Apartheid Superpower 6.0

Here's the sixth iteration of my magnum opus, inspired by an AH Challenge from Reddie. This version takes into account criticisms from Terence before he was banned. I believe Terence was South African and knew a fair bit about the technology and geopolitical situation of the region, which necesitated revisions, primarily in the 16th and 17th Centuries.

I'll post the 16th Century and then wait awhile before posting each installment, to give people time to comment and ask question.

16th Century

POD: Leiden Falls to the Spanish (1574 AD)-Leiden in the Netherlands falls to the Spanish before relief forces can arrive.

Johannes Buckhout Plans Calvinist Exodus (1574 AD)-Buckhout fears that the Dutch cause is lost, and begins planning an escape route. He decides on the Cape of Good Hope, since it’s very far away from Europe, is a good spot for participation in the India trade, and could give the Calvinists a place to establish their utopia.

Battle of Mookerheyde (1575 AD)-This battle is another Spanish victory, and gives Buckhout more credibility.

The Exodus (1575 AD)-Fifteen ships carry the Dutch Calvinists to the Cape of Good Hope and establish Calvinist settlement there. Total initial number of settlers in South Africa is 5,000.

Foundation of the Cape Free State (1576 AD)-The Afrikaner settlement establishes the Cape Town Compact, the constitution of the Cape Free State. Said constitution limits suffrage to male heads of household, establishes the Dutch Reformed Church as the only legal religious body, and guarantees the rights of property, freedom of speech and press (except for heresy), and some other things.

Battle of Rijnsburg (1577 AD)-Here the Spanish army, overextended by its recent victories, suffers a severe blow. Leiden is recaptured soon afterward, along with The Hague.

Word of the Dutch Victory Reaches the Cape (1579 AD)-Word of the recent Spanish reversals reaches the Cape. Some of the Dutch return to Holland, but most have invested too much into the new land to leave it. Those who do return, however, bring back word of a bountiful and useful place to settle. Many poorer Dutchmen and Calvinist refugees from elsewhere in Europe will make their way to southern Africa in the coming years.

Treaty of Cape Town (1579 AD)-The Afrikaners make a treaty with the Dutch Republic. Free trade and travel between the two nations, although the Afrikaners look askance at Catholic Dutch and do not want them to own land or set up Catholic churches in their territory. Military alliance as well—Afrikaners begin preying on Spanish ships trading in the Indian Ocean.

The Great Grab (1581 AD)-The Afrikaners grab three Portuguese and two Spanish ships loaded with spices and the like. This aggravates the Portuguese community, already unhappy with Spain’s inability to defend their colonial empire from the Dutch and the Afrikaners. The Spanish government decides to seize control of the Cape of Good Hope to turn the tables on the Protestants.

Afrikaner Population Before Spanish Assault on Cape Town (1584 AD)-10,000. Much is due to immigration, although there are some African-born youngsters.

Spanish Assault on Cape Town (1584 AD)-The Spanish land a naval force in Cape Town and seize control of the city, taking the Cape militia by surprise and ejecting it from the city. The Reformed leadership is given a choice between conversion to Catholicism or the stake, and get burned.

Battle of Solomon’s Hill (1584 AD)-The Spanish soldiers pursue the Afrikaners into the bush. The Afrikaners, who’re all mounted infantrymen, manoeuvre around them and destroy the fort (and the supplies therein) at Solomon’s Hill. Although the Spanish get some help (food, water, and guides) from natives annoyed at the land-grabbing tendencies of the Dutch settlers, they can’t get ammunition.

Battle of Towsrivier (1584 AD)-Low on ammo and slowly being attrited by Afrikaner hit-and-run mounted attacks, the tercios begin making their way back to the captured city. Unfortunately, the Afrikaners get them in a bad spot, encircle them, and destroy them in detail. The Afrikaners, angry at the execution of their churchmen, return the favour and show no quarter.

Cape Town Liberated (1584 AD)-The Afrikaner militia returns to the city in force. The citizens rebel and eject the Spanish troops. The battle begins when a group of Afrikaner slip into the town and hijack one of the two Spanish ships, sinking the other one and then turning its guns on the Spanish occupation forces. The main body of the Afrikaner militia invades the city and the citizens rebel. The Spanish are massacred.

Conscription, Expansion, Immigration Policy Established (1585 AD)-The Afrikaners are determined not to allow something like that to happen again. A more formal military policy is established, along with a coherent scheme to expand their political control outside of the Cape region—it was the ability to retreat into the hinterland that enabled the Cape militia to defeat the Spanish, and the local Africans cannot be trusted not to help the Spanish. The Afrikaners also decide to try to attract more immigrants from Europe, to make sure their population base is large enough to maintain a powerful military AND a productive economy. The Afrikaners also send word to the Dutch about how the Cape of Good Hope is a good spot to interdict Spanish/Portuguese commerce in the Indian Ocean.

The Bushman War (1586-8 AD)-Afrikaners devastate the San and Khoi, establishing their control over the southern interior regions of present-day South Africa. Perhaps 60% of the Bushmen are killed in the war, while the remainder are enslaved. However, these new slaves all die within ten years due to disease and simply not being able to hold up.

