An Alternate History Scenario for Every Country (Part 2)

The second part in the fortnightly series. Any suggestions for possible scenarios just leave them in the comments. They can vary from being completely out there to realistic. Enjoy!

Spain- The Republicans win the Civil War

In our timeline in 1939 the fascist Nationalist Spanish under Francisco Franco managed to defeat the leftist Republican Spanish government after almost three years of bitter fighting that claimed many lives. In this scenario after the death of the original leader of the Nationalists Jose Sanjurjo the Nationalists become disoriented and the UK and France, (who remained neutral in the war), send arms, technology and supplies which helps the Republicans triumph over the Nationalists, despite being armed by Nazi Germany and fascist Italy. The leaders of the Nationalists are arrested and are either executed for treason or are given life sentences. With the country ravaged by endless warfare Spain retreats into isolation as in our timeline so it can recover. However the Republicans continue their laws which limited the power of the Catholic Church had on Spain with some supporters of the Popular Front, (Spain's left wing coalition), assaulting priests and vandalizing churches in anger at the Church for not supporting the Republic. The government would ignore these acts and so would the world who would be distracted by Hitler. Spain would continue to remain in isolation when war broke out although it would openly allow the French Resistance and refugees to cross the border. Hitler would be less likely to turn to Spain for aid to capture Gibraltar but in 1943 the Wehrmacht cross the border and enter Spain. The Republican government flees to Cadiz and Hitler creates a puppet fascist government under Gonzalo Queipo de Llano in Madrid with support from disgruntled conservatives, Jesuits and Catholics who feel discriminated against. The British and Americans invade Spain and Italy simultaneously to stop the Wehrmacht from taking the whole of Spain. By 1944 Spain is liberated and a new constitution is made with a less fanatical government so the persecution of Christians stop. With a less nationalistic government in power Spain's decolonization goes more smoothly and tensions over Gibraltar are much lower.

Grenada- The US invasion starts a guerrilla war

  In 1983 the Deputy Prime Minister of Grenada Bernard Coard overthrew the Marxist-Leninist government of Maurice Bishop in order to build closer ties with Cuba while Bishop wanted to remain neutral. The US invaded claiming that the airport was going to be used to land military jets, (despite claims otherwise from the House of Representatives), and overthrew Coard. In this scenario guerrilla soldiers from the New Jewel Movement, (Bishop's original group before the coup), fight against the invading US soldiers. They would vilify Coard for his coup against Bishop while seeing Bishop as a martyr. Castro would send arms, money and soldiers to train further guerrilla soldiers with the USSR sending supplies as well although their war in Afghanistan would lessen the amount they send. President Reagan's massive anti-communism would make him send more troops into Grenada as well as sending heavy bombers to bomb communist held areas and napalm to burn the foliage. The US public sees the parallels between Grenada and Vietnam and want out bar the more right wing conservatives. As reports of human rights abuse begin to emerge all caught on camera for the US public to see popularity in Reagan declines. The Iran-Contra scandal leaks out and in accompaniment with Grenada Reagan is impeached. George Bush removes troops and the New Jewel Movement declares victory. However Grenada's economy and infrastructure is destroyed, including the airport, and for years later Commonwealth and Cuban aid has to be used to help the countries economy.

South Korea- North Korea annexes South Korea.

At the start of the Cold War North and South Korea went to war and the North almost annexed the South but the UN coalition led by the US pushed them back. In this scenario North Korea manages to completely conquer the South before the coalition can intervene. South Korean dictator Syngman Rhee flees to Taiwan but most of his cabinet is captured by the communist forces. Kim Il-sung reforms the southern communist party and merges it with the Northern Worker's Party of Korea. In the south all non-communist politicians, generals and intellectuals are rounded up and either summarily executed or are sent to reeducation camps. Northern propaganda spreads to the south with images of Kim Il-Sung being draped over important buildings, communist messages being broadcast over radio and any non-communist literature banned. The Korean army would then be made into one of the world's largest as they are trained to battle capitalist armies. The alternate Korea would actually be less repressive than our North Korea as most northern propaganda is aimed at anti-US and anti-South Korea with it becoming isolated to prevent southern influence so it is easy to imagine Korea being like China. Korea would go through an industrial boom with its neighbor China during the 1970s and although it would not be as rich as China it would be far wealthier than North Korea today. To this day in Korea Kim Il-sung would be as venerated as he is in North Korea in our timeline.

