Sure, but it might be worth exploring the diversity rather than just lumping them up.
In Spain's case, check the progress of independence for their colonies. I don't think I'd count them as effective rulers of an empire, or their colonies as real tools for anybody.
I would also suggest keeping Russia independent, it does seem you're lumping a lot of blocks together, and that just seems less interesting.
![]()
I don't know much much about African history, other than that Europe was dicking around with it for some time, which is why I decided not to include it in this draft. Well, except for Madagascar obviously. So Great Britian apparently has control of at least some parts of Africa. I'll have to write up what's happening with the continent after I've read up on the IRL history.
But there are two other empires going all Genghis, so really all the cool countries are doing it.
edited 13th May '11 5:12:03 PM by LizardBite
Would Canada really be annexed? That was around the time of the War of 1812, and look at what happened to America then. Especially since Britain seems to be developing at a much faster rate and has more control in Europe. I mean, yeah, the outcome of the war would have been different if the whole of America had been behind this, but the British have had control of this "Wulfheimer Process" for a decade, whereas America has had it for only four. I'd imagine that Britain would be able to develop more than America by that time.
And how was nuclear weaponry developed so early?
ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓈᒻᒪᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅBritain only had the process for a year longer than America. Rolf didn't move there and start actually building stuff until 1811. America and Britain were the only two (unified) nations with access to it and both decided that that gave them the right to take over everything ever.
As for nukes: the Wulfsheimer Process sped up technological development. Automobiles appeared only a few years after the process did for example. Someone just happened to figure out atoms early and happened to have the tech available to make the bomb happen.
Still, if that's so, then what stopped Britain from fighting America for control of Canada? Annexing that land could be considered an act of war, couldn't it?
And what ^ said. Though I guess that could have been discovered earlier as well. Also, the americans didn't really start developing it until they heard the Germans were inventing it first, thus they should. Or something. I can't remember how it works.
ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓈᒻᒪᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅAs it is steampunk, I will flatly ignore the physics breaking of steam power being that awesome :)
So I'll start picking at certain things for you to justify:
Britain takes over France in 1814. So exactly what do they have with this steampower? The main reason Britain was maintaining the "status quo" on the continental area was because they didn't have enough manpower to actually take it over. So what changed? France isn't a pushover country by any means, it took the combined arms of all of Europe to defeat it in 1814. Moreover, if Britain wanted to take over France, nobody would ally with them. People would just be jumping sides in a decades long war like the Great Northern War depending on who was winning (except in this case, always jumping on the loser side to keep both France and Britain screwed up).
Canada and Mexico annexed by 1814 likewise is rather fast. I mean remember, in the real time line, the War of 1812 happened and American forces were soundly repelled from Canada. It wasn't for lack of military power, the logistics and command were completely inept. Unless America is a much better led country in your timeline, it won't happen.
Nippon was in the midst of a fairly messed up political situation in the mid 1800s. It wasn't until the late 1800s in real life that they managed to stabilise and then begin their imperialism. In this case, you're supposing that the steampunk tech cuts it down by a few decades. That's fine. But then to take over China, they'd have to crush through both USA and Britain (assuming they are likewise sped up) and China would be in the middle of an accelerated version of the "8 Nation Occupation". So it would be quite costly for Nippon to take over China in this method, not to mention the fierce resistance that would occur from Qing Dynasty. Also there is Russia, they wouldn't stand by and let China be taken over like that. So it wouldn't be a simple matter of marching soldiers unless Qing troops get mowed down like crazy (and even then, in real life that only resulted in the 8 nation occupation).
In 1879 slavery is abolished in America. What's the reasoning behind that? Lacking the Civil War, I don't see much social impetus for it. If America was winning so hard in the world with its wars, they would have far FAR less reason to abolish slavery.
There's nukes? :P
I have to agree that there's too many Space Filling Empires showing up.
Oh, I think if a work isn't political-military based, one or two can be an Acceptable Break from Reality. But this is going overboard.

AGE OF INDUSTRY:
Questions, comments, concerns? Basically I want to know if this time is... well, not "realistic" exactly. It is Steampunk after all. But does it have enough verisimilitude to seem credible?
(edit: I suppose I should mention that is some slight tendency toward Urban Fantasy in this setting as well)
edited 13th May '11 4:55:03 PM by LizardBite