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Pete's Alternate Draka Timeline: Draka 2α

Section 3: 1917–1939

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Draka 2α Timeline
Section 3: 1917–1939

Previous: 1815–1916

The Great War

• 1917–22: Great War between the Grand Alliance and the Central Powers. Combat use of biplanes, clankers, radio, poison gas and dirigibles. Airborne troops are in gliders towed by dirigible. Antibiotics developed and used. Crude electrodetectors (radar).
  [Although a few years early compared to OTL, the development of radar is not blocked by Marconi's stranglehold on ship wireless systems.]
• 1917: Germany and Austro–Hungarian Empire attack Russia, Germany invades France. Britain declares war on the Central Powers, Italy declares war only on Austria–Hungary. The Ottoman Empire contents itself with visible demonstrations of military readiness but refuses to declare war on anyone, even under threats from Germany and Austria–Hungary. The "Sick Man of Europe" knows it cannot stand against any of the other powers, and it provides only nominal logistical support to the other Central Powers while diplomatically maneuvering to avoid British and Russian attacks over the next few years. Mustafa Kemal's "Young Turks" gather support for a revolution in Anatolia (Turkey), but find it difficult with the current regime doing such a good job diplomatically. Without combat with foreign enemies, there just isn't the pressure on Ottoman society that would aid revolt. Germany and Austro–Hungarian Empire bog down in Russia, but German forces aided by aircraft and clankers advance within sight of Paris before being halted by the French army and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Severe fighting on the Eastern and Western fronts. Massive infighting in the Balkans leading to mutual exhaustion and no clear winners. Italian and Austro–Hungarian fighting is practically a replay of the previous Austro–Italian war. Russian military is ill trained, under-equipped, and poorly led, with major blunders in transmitting orders by radio in the clear (or an easily-broken German commercial code), but the peasant levies usually outnumber the opponents. The battle in France bogs down into positional warfare in late 1917, with clankers present in insufficient numbers to be decisive. Japan quietly begins another campaign in Manchuria, and eventually establishes control up to the Russian border as local warlords are individually dealt with over the next 4 years. The Domination quietly builds up forces on the borders with British Africa, but Britain can't spare much for these colonial areas besides Egypt. Johann von Shrakenberg born. A British column advances from India into Persia in a confused attempt to bolster the Persian regime or provide "protection," but is withdrawn after objections by the Persian Shah.
  Italy withstands pleas from France and Britain to attack Germany. It's unclear if they are waiting for a clear winner or they fear Germany would beat them. Germany is happy to leave the southern frontier to Austria–Hungary alone.
  Expansion of the locks on the Panama Canal to accommodate larger ships begins, complicating worldwide shipping and naval movements. And as the USA is neutral, but an agreement from 1868 forces them to allow British warships through as if they were American, things get rather tense on both coasts of the state of Panama. In the end, Royal Navy ships are allowed through after they unload all ammunition and move it by rail to the other end of the canal.
  [Ahistorical footnote: Adolf Hitler, serving with the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment during the "Race to the Sea," is wounded in the throat by a grenade during a British attack near Ypres. He sits out the rest of the war, and never regains full use of his voice. While an influential ideologist in print for German National Socialism in the 1930s, he makes only a meager living as an architectural artist after the Nazis are suppressed, and dies of complications to Parkinson's disease in 1947.]
• 1918: The Domination enters the war on the side of the Central Powers. It invades and annexes all of British Africa in lightning campaigns utilizing cannon-equipped clankers, Janissary troops armed with semi-automatic rifles or sub-machine guns and transported in open-topped lightly-armored vehicles, and aerial reconnaissance and interdiction bombing using dirigibles and biplanes. This first blitzkrieg is practically ignored by the rest of the world as a military lesson at the time, since it occurs mostly in desert and jungle terrain and both the British and Drakans aren't telling. Captured British citizens are put into "collection camps" following bloody city fighting and looting by both Citizens and Janissaries. Freetown — the largest city in Liberia, and the usual destination of escaped serfs — is singled out for special treatment, and is burned to the ground and nearly all the inhabitants massacred. Drakan forces advance to the Suez Canal, but the British are able to render it temporarily useless through explosives and sinking ships in the channel. The British naval forces at Aden are caught in the harbor by aerial bombardment, and destroyed or flee out to sea. Those at Alexandria bombard the city as the Drakans enter, and then withdraw to Cyprus, Malta and Gibraltar. Besides one disastrous hastily-executed attack towards the Suez Canal that only makes it easier for the Drakans several weeks later, the Ottoman Empire is unable to organize the satraps and their troops before the Drakans roll up the British. Japan's campaign in Manchuria begins to reach the Russian border. Russian forces in Siberia are left in place to guard against the Japanese, but not augmented. Finland revolts against Russia and begins struggling for independence with some German assistance. Mustafa Kemal gains more support, finally having a current example of Ottoman failure to use, but this is just a badly missed opportunity rather than outright disaster. German bombing and strafing of several clearly-marked rear-area hospitals staffed with volunteer American doctors triggers U.S. entry into the war on the side of the Allies, and American troops fight in Europe for the first time in late 1918. But they limit themselves to fighting only against Germany; the Allies will take them, as Italy is still only fighting Austria–Hungary. A Hindu pacifist movement arises in India, causing unrest with massive sit-down strikes and clashes between Muslims and Hindus. Eric von Shrakenberg born.