North Korea- South Korea annexes North Korea

Syngman Rhee was just as adamant to unify Korea as his communist counterpart and he too almost succeeded if China had not intervened and pushed back the UN coalition led by the US. In this scenario China decides that it still has not recovered fully from literally decades of civil war to help the Koreans, seeing another war as possibly ending the communist regime. Kim Il-Sung flees to Beijing and becomes largely forgotten by history. Syngman Rhee however was not democratic so would continue his anti-communist policies into the north. As Kim Il-sung had already banned most parties that left only the Worker's Party of Korea to ban. Rhee would then arrest leading generals in the former North Korean army as well as arresting communist politicians and intellectuals who hadn't already fled to China or the USSR. Kim Il-sung's propaganda machine would be dismantled and any left wing groups disbanded with their leaders secretly executed or arrested. What then happens in the north would be parallel to that in the south in our timeline with it remaining agrarian until the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Korean economy would boom with Pyongyang becoming a major technological and industrial center instead of the run down city it is today. When Korea becomes fully democratic different ideologies return to the north with the Communist Party making some gains near the Chinese border. This alternate Korea would resemble our South Korea.

Germany- Germany unifies in 1849 instead of 1871

Following the Revolutions of 1848 which swept across Europe a Parliament of the German states came together in what became known as the Frankfurt Parliament. They intended to create a unified, liberal Germany but with a monarch as Head of State in the form of the Prussian king Frederick William IV. He toyed with the notion but his romantic idea of reforming the Holy Roman Empire and stating that he did not want to touch a crown touched by 'the hussy smell of revolution'. Thus Germany had to wait until 1871 to be unified. In this scenario William Frederick IV decides that King of Germany sounded better than King of Prussia and in 1849 he is crowned King Frederick William I of Germany with one of the organizers of the Frankfurt Parliament, most likely Heinrich von Gagern, as his Chancellor. Instantly the ideas put forward by the Parliament is set in place including freedom of speech, a free press, full suffrage, abolishment of capital punishment and freedom of religion. In the first few years of Germany's unification the King and Parliament argue over issues with Frederick William believing in the Divine Right of Kings although with his successors this friction would dissipate. With Germany unifying before Louis Napoleon leads a coup no war happens between France and Germany so France keeps Alsace-Lorraine. However war does erupt between Germany and Austria which Germany easily wins and annexes Austria's land in Poland. The more liberal government allows the SPD, (the German equivalent of the Labour Party), becomes the dominant political party. The liberal government remains out of wars until the early 20th century where it sides with there 'brothers' in Austria as well as out of fear of France and Russia. Germany would still lose the First World War but the liberal government and less autocratic monarch would enable post-war Germany to remain a stable constitutional monarchy instead of a weak republic.

Uganda- Idi Amin remains in power

Idi Amin was the dictator of Uganda from 1971 to 1979 where his rule led to the Ugandan economy plummeting, the currency becoming worthless, between 100,000 to 500,000 people being executed, expelling over 60,000 Asians from Uganda and his personal feats being rather erratic. One such one included sending Queen Elizabeth II a letter saying that if she wanted a real man to come see him. He was overthrown after he declared war on Tanzania who then invaded Uganda and forced him into exile. In this scenario no war happens between Uganda and Tanzania so Amin remains in power. Amin continues his bloodthirsty regime with him expelling other ethnic minorities including whites and Lugbaras who flee to Britain and Kenya. Amin would most likely continue his aggression to Israel, (he had an Israeli plane hijacked), with him using the Ugandan secret service to hijack and hold to ransom Israeli planes. He would also start publicly executing political dissidents and homosexuals garnering international condemnation. He most likely would go ahead with his dream of building a giant statue of Hitler in the capital, (I'm not making this up he really wanted to do this). Meanwhile the Ugandan economy would continue to plummet through corruption in the government. In the later 1980s when on a state visit to Libya to meet with ally Muammar Gaddafi the military would lead a coup and his bloodthirsty regime would finally end.