Edict of Nantes (1598)-Henri IV converts to Catholicism in order to be crowned King of France. The Afrikaners complain about this compromise, and predict dire results.
 
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Now things get rather different from the last iteration of the TL, thanks to Terence's advice.

17th Century

Afrikaner Population Reaches 20,000 (1600 AD)-Although a large proportion of the population consists of kids (larger families), the Afrikaners are powerful enough to hold the Cape and maintain some control over the interior.

Synod of Cape Town (1601 AD)-The Afrikaners have made many black or Bushman (although those are largely dead at this point) converts to the Reformed Church—now what to do with them. Many whites are uncomfortable jointly worshipping with blacks. The Synod decrees that blacks will be integrated into existing (white) churches whenever possible, but exceptions can be made “for the weakness of some.” Unfortunately, over the centuries, the exception became the rule.

Diamonds Discovered Across the Orange (1605)-Diamonds are discovered in the region of OTL Kimberly by Afrikaner explorers who’ve crossed the Orange River. The Afrikaners—more educated and mercantile than OTL’s Boers—recognize the value of these and decide to secure control of the territory.

The Northern Expedition (1606 AD)-Afrikaner militia armies move northward and seize the diamond-rich regions, enslaving or driving away African villagers. This provokes a large-scale response from African tribes all the way to the Limpopo.

Battle of the Ridgeline (1606 AD)-The Afrikaners and their victims meet in battle. It’s an Afrikaner victory—they lose 200 soldiers and the tribal forces lose perhaps 1,000, devastating black manpower south of the Limpopo. The Afrikaners’ low manpower does not permit them to immediately conquer everything south of the river, but over the next generation, they manage this.

(more)

Beginning of the Thirty Years’ War (1618 AD)-The defenestration of Prague sets off the Thirty Years’ War as in OTL.

First Diamond Shipments to Protestants (1619 AD)-The Afrikaners send a large shipment of diamonds to aid their Protestant co-religionists, particularly the Dutch. These diamonds fetch high prices, helping out the Protestant war effort.

South African Diamond Rush (1619-40 AD)-When the Afrikaner diamond arrives, large numbers of Europeans head south to participate in the giant mining rush. The Afrikaners are very strict about migrants—non-Calvinists not welcome, and immigrants must do military service, the same as native-born. Despite the Afrikaners’ high standards, 30,000 white settlers arrive during this time period. The city of Dorlanburg is founded on the site of OTL Kimberly, named in honor of Gerben Dorlan, who has taken advantage of the rise in manpower the diamond rush has brought to conquer the recently-depopulated regions south of the Limpopo.

Afrikaner Invasion of Mozambique (1635 AD)-Afrikaner forces, swelled by new immigrants and in conjunction with the Dutch, invade present-day Mozambique. The attack begins with a large cavalry raid that moves up the coast as far as present-day Inhambane. This does a lot of damage, but it rouses the Portuguese, who quickly move south to intercept the Afrikaner infantry force that’s surely coming behind.

Battle of the Limpopo (1635 AD)-The Portuguese and their African allies attack the Afrikaner forces as they ford the Limpopo River. This battle is a near-run thing—the Afrikaners’ army is small and they’re used to fighting opponents largely armed with spears, not guns. The Portuguese army isn’t much larger and the Afrikaners’ ferocity carries the day. To be on the safe side, however, the Afrikaners decide to recruit mercenaries from India and the Arab lands to bolster their small military. Envoys are sent to India and Arabia to recruit mercenaries.

Siege of Lourenço Marques (1635 AD)-The fresh manpower brought in enables the Afrikaners to seize control of the Portuguese city of Lourenço Marques (present-day Maputo).

Battle of Nova Lusitânia (1635 AD)-Overconfident Afrikaners, fresh from the occupation of L-M, surge northward. Remaining Portuguese forces check them here.

Battle of the Rio Lurio (1635 AD)-This is the final defeat of the Spanish/Portuguese and their native allies in East Africa. The Afrikaners catch the Portuguese while they’re fording the river, and destroy them.

Afrikaner Occupation of Palma (September 15th, 1635 AD)-A month after the Afrikaner destruction of the Portuguese forces at the Rio Lurio, Afrikaner forces take possession of the small settlement of Palma.

Mozambique Incorporated into the Free State (1635 AD)-Portuguese territories in East Africa are incorporated into the Free State. Portuguese holders of prazos (large landed estates) are given the choice between conversion to Protestantism and the loss of their lands (under Confederation law, only Protestants are allowed to own land). About a fifth or so of the landholders convert; most refuse and consequently lose their land. Some prazos (and their dependent African workforce, which paid the Portuguese in labor or cash) are taken over intact by Afrikaners (creating a class of “Maputo Gentry”), while others are broken up and settled by individual landless Afrikaner families. Afrikaners do not impose slavery, as the status-quo serfdom-like system works well enough. Most of the Portuguese who refuse to convert to Calvinism leave the colony, vowing revenge, although a few remain in the urban centers.