  [The camps could be considered revenge by proxy of the OTL Boers.]
• 1919: The Drakan seizure of Africa is loudly protested by the British, but they cannot spare troops from France and the unrest in India, although they plead for repatriation of British citizens now held in the camps. Domination begins rebuilding formerly British railways to Drakan standards and clearing the Suez Canal, using British and conquered peoples as unskilled labor. Domination invites foreign journalists to attend public executions of British who resist doing forced labor. Britain and France strong-arm Italy into declaring war on the Domination, as long as all Italian operations will have British or French participation. The British, Italian and French navies therefore savage the Drakan fleet in the Mediterranean as they raid the Egyptian ports and Suez Canal, although the Italians suffer greatly from aerial bombardment by Drakan land-based aircraft and dirigibles. A balance is eventually struck where the Allies can't invade Africa against Drakan airpower, and the Draka can't invade elsewhere without naval superiority. A cache of papyrus scrolls found buried in the Western Desert is a portion of the "lost" Library of Alexandria — many of the missing literary and philosophical works of Sappho, Euripides, Aristotle, etc. — leading to a post-war classical revival in the Domination. Russian resistance to Germany and Austria–Hungary collapses after a communist/anarchist attack on the Tsar's family sparks widespread rumors of the Tsar's assassination and a revolution back home, compounded by problems with supply to the front. Finland completes driving the Russians out of the self-proclaimed new independent state, and refuses the temptation to proceed further towards St. Petersburg. Germany transfers troops to France, leaving Austria–Hungary to pursue the Russians, but the stalemate in France intensifies again after only slight movement. Draka convinces the Spanish to give up their coastal enclaves in Africa peacefully, in exchange for payments and a non-aggression pact, although the armored forces poised just outside are more convincing. The entire African continent is now Drakan, and they border the hapless Ottomans in the Middle East. Wartime service of Citizen women in combat positions is found to have suffered from "double standard" in peacetime training, which is remedied by removing the sexual segregation in all training and service after age 18. Italian divers using modified torpedoes infiltrate the Austro–Hungarian port of Trieste and attach timed explosive charges to several capital ships. Several are captured, and held on the ships; they escape when the bombs go off.
  Groups of American women left behind when their husbands go to fight in Europe continue the local militia meetings, performing patriotic acts like bandage rolling and group knitting. When local elections are held, several locales allow wives to present their husband's absentee ballots, or even vote without them. The extended deployment of American militia overseas, the first since the 1850s, initially causes economic hardship among the families left behind. Eventually, the local militia association treasuries run out, and the begging for funds reaches up through the local and state levels to the federal. In an effort to keep the troops "over there", the US federal government begins paying for militia service, even for peacetime drills, although at a much higher rate for those actively serving in a national conflict. Suffragettes soon legally challenge this arrangement, as it seems unfair to demand a large payment to vote if any male can instead serve and get money. Virgin Islands annexed as a US possession.
  [I delay the "act of God" papyrus scrolls almost 100 years, until a time when it boosts the Drakan claim to classical traditions. Finland and Italian divers are OTL.]
• 1920: A massive German bombing raid on London using both aircraft and dirigibles causes only minor damage, but panics the population. A crude air warning and defensive system is constructed to detect and counter the next raid, but Germany puts the resources back on the battlefield and abandons strategic/terror bombing. Orders given by radio for a sortie of the German fleet into the North Atlantic are intercepted and decoded, and a combined Allied fleet meets and destroys the main German battle line, aided by the first purpose-built aircraft carrier, the American Eagle. A Drakan operation to invade Malta using poison gas bombs and glider-borne troops towed by dirigibles from Tunisia succeeds, although the use of gas on civilians is universally condemned. Allied ships shell Malta relentlessly, but are unable to convince the Domination to withdraw; the Draka threaten reprisals against British prisoners. The stalemate in France continues, although the Austro–Hungarian advance into Russia is starting to slow as the toll in men affects them worse than the Russians, since their war with Italy is a meat grinder like France on a much smaller scale. Britain negotiates a cease-fire with the Domination after neutral journalists confirm the executions and camp conditions, but the Drakans drag their feet on repatriation. The Japanese attempt to foment Chinese uprisings against the Western enclaves, but fail to do more than call attention to themselves. Their Manchurian campaign is still proceeding, and has pressed to the Russian border on the east but not the north. Mustafa Kemal is invited by the Ottoman Sultan to participate in reforming the government, but he refuses, fearing a trap and believing the opportunity will soon come to use other failures to seize complete control.
  The American absentee ballot process is formalized so you don't have women physically voting in place of their husbands, but the women continue their patriotic activities on the home front.
  [The German raid is almost right out of OTL, as is the British response. The first purpose-built carrier OTL is the HMS Argus, but it doesn't see action in OTL WWI.]