Canada- The US annexes Canada

 During the War of 1812 there was some talk of the United States annexing Canada for a few reasons including to stop British supplied Native American warriors hoping over the border like Tecumseh, to get full control over Great Lakes trade and to push their enemy out of North America. This never happened as mainly the US did not manage to win enough land to annex Canada. In this scenario the British distracted by Napoleon send more troops to Europe so the United States army wins major battles in Canada. Britain cuts its losses and cedes Canada to the US with much anger from both the Canadians and Americans, (many Americans were against expansionism). The United Sates starts putting trade ports in Newfoundland and the Great Lakes. For years debates are made whether to make the Canadian provinces states with southern states hotly against it as they would be non-slave states. Meanwhile the army wages war against the Native American tribes, especially against the Iroquois, and only when Tecumseh is killed can they sign treaties with Native Americans giving the federal government land. In 1830 with Andrew Jackson signing the Indian Removal Act it is expanded to include the Canadian Native Americans who are forced into reservations but the poorer farm land in Canada means that they would have a very hard life compared to the Plains Native Americans. When the US goes to war against Mexico annexing Texas, California and other Mexican lands, (the vast American immigration would continue because of gold discovered there), the Canadian provinces would be made states while most of the Mexican land being made slave states. While a Union Pacific Railroad is made in the Plains another is made stretching from Quebec to Newfoundland although this would cut through Native American lands reducing them further. Slowly English Canadian and French Canadian culture would be lost to US culture, (on a side note Wolverine might not be Canadian as he was made Canadian as a thank you to Canadian Marvel fans).

Marshall Islands- The Marshall Islands declare independence in 1918

The Marshall Islands were once a German colony until they were made a Japanese mandate after the First World War with Japan invading them during the conflict. In this scenario the Marshall Islands are not invaded during the war so when Germany is failing in Europe in 1918 the Marshall Islands decides to become independent. They expel German governors and when the Treaty of Versailles is signed the new League of Nations acknowledges the Marshall Islands' independence. The Islands soon ally themselves with their nearby neighbors Australia and New Zealand who they rely on for protection having a small population. When World War Two breaks out Japan invades the islands in order to attack Australia and New Zealand later. The US then would expel the Japanese army when they enter the war. After the war the Islands build up relations with the US although they refuse to let atomic testing be done in their waters after seeing the destruction done to Japan. As a result the people living around where the bombs would have been tested live a healthier life with no radiation in the land. On a side note Spongebob Squarepants would have a different setting; Bikini Bottom is named after the Bikini Atoll where the nuclear weapons testing took place.

Australia- Humans do not cross the Sahul Shelf

 This is a complicated one as it is not entirely proven. Thousands of years ago there was a land straight called the Sahul Shelf which connected Australia to Papua New Guinea and it is one theory that humans crossed this straight and settled Australia. This scenario is based on the fact that this theory is correct, (it could be incorrect), and that the arid straight and the deserts of Northern Australia made the prehistoric humans believe that the land was inhospitable. When sea levels again rose covering the shelf during the Ice Age humans then became cut off from Australia. On Australia the exotic wildlife that were hunted to extinction by humans remain including a bull sized wombat called Diprotodon, a marsupial cat called Thylacoleo and a 7 meter long monitor lizard called Megalania. The wolf like marsupial Thylacine which was nicknamed the Tasmanian Tiger by Europeans because of their striped bodies and the fact that they lived on Tasmania would remain on the mainland with Tasmanian Devils as humans hunted them to extinction on the mainland before Europeans arrive. However all these creatures would quickly go extinct when the Dutch and British arrive introducing pigs, rats and deciding that these unusual animals would be good hunting trophies. However what is more important is that the Aboriginal people would not exist which could change the entire history of Australia as well as its culture. An entire ethnic group never existing could have a massive effect on world history that we might not be able to grasp. Many ideas about Australian stereotypes would not even exist without Aboriginal Australians such as boomerangs, (used by the Aboriginal Australians), and dingoes, (introduced by the Aboriginal Australians). We cannot even guess what Australia would be like without the people which shaped the country for centuries, (shaping it even more than white Australians).

Thanks for reading and please leave any suggestions. The next round will be up in a fortnight so the deadline for suggestions ends on February 26th!