Post by eurofed on Sept 24, 2020 6:42:41 GMT
The key idea of this scenario is Europe being dominated by two empires that hegemonize everything west of Russia and north of the Balkans: a successful Hohenstaufen HRE and a just as accomplished Plantagenet Angevin Empire. As it concerns the former, the circumstances and consequences of its development have been extensively described in this other thread. This modified scenario assumes that description as a premise. As it concerns the latter, ITTL Plantagenet England is able to fight back Capetian France's attempts to seize control of the territories of Henry II, consolidate them into an integrated and functional state. The English Kings use the Angevin Empire's resources as a power base to conquer and assimilate Scotland and Wales (much like Edward I did or tried to) and replace the Capets as the ruling house of France. They establish an Anglo-French union much like Henry V tried to do. They do so with the support of the Staufen Emperors, who are eager to suppress France's attempts to expand eastward and eliminate a dangerous rival for hegemony of the Med. The HRE is too focused on, and busy with, its own consolidation and expansion in Eastern Europe and the Med to seriously contest the Plantagenet bid to conquer France at large, at least until the Anglo-French union is stabilized. However, it exploits the situation to consolidate its Western border on the Middle Ages status quo and absorb a few valuable territories, including the Flanders and at least part (or quite possibly all of) Picardie, Champagne and Bourgogne. ITTL the widely-recognized 'natural' borders of France more or less are the Somme, the Aisne and the Marne or quite possibly even the Seine, the Saone, and the Rhone. Nobody but the equivalent of a Napoleon or an Hitler dares to dream of the Rhine and the Alps.
Later, the two empires further expand by means of dynastic unions. The Iberian kingdoms complete the Reconquista quicker and more easily than OTL thanks to Imperial support. They unify by dynastic means much like OTL (w/o a successful Portuguese uprising) and eventually form a union with the HRE much like at happened with the Habsburg. However ITTL the HRE is a long-established, functional, and very powerful empire that is able to absorb Iberia w/o excessive trouble, cementing its hegemony of the Med. Much the same way, the Kalmar union endures and the Angevin Empire establishes a dynastic union with it, merging the two states into an Anglo-French-Scandinavian empire. On its part, the HRE consolidates as a German-Italian-Iberian-Central European empire. Eastern Europe remains Russia's turf since the HRE's expansion prevents any equivalent of the PLC from being born, although the Russians still have to deal with the Tartars and the might of the HRE prevents any Russian attempt to expand westward. The Balkans and the Eastern Med in all likelihood belong to a revitalized and resurgent Byzantine Empire, since ITTL Imperial expansion in the Med and Angevin-HRE engagement in the Crusades almost surely lead to Islam being wiped out from North Africa and the Middle East, reversing the effects of the Arab conquest. Chances are ITTL the Crusaders raze Mecca and Medina to the ground sometime during the Late Middle Ages.
Later, the two empires further expand by means of dynastic unions. The Iberian kingdoms complete the Reconquista quicker and more easily than OTL thanks to Imperial support. They unify by dynastic means much like OTL (w/o a successful Portuguese uprising) and eventually form a union with the HRE much like at happened with the Habsburg. However ITTL the HRE is a long-established, functional, and very powerful empire that is able to absorb Iberia w/o excessive trouble, cementing its hegemony of the Med. Much the same way, the Kalmar union endures and the Angevin Empire establishes a dynastic union with it, merging the two states into an Anglo-French-Scandinavian empire. On its part, the HRE consolidates as a German-Italian-Iberian-Central European empire. Eastern Europe remains Russia's turf since the HRE's expansion prevents any equivalent of the PLC from being born, although the Russians still have to deal with the Tartars and the might of the HRE prevents any Russian attempt to expand westward. The Balkans and the Eastern Med in all likelihood belong to a revitalized and resurgent Byzantine Empire, since ITTL Imperial expansion in the Med and Angevin-HRE engagement in the Crusades almost surely lead to Islam being wiped out from North Africa and the Middle East, reversing the effects of the Arab conquest. Chances are ITTL the Crusaders raze Mecca and Medina to the ground sometime during the Late Middle Ages.