• 1921: Increased use of clanks ("clank" quickly catches on with most combatants, "clankers" then becoming the name of personnel inside them) and poison gas by both sides in France. The Allies make a significant breakthrough, pushing German forces nearly to the Rhine in a massed offensive, stopped finally by anti-clank defenses in depth. Unable to conquer further at the expense of the Allies without assaulting France, Italy, Cyprus or Gibraltar against Allied naval supremacy, the Domination abandons the Central Powers and declares war on the Ottoman Empire. The other Central Powers make no significant objection, as the Ottomans have been no real help. Austria–Hungary finds itself committed to pushing further into Russia as the only good news for the Central Powers. The Ottomans are quickly rolled back along the Mediterranean coast, and their antiquated command structure slows deployments from the other satrapies to meet the Drakan mechanized columns. Several Balkan countries begin attacking the Ottomans in Bulgaria to further confuse the situation, as they see an opportunity for easy territorial gains while all the nearby world powers are busy. Japan completes their subjugation of Manchuria, but the British, French and American representatives in the Chinese cities provide military aid to warlords that stymie the Japanese follow-up advance towards Peking (Beijing). Mustafa Kemal finds that he has waited too long, as there is no isolated failure to use as a rallying cry for revolution, but a wholesale collapse of the Ottoman military. The Young Turks' efforts at undermining the Ottomans have borne bitter fruit. Italy has been holding off from declaring war on Germany for years, as their quarrel was solely with Austria–Hungary, and they wanted a bargaining chip. Italy finally enters the war against Germany; in an effort to grab some territory elsewhere and possibly flank the Austrian positions. This proves to be the "last straw," as even the essentially unsuccessful Italian offensive is another drain on the Kaiser's forces. Germany sues for peace, and Austria–Hungary soon follows suit.
  Female suffrage granted in USA for "significant public service" similar to the Quaker Legions or the patriotic activities seen during the war. Women are specifically denied permission to serve in militia units during armed conflict (war or civil unrest).
• 1922: The Peace of Versailles. Even as the Domination pushes through a collapsing Ottoman Empire, and Austro–Hungarian forces fumble their way deeper into the Ukraine, an end is negotiated to most of the Great War. Both Russia and Austria–Hungary are on the verge of collapse: Russia due to loss of confidence in the military and government, along with great losses of men and territory; Austria–Hungary due to great losses in men on both fronts while winning vast territories from Russia. Germany is severely battered and barely holding on with much of the Ruhr industrial region in jeopardy. Much of northeastern France is a wasteland, and the French army largely expended in futile frontal assaults. Italy has lost much of its navy, and gained nothing in the trenches facing Austria–Hungary but graves. Britain and America are untouched except by losses of men (and the British positions in Malta, Africa and Yemen), and compel the European Central Powers to withdraw to their prewar boundaries and pay collective reparations to those countries that were the initial victims of their aggression. But while wrangling goes on at Versailles, the Tsar's government collapses even with a cease-fire, and Draka completes the conquest of the Ottoman Empire including Constantinople and the Turkish Straits, but doesn't get much further into Europe. Mustafa Kemal escapes to Albania. The various Balkan countries and Greece divide Bulgaria, then proceed to squabble among themselves as the Domination firms up its new boundaries. The Drakans continue on into Persia, but wisely stop at the borders with British Afghanistan and India. The Shah refuses to allow the British to provide troops or a protective alliance until Teheran is isolated and the situation is irreversible. Japan makes a late try at Siberia, but Russian forces there are well prepared and not subject to the collapse seen in Europe. Japan quickly backs off once it becomes obvious this will become trench warfare and the British and Americans will not tolerate further aggression. The Domination staggers to a halt as the master of Africa and the Middle East, bordering Greece, Rumania, Serbia, Russia (in Georgia and Turkmenistan), and British Afghanistan and India. Although Russia is in turmoil, the Domination doesn't grab much of their territory, preferring to stop in defensible positions at or near the border, and consolidate their hold on the latest conquests.
  [This Peace of Versailles, unlike that of OTL, is less harsh on Germany in terms of reparations, and initially leaves Austria–Hungary basically intact (although Italy cuts off Austria–Hungary from the Adriatic and gets Trieste). Serbia is larger than OTL, but just as fractious. The final settlement slices off many German border territories to reward various Allied powers, lays out a restored Poland, and restores Russian territory entered by Austria–Hungary. But Finland is left in place despite the protests of the postwar Russian government. The postwar German army is limited to 100,000 men, but these are the officers for the next war.]

Inter-War

• 1923: Palmyra Island and Kingman Reef (both in the South Pacific) annexed as US possessions. North Columbia [OTL British Columbia] and Saskatchewan admitted as states, and the USA state flag is redesigned with 10-pointed stars to represent groups of 10 states. [The count of states is now 14/14/41.]
• 1923–29: A de facto peace with Draka is soon established, due predominantly to the inability of the exhausted Allies to mount any significant offensive against the Domination, and concern for the British still held hostage in Africa. The Domination refuses to recognize the Peace of Versailles (especially the provisions for returning territory to anyone), although it soon repatriates all remaining British citizens and makes payments to British and German firms for seized commercial properties. All Drakan conquests are annexed as "New Territories," and the Pacification Wars begin. Rest of the world outraged as the Domination publicly executes captured enemy leaders in Archona on "Victory Day", first in 1923 with over 4,000 Ottomans and Young Turks, and in 1924 with the Shah's Vizier and others. Widespread embargo against Domination begins due to continuing use of slaves, brutality in war, and flaunting of depravity by Citizens. The Domination enters an isolationist phase enforced from within and without, heavily fortifies the conquered areas, and gradually eases restrictions on free women in combat positions, with full integration in 1936. Classical revival in Domination society based upon the "lost" works discovered near Alexandria in 1919; female formal dress based on the Greek chiton, institutional belief that the Domination is continuing the (selected) traditions of ancient Greece and Rome is reinvigorated. Trans-African Railroad from Capetown to Alexandria completed. [Cecil Rhodes rolls over in his grave.]
