-communist nations of Europe banded together into a European Union-esque organization. However, as the years went on these nations failed to compete with the Soviet Union economically. By the 1980s several popular fronts were established throughout Western Europe and communist governments were soon established. Many of these now communist nations are now considering merging with the Soviet Union. The British, Dutch and French governments have fled to their holdings in South America.

By the 1990s the Cold War is more or less over. As far as the Western world is concerned the Soviet Union has emerged as the clear winner. Communism is triumphant while democracy and capitalism have been sentenced to the dustbin of history. Economist throughout the world are scratching their heads as to how the Soviets managed to solve their economic woes, but clearly they did something right.

Still, all isn't entirely lost. The Japanese, and their sphere of influence still provide plenty of competition for the Soviets. Slowly but surely the fascist nations are beginning to liberalize and granting more rights to their citizens. Perhaps one day democracy will see a revival. For now, everyone is looking towards the skies. Following the Japanese victory in the Moon Race it is now Mars that is next great target. Meanwhile, Soviet and Japanese orbital stations and lunar bases are being constructed with increasing frequency.

Flag of the Most Selene Republic of Luna

Before we talk about this flag I'd like to take a moment to thank Matt Mitrovich from Alternate History Weekly Update for all of the promotions and mentions he's given this blog.  Those we're very much appreciated and it's alway nice to see someone help get the word out about the blog.  And now for the flag.     

I made this flag after listening to Across the Terminator over at Clarkesworld Magazine.  If you haven't read/listen to it I strongly recommend that you do.  It's is an excellent story.  One of Clarkesworld's best stories.  It made me wonder what would happen if the United States and China were to colonize the Moon, and what if those colonies were to seek independence from their mother nations.  

The flag of the Most Selene Republic of Luna. Originally a collection of American, Chinese and assorted third party colonies on the moon. The colonies had been established at the hight of the Chinese-American Cold War in an attempt by both nations to one up each other, and in hopes that if things turned hot at least some humans would survive and repopulate Earth. Various other nations also contributed colonies of their own for various reasons. Although highly suspicious of one another initially, before long the colonies grew closer together and put aside their differences in the name of science, discovery and the greater good of humanity.

Unfortunately, Washington and Beijing didn't take too well to their colonies getting so chummy. Tensions hit and all time high when alien plant life was discovered deep within a lunar crater. Both nations ordered their colonies to destroy the samples lest the enemies gain a major scientific breakthrough. At this point the colonies, weary of the Cold War and more than self-sufficient, decided to officially sever ties with their mother nations and declare independence. The fact that many children of mixed parentage, and thus uncertain citizenship, had been born only served the increase the calls for independence.

The flag is a combination of the American and (republic) Chinese flag. Some had wanted to use the PRC flag, but it was decided the the sun symbol would better symbolize both the dawn of a new era and new nation. And after all, what difference did symbols of Earth have on the moon?