  The Tsar regains control by promising more power to the Duma and people, including putting his secret police under civil control, and Russia undergoes a second constitutional revolution to become a Socialist monarchy. Information from the secret police files is pieced together to reveal that Germany was secretly funding the Communists, further discrediting the movement as a patriotic group. Massive industrialization in Russia and creation of the "People's Army" to address the problems posed by the previous war and the new Draka neighbors. Russian population boom, as serfdom is abolished and large numbers flock to the cities to work unskilled industrial jobs.
  The Austro–Hungarian Empire begins to crumble, as confidence has been lost in the central authority; the minor nobility and people mostly complain of the great losses suffered due to the Imperial Advisors doggedly persisting with combat when there were early opportunities for peace. Allied (British, American, and French) occupation of Germany is with a light hand as they wish to prevent instability from spreading further. An Austrian Communist Republic is declared in Bratislava, but is soon crushed by war veterans and a detachment of Allied occupation troops from Germany. Italy is chastened by their heavy losses, and a Militarist government takes power promising to renew the Roman Empire through hegemony over the Balkans and Greece. Italy begins industrial development and rearmament, and expands the Italian commercial presence in Albania. France begins reconstruction, and plans for the "Surlot Line" of fortresses facing Germany. The Roman Catholic Church, beginning in Italy, signs concordats with various regimes that keep local Catholics from being a unified political force, in exchange for government support of Catholic educational institutions on par with public ones. The one in Italy also has sovereignty for the Vatican, after giving up some other church properties.
  Formation of the Assembly of Nations, a diplomatic and international law organization. Voting members include all major powers except the Domination, which refuses to participate in this and all other international organizations and treaties. Among other issues, China is declared open for free trade and becomes a hotbed of intrigue between all the European powers plus America and Japan, all vying for commercial and diplomatic advantage. Japan effectively retains control over Manchuria, and pays only lip service to an Assembly mandate that it allow interchange with the rest of China. Poland is created as a buffer state between Germany and Russia, and the peaceful breakup of Austria–Hungary into Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia is supervised. Britain makes reforms in India that quells the pacifist resistance movement for now. The British government partitions Ireland, but the new Irish Republic begins internally squabbling over the future of the substantial Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. Last portions of American Far Northwest Territories become states. Although disgusted with what was perceived as a European war, the USA begins coming out of its shell.
  Introduction of the "turbo-compound" (compression combustion cylinders producing high-pressure gas for turbine drive) engine for aircraft, dirigibles, ships and clanks. Most road transport remains with the mature steam-based technologies. Other forms of internal combustion engines have only limited applications, but the standard fuels for road vehicles are variations on refined petroleum. Advances in quantum theory, development of hormonal contraceptives and fuel cell (initial application in submarines).
  The Domination discovers and begins exploitation of the Algerian oil fields, and continues exploitation of the Libyan and Middle Eastern ones, charges high prices for oil and refined petroleum exports. Dutch East Indies (especially at Balikpapan) and Brunei oil fields heavily developed in response, Ploesti and Maikop extraction and refinery complexes expanded in Rumania and Russia. Massive Drakan infrastructure development in conquered areas. Domination charges exorbitant tolls for use of Suez Canal, and insists on rights of inspection and refusal, leading to dramatic decreases in merchant traffic compared to pre-war. Shipping traffic through Panama Canal and Pacific, or nonstop around southern Africa, increases to compensate. Britain and France, as the two powers most affected by the Suez Canal, are rather unhappy but can't muster international support or find a lever to force the Domination to change the prices. Russia and Britain agree to build a railroad connecting the Baltic and Afghanistan, but the project turns into a Russian bureaucratic nightmare. Oil discovered in Republic of Grand Columbia (Venezuela). Drakan Provincial Assembly moved into a larger building that has provisions for further expansion.
  [The Socialism of this timeline is a compromise between totalitarian communism and true democratic socialism. It has a representative people's assembly with real power, and a powerful head of state chosen by the assembly, but insists on a centrally planned economy and almost no incentives for excellence. While avoiding some of the repressive aspects of Soviet communism, it is subject to the same corruption and inefficiencies. Russian Socialism is a peculiar implementation of the ideal Socialist system, retaining the Tsar in much the same manner as Britain's monarchy. When industrial and agricultural holdings are nationalized, the owners receive interim government positions in charge of their former holdings in lieu of compensation, leading to only superficial reform. While the cause of Socialism as a political system is bolstered by implementation in Russia, there is little worldwide agitation akin to OTL Communism. The most successful implementation of "ideal" Socialism in this period, and the largest Socialist state outside Russia, is Sweden.
  The changes in Russia between the wars were made by evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. While less dramatic than OTL, this left the core of corrupt and incompetent aristocratic and bureaucratic personnel and systems in place while further diluting responsibility. In an environment with more competition for legitimacy, or opportunities to expand the nation, the death of initiative in Russia would have been exposed and remedied before it led to national disaster.]
• 1925–26: Zurich Accords prohibiting use of poison gas and mandating humane treatment of military prisoners and conquered civilians are agreed to by all nations but the Domination. Treaty of Berlin signed by Britain, United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia — all the major world powers except for the Domination. It establishes limits on the militaries of the signatory nations, but the limits are not set as low as some of the powers wished due to others' proximity to the non-signatory Domination. The Domination is also not a party to the International Slavery Convention adopted by the Assembly of Nations. This provides for the suppression and prohibition of the slave trade, and complete abolition of slavery and other forms of involuntary servitude; while this convention provides a moral basis for a coalition against the Domination, none materializes due to postwar exhaustion.
  Domination policy is no prisoners on either side and no "restraints on the use of any of the methods and technologies of war." In practice, local commanders in the Great War enserfed some enemy soldiers, saved a few for interrogation, and impaled all the rest. During fighting with the Ottomans, the few hard-fought locations became mass impaling sites for both sides. Use of Drakan air power was chiefly for tactical support and supply of or communication with vanguards, not strategic bombing. As the ability to cause mass destruction continues to increase through technology, the only concern within the Domination is that the damage to the land not be permanent. The Domination is the only power with practical experience in aerial supply and long-distance maneuvers, although Militarists in Germany begin advocating the blitzkrieg strategy for future warfare. The Planning Staff of the War Directorate fosters continuing development of advanced doctrines and tactics, and both Citizen and Janissary Legions are trained in their use. However, the Drakans often can't quickly innovate a counter when an enemy exploits a fault. This is a serious problem if the fault becomes widely known or the pace of operations doesn't permit the Domination to develop and test new procedures. Luckily, during the Great War and Pacification Wars none of their adversaries were able to share what worked with others to a great degree. This will become a growing problem in the next war, though. The Pacification Wars sputter to a halt in 1926.
  An international naval treaty, which again doesn't include the Domination, allows the other powers to convert warship hulls to aircraft carriers instead of being forced to destroy them. This causes several strange decisions with repercussions in the next war. The Americans convert some top-heavy battleship hulls, put armor on the flight deck, and still end up with a ship faster than anything in their fleet except torpedo boats. Unfortunately, the British go the other way; they convert some lightly armored fast cruisers, and have to conserve weight to get acceptable speed and range, so the flight decks are wood. The Japanese end up making the same choices. The Domination finally builds their first carrier after a lot of picking and choosing between the alternatives, ending up with something closer to the Americans than the British — range is less important than protection for the Citizens.
  [This happens to be a reversal of the American and British roles compared to OTL, with terrible consequences for the war in the Pacific. The prototype Drakan carrier is just a one-off; the next ones will appear almost 15 years later and leapfrog several design generations.]
  Russian theory advocates defense through attrition and trading territory for time to bring large forces to bear. France places itself on the strategic defensive, and the British take the lead as worldwide guarantors of peace. America wants to remain aloof from world affairs as the intervention in Europe is now seen as solving little. The belief in the popular militia with a core of professional officers, behind a small professional navy, still permeates American society although technology (airplanes, clanks, electrodetectors) is beginning to make the "weekend Minuteman" unworkable. An Italian theory of massive strategic aerial bombing leading to victory is popular in Britain, although the Royal Navy siphons off most of the bombers for long-range search. Italy never builds any heavy bombers, and concentrates on their rebuilt navy as the first line of defense, correctly believing the next threat to be the Domination.
  Prohibition passes in United States as the recent female suffrage makes its influence felt, but exceptions for state and local enforcement lead to widespread popular evasion (especially below the Rio Grande) and rise of Mexican gangsters in major American cities. The Federal Indian Territories scattered across the country become a popular venue for gambling and drinking, as there are no federal anti-gambling laws, and insufficient law enforcement to keep Prohibition. "Jazz Age" begins. Rise in worldwide popularity of marijuana (kif in the Domination).
• 1925–1936: After the mass executions have already killed most of the valuable native personnel in the New Territories, the Domination begins to realize that there are too few Citizens to do all the skilled jobs required by an industrial and technological society, especially one that has just greatly expanded through conquest. With immigration and tourism down to nearly nil, there must now be a change in Draka society to allow individuals to rise (and fall) on merit, rather than relying on racial distinctions for pre-destination. What emerges — after considerable resistance from the entrenched Citizen aristocracy — is mandatory aptitude testing for both serf and Citizen children. This is even justified within the official serf religion as a ritual for determining if the child's status should be higher or lower than the parents' is. It immediately expands the pool for potential skilled workers in the Domination, although downward mobility by Citizens is practically impossible except in cases of gross incompetence. Thus, a regimented meritocracy begins to appear within the Domination's area of civil government; the War and Security Directorates have control of the incompletely pacified areas, and usually make it rather difficult to find willing workers until the population is a fraction of pre-war levels.
• 1929: Athabasca admitted as state, the final US territory on the continent (within current boundaries) to do so. [The 70 states on the USA state flag are divided 14/14/42.]
• 1930–32: A speculative boom on Wall Street collapses, leading to a Great Recession that quickly spreads worldwide to most nations through loans being called in, except for the Domination, and to a lesser extent Russia. Rearmament slows in Italy, but temporarily stops in Germany and France.
  After withdrawal of Allied occupation forces from Germany, a narrow election victory succeeds in placing two Militarist heroes of the Battle of the Mazurian Lakes (the German victory that occurred at the start of the Russian collapse in the Great War) in power as Chancellor and Prime Minister. They announce public works projects to rebuild the economy, including the autobahn highway network and rearmament with the most modern weapons (within treaty limits). Although there is some financial sleight-of-hand behind the scenes, the popular and economic response is soon overwhelmingly positive. Communist, Socialist, and various racist political elements lose power as the situation in Germany improves.
  British response to the Great Recession turns to this public-works concept, but to an ineffective lesser extent, after charitable measures are overwhelmed and conventional government intervention in the economy fails to regain public confidence. France announces accelerated plans for Surlot Line construction. Many countries turn to rearmament or public works projects to pull themselves out of the economic slump. The Treaty of Berlin is quietly overcome by events as Italy, Japan, and then Russia openly violate the terms as "an economic necessity."
  America turns fervently isolationist in disgust with worldwide rearmament and militarism, and lack of international support in the continuing attempts to maintain Prohibition, although the stipend for militia drills attracts many unemployed men who avoided service before. The conventional charitable and government approaches persist in America until civil unrest begins to break out, as Congress and the President are unwilling to tamper with the economy or follow the European examples. A popular but ineffective President is elected in 1932, who proposes several schemes that Congress rejects for their high cost. Prohibition continues as the rise of gangsters and crime hasn't yet convinced prohibitionists that their grand experiment has failed. The Federal Indian Territories continue their popularity with criminals, gamblers, and those evading Prohibition. More and more tribal leaders begin exhibiting uncommonly good business sense; leading many social commentators to say that the Indians are finally assimilating, much as the Mexicans and freed slaves already have. Cynics point out that they're becoming gangsters too, in their own way. What isn't noticed in the general rise of Prohibition-related illegal commerce is that the American Indians aren't visibly spending much of what they're getting. It's going somewhere, but where?
  The worldwide embargo against the Domination quietly falls apart, as the Drakans are willing to trade with anyone who can pay in gold or goods. Inexpensive Drakan rum floods the American market as blockade-runners evade coastal patrols in the Caribbean and Atlantic. Eva and Asa von Shrakenberg born, death of Mary von Shrakenberg.
  [The German Militarists are working completely within the democratic system, with a bulwark of patriotic support by veterans, and the military and industrialists interested in rebuilding the armed forces and then restoring Germany's lost territories. There is no hint of racism or territorial expansion beyond prewar Germany in their program at this time. An alternate history of a German military regime with Hitler unsuccessful at achieving supreme power is found here: http://www.althist.com/regime.htm. Much of the events of 1948 in Germany in my timeline are inspired by this work.]
• 1933: Continuing military buildup worldwide leads to formation of the Pact of Paris between Britain, France and Russia. Stated purpose is to deter aggression against any member (by Germany or Domination although not so stating), and preserve existing territorial boundaries. Italy declines to join, as their ambitions in the Balkans would be thwarted.
  The Great Recession persists only in America, and to a lesser degree in Britain. Great War veterans marching on Washington to demand early payout of pension benefits leads to looting put down by loyal local militias. Congress flees the city after declaring martial law, doesn't return for several months.
  Domination begins "Quattara Depression Project" to generate hydroelectric power between Mediterranean and Quattara Depression, along with chemical extraction from the brine created. Plans for a Bosphorus Project to take advantage of constant currents through the Turkish Straits are delayed indefinitely by priority construction of nearby fortifications. Extensive testing of hormonal contraceptives on serfs leads to their being approved for use by Citizen women, Race Purity laws amended to allow Citizen women to legally have sex with serf males if protected. Eugenics Directorate established with missions to improve the Citizens, find biological/chemical ways to control serfs, and develop biological weapons. Virunga Biocontrol Institute established in the Kalahari Desert.
  Germany's military buildup is constrained by the necessity to trade coal and industrial goods for the important natural resources of iron and oil found closest in Sweden and Rumania; German diplomacy focuses on these two trading partners. The Militarists also begin encouraging German nationalism in the ethnic German minorities in surrounding states, and will heavily play this card in the future to cause unrest, as well as agreeing to withdraw support when it suits their negotiations with other nations.
  Geography splits any Russian Navy into at least 4 (Baltic, White Sea, Black Sea, Pacific) fleets with little hope of them ever being able to transfer assets in wartime. A canal system begun in the 1800s allows small ships to transfer between the Volga River (which empties into the Caspian Sea) and Baltic Sea, but construction of links to rivers reaching the Black Sea and White Sea aren't complete yet. Maximum size of canal-capable vessels is 16 meters width, 100 meters length, and 6 meters draft; equivalent to a short frigate class. Russia therefore has amphibious assault groups for the Baltic and Black Seas, and long-range fast commerce raiding groups for the Pacific Ocean and White Sea, with minimal capital (cruiser and battleship) ship construction, and no aircraft carriers. Naval forces also get the lowest priority in the Russian buildup, as the Socialist hierarchy is interested in continental power expressed through an army and air forces. Fortified border garrisons for the long frontiers and a myriad of armories and training camps to quickly turn out vast numbers of conscripts are the destinations of much of the funds for the "People's Army." The Russian Air Force supports the Army, concentrating on close air support and counter-air. Unfortunately, most of the "surplus" manpower that the Army plans to use doesn't actually exist; it's the product of double counting underemployed factory workers. The error is concealed in the lower levels of the bureaucracy, and the damage is done as the Socialist hierarchy operates with this assumption for years afterward.
  [The unrest in Washington is taken from OTL.]
• 1934: Bloodless coup with hostage taking forces the feeble King Rama VII of Siam to allow a constitutional monarchy. A young prince is designated his successor, and a Council of Regents led by the coup conspirators runs the country for the next several years.
  [Government change was 1935 OTL. The designation is my invention to allow a more vigorous King when the Japanese invade several years hence.]
• 1935–37: Attempted Militarist coup in Spain turns into civil war between Royalist, Militarist and Socialist factions. Drakan observers are the first to arrive, but are soon matched by British, Italians and Germans acting as observers and then advisors. The first military intervention is by Russia "responding to an appeal by our Socialist brothers." France is torn between supporting the Royalists and Socialists, and internal political bickering soon eclipses the interest in the war next door. British attempts to broker a peace fail repeatedly, as do cease-fires arranged by the Assembly of Nations. American participation is only by Socialist volunteers. The Drakans remain strictly as observers, and are scrupulous about not introducing any Domination military units or equipment. Militarists finally gain the upper hand after agreeing to maintain a figurehead monarchy, thereby gaining most of the popular support that the Royalists enjoyed, but pointedly refuse alliance with any other powers, and call themselves Nationalists once in charge. Drakan and other observers leave with much useful data on performance of the military systems introduced by various powers except the Domination in attempts to sway the outcome. Due to the length of the war, and the poor showing of "cavalry-style" clanks that aren't able to implement the promise of the blitzkrieg doctrine, many countries promote "infantry-style" clanks and defense in depth. This particularly suits Russia, which again hopes to capitalize on vast manpower and territory to bleed any invader dry. Although it didn't quite work in the previous war (the Austro–Hungarians were only marginally more competent at advancing into Russia than the Russians were at retreating), the next time there will be no collapse at home to cause chaos at the front. The next Russian war will be fought with heavily armored (and slow) infantry-style clanks supporting massive conscript armies. Now all that remains is to build the industry to build the rifles, clanks, artillery and planes to make this a reality before the shooting starts.
  The Russian Socialist government finds that industrial development is lagging population growth, leading to increasing under-employment. Secret policy decisions are made to deliberately use "surplus" male population in the military as expendable shock troops with little training. The first instance of this visible to the outside world is the BVS, a prototype "Socialist volunteer" unit sent to Spain, which is practically massacred in several incidents of strafing and artillery attack by Nationalist and Militarist forces that take advantage of the volunteers' lack of experience. While this "surplus" would be better used in building up Russian industry, it is somehow just not implemented in the bureaucratic hierarchy, even as demands for increased production pile up. Italy sends one similarly untrained unit of "volunteers" who thought they would be playing Roman soldiers in filming on Sardinia, with similar results including a betrayal by Spanish Socialists offering to send them home.
  [The Italian unit suffered a similar fate in OTL.]
• 1936–37: Francis "Frank" Patrick Kennedy, the first Irish Catholic President, elected on promises of a "New Deal" for Hispanics and other lower classes. Prohibition isn't repealed, publicly due to the moral influence of prohibitionists, but in reality because of the powerful criminal elements profiting from its continuation. Limited recovery begins in America as public works programs (National Public Service Corps based on the Quaker Legions) and increased militia pay cut into unemployment and poverty, marred by corruption and cronyism. Increasing sales of raw materials to Japan, such as the tearing down of antiquated elevated trolley lines in several cities that are sold as scrap metal.
  Japanese Militarists seize power and pressure the Emperor into allowing a complete conquest of China and further expansion towards Southeast Asia.
  The German Militarists throw off one of the last peace treaty provisions, and begin national conscription to rebuild the armed forces.
  Full integration of women into all Citizen forces and as serf auxiliaries, Janissaries remain male only.
  [The criminal Kennedy is my own invention, of course. The Japanese "Black Dragons" are actually late compared to OTL, as Baron Tanaka's plan was given to the Emperor in 1927. This means war doesn't begin in China until it's already in progress elsewhere. The Militarists are also slightly late compared to Hitler.]
• 1938: Physics research reveals potential of nuclear fission for power and weapons. Britain, Germany, U.S., Russia and Domination begin state-sponsored research programs — with the listing as their relative order of progress until later events intervene. Japan, Italy, and France dismiss this as a waste of time and resources they don't have. (France actually has several significant uranium deposits, but these have not yet been exploited, or the potential of nuclear power appreciated by the pre-war French government.)
  German scientists announce discovery that tobacco causes cancer, but this is initially dismissed as propaganda. Closed-circuit television and color photography invented. Networks of electrodetector (radar) installations built in Britain and Domination as part of an integrated defense against aircraft. First airborne electrodetector by Germany in a tethered blimp, experiment widely publicized but then abandoned. While all the major powers work on reducing the size and weight of the equipment so it can fit on an airplane, only the Domination applies the concept to dirigibles in the interim. The Domination's application in a dirigible provides a long-range aircraft detection capability that, with radio, provides positive control over aerial battle in a wide area. Yet the other powers strangely fail to take advantage of this relatively easy integration of existing technologies, possibly because only Russia has a similar long frontier, yet doesn't use dirigibles as much for long-distance transportation.
  The Domination and other powers undertake military modernization programs based on data gathered in Spain, but only the Drakans succeed in avoiding preparing to fight another trench war with better weapons, since they have not introduced new hardware into the atypical Spanish conflict. The Domination prepares to fight both wars of attrition using Janissaries and of maneuver using Citizen forces; emphasis on diversionary raids, airborne landings to block reinforcements, flanking amphibious invasions, air supply of vanguard units engaged in "deep maneuvers."
  Series production of Drakan aircraft carriers starts, finally giving the Drakan navy an air search and strike capability. Once the first ones are completed in early 1941, the Domination will be producing another batch every six months. One advanced feature is the ability to launch and recover aircraft simultaneously from twin flight decks separated by the control "island", and on-deck refueling and rearming allows an entire squadron to be turned around in under 15 minutes. But one endemic problem with Drakan military aircraft is their relatively short range; there is no need for long-range bombers in their plans. The Drakan capital ships, although unfettered by the restrictions in place elsewhere, concentrate on long-range accurate gunfire between scripted high-speed maneuvers, with relatively little armor. Their heaviest ships approximate cruisers, with the guns of a pocket battleship and the armor of a destroyer; as long as they can keep the enemy at arm's length they have the speed to stay inviolate.
  The Strategic Planning Section of the War Directorate identifies oil as the key strategic target in the upcoming conflict, and plans operations to destroy the major European production centers at Ploesti and Maikop in raids if they cannot be strongly held and exploited by the Domination.
  The Domination begins covertly providing arms to the Republic of Ireland, in an effort to encourage a future attack upon British Northern Ireland. The equipment is shipped through several neutral countries and is effectively Domination surplus with identifying marks removed. Irish troops begin drilling with broomsticks and steam drags, not revealing their real equipment. In the general frenzy of war preparations across Europe, the activity goes almost unnoticed, and is similar to British Home Defense exercises.
  France completes construction of the Surlot Line, but it extends only a few kilometers along the Belgian border instead of to the coast, due to the ruinous cost. The French military strategy is to absorb the German initial assault at the Surlot Line, gaining time to mobilize, then counterattack using massed infantry along the entire line, bolstered with clanks and towed artillery. These are essentially unchanged from the Great War tactics, and only a token French armored force is built. Another line of fortresses is proposed for the Italian border, but only a few improvements are made to existing facilities due to the cost of the Surlot Line, and the perceived low risk of Italian attack.
• 1939: The last pre-war maneuvers by the major powers occur. Italy begins quietly importing troops and equipment into Albania, and hiding them in Italian commercial interests there, such as warehouses. Rossalino, the Militarist head of Italy, announces on August 23^rd that the New Roman Empire has been founded, and that "the march of conquest has begun." The hidden troops are revealed, and all major and most minor towns in the small country are quickly taken "under our protection to safeguard vital assets." Condemnation of this occupation by the Assembly of Nations and the Pact of Paris powers is ineffective. The Balkan countries and Greece begin petitioning the Pact of Paris members for protection.
  Germany's announcement of a Third German Reich, and calls on ethnic Germans in neighboring countries to petition for union (anschluss) with a Greater Germany, cause a second chorus. Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark and Belgium soon have German-backed militants in the streets calling for an anschluss referendum. Only Switzerland is able to quash German demands for possible partial or complete absorption, as the Peace of Versailles did give some border regions of pre-war Germany to all the other neighboring countries. Germany and Italy begin secret staff talks to form a Militarist alliance after the current German gambits are played out. A modified German Militarist banner is adopted as the flag of the Reich; the symbolism is geopolitically prophetic.
  Secret German–Russian non-aggression pact signed. The treaty contains a guarantee of German aid in the event of Domination aggression, and proposes a partition of Poland in the event either party is attacked by Poland "or other circumstances allow."
  The Pact of Paris is loudly amended in October to specifically include the remaining Balkan countries and Greece as members whose borders are guaranteed against outside aggression. Consideration of similar membership being extended to the countries threatened by Germany is deferred after Russian lobbying, but those countries are advised to each allow a referendum with a reasonable interval for campaigning, to delay any confrontation. Russia manages to put off extending Pact of Paris protection until after the first set of votes, citing support for "self-determination by the people" (a phrase popular in Socialist rhetoric, the Peace of Versailles, and the Assembly of Nations). The German-threatened countries gear up for vicious voting campaigns, but inadvertently schedule them so the first three (Austria, Poland, Belgium) all fall during one week in March 1940. Referenda in other countries bordering Germany are scheduled for later months, ending in November 1940 with Denmark.
  Germany signs a secret non-aggression pact with the Domination, which awards the Balkans plus Albania and Greece to the Domination, and the former Austria–Hungary to Germany. No mention is made of Italy or Russia, or military support of the other; this is simply a division of territory neither power yet controls.
  The Domination openly proposes a division of China with Japan, horrifying many diplomats worldwide. Britain dismisses the announcement as "arrogant bluster." While loudly protesting this slur on Japanese respect for other's borders, Japan secretly counters with a proposed division of southern Asia. It gives India and Burma to the Domination, and Siam and the rest of Southeast Asia to Japan along with the eastern portion of China (dividing line roughly at longitude of Chengdu, about 1200 km southwest of Peking (Beijing)). The Domination secretly agrees to the Japanese counter-proposal, then publicly announces that the first proposal was rejected, and makes no more overt moves on the world scene until July 1940. All these secret pacts and deals demonstrate that, with hindsight, America's disgust with "European" power politics was well founded.
  Transistor invented at a Canadian university. First tape recorder, using magnetized wire. Area around Canton and Enderbury Islands in Pacific jointly administered by USA and Great Britain, claimed by both.
  [The Domination was trying to ascertain Japan's territorial aims; in this case a blunt approach was successful in eliciting something close to the truth.]

Next: 1940–1948+

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By Peter Karsanow.
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