Spanish and Portuguese Reinforce Angola (1636 AD)-The Spanish and Portuguese reinforce the Portuguese colony of Angola, determined not to lose it to the Afrikaners.

Dutch Take Goa (1637 AD-The Dutch take Goa from the Portuguese.

Grootfontein Raid (1638 AD)-Spanish and Portuguese forces based in Angola raid into Afrikaner-held territory, defeating small Afrikaner garrisons and at one point, massacring several families and razing their homesteads.

Battle of Ondangwa (1638 AD)-An Afrikaner militia attempts to intercept the Spanish force as it retreats out of Afrikaner territory. The Afrikaners are defeated, although Spanish losses are heavy.

Afrikaner Invasion of Angola (1639 AD)-The Afrikaners, supported by Dutch ships, decide to put an end to the Spanish menace.

Battle of Cunene Crossing (1639 AD)-

Battle of Lobito (1639 AD)-

Battle of Huambo (1640 AD)-

Peace of Westphalia (1648 AD)-This treaty ends the 30 Years’ War. In addition to OTL stuff about national sovereignty and the recognition of Calvinism as a legal faith (leading to a decrease in the number of immigrants), the Spanish and Portuguese are forced to recognize the loss of Goa and present-day Mozambique and Angola to the Afrikaners and Dutch. The Portuguese government and individual dispossessed landowners are compensated by a large shipment of Afrikaner diamonds. Borders within Germany and Holland might be different, since the Afrikaner gold helped the Protestant cause (Sweden and Denmark might hold more German territory and the Netherlands might include Antwerp). Afrikaner Territorial Possessions At The Time of the Peace of Westphalia: Coastal OTL South Africa, the interior of OTL South Africa from the Atlantic to just beyond Kimberly, coastal Namibia and Angola, and Mozambique (plus some bits of the interior). Total white population is 65,000, while the total black population is 70,000 and the total Coloured (Indian and Arab) population is 15,000 (about 1/4 in the Afrikaner military and the rest are migrant workers).

Abraham Van Keuren Proposes Makes His Improvements Speech (1648 AD)-Van Keuren proposes a policy of using the nation's mineral wealth to improve the Free State rather than fund wars outside of Africa. He envisions a great university at Cape Town and another at Kimberly, and a powerful fleet to defend the Cape against any outside threat and to defend the Afrikaners’ growing position as middlemen in the Indian trade. “So that our Dutch brothers do not have to bear the burden alone,” is his justification for the creation of an independent Afrikaner navy in addition to the Dutch fleet. The later Afrikaner efforts to win naval supremacy in the Indian Ocean and efforts to build a world-class educational system come from this.

Catholic Deportations (1649 AD)-Oliver Cromwell, at the suggestion of his Afrikaner advisor Arnold Koch, rounds up thousands of Irish Catholics who occupy positions he deems threatening to English settlements in Ireland. Rather than deporting them to another part of Ireland, he deports them to the non-Puritan North American colonies—the sugar plantations of the Caribbean, the tobacco plantations of Virginia, the nascent Catholic colony of Maryland, and Pennsylvania. By the time of the Restoration, 150,000 Irish Catholics will be deported to the New World (this in addition to OTL immigration). This timeline’s center of Irish-American culture will be in Virginia/Kentucky, although South Boston will be Irish per OTL.

Catholics Permitted to Settle Frontier Zones (1650 AD)-Some leaders of colonies that forbid Catholics (primarily the New England ones) suggest Catholics be permitted to settle the frontier regions, to defend against Indian raids. This takes the pressure off Maryland, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania, who were getting more people then they could handle. They have only limited self-government in their segregated frontier towns and must submit to officials appointed by the Protestants.

(more)

Fall of Sri Lanka to the Dutch (1658 AD)-The Dutch finally seize control of Sri Lanka (with the exception of the Kingdom of Kandy in the center of the island) from the Portuguese. The Afrikaners benefit greatly from having SL as a jumping-off point for trade and military adventures in India.

(more)

Oliver Cromwell Dies (1658 AD)-He dies per OTL.

Army’s Attempt to Remove Richard Cromwell Stopped (1659 AD)-English-Afrikaner soldiers prevent the army from removing Richard Cromwell. This delays the Restoration by a year.

Richard Cromwell Removed (1660 AD)-Richard Cromwell proves to be a weak ruler and the English-Afrikaner faction allows him to be removed and the Rump Parliament to be summoned.

Battle of Edgehill (1662 AD)-John Lambert attempts to restart the civil war in order to prevent the monarchy from returning to England. Many English-Afrikaners rally to his cause and prevent his OTL arrest by the regicide Richard Ingoldsby, who is killed before the battle begins. Monck’s armies crush the Puritan die-hards, but many are able to escape. They flee Britain aboard 3-4 Royal Navy ships captained by similarly die-hard Puritans.

Lambert, Others Arrive in Free State (1662 AD)-Lambert and the others arrive in the Free State. The ships they come with are added to the nascent Afrikaner navy, and the sailors are in high demand to train Afrikaners up to their high standards.

Year of the Papist Risings (1662 AD)-Upon hearing of the defeat of Lambert and the pending restoration of Charles II, Catholics revolt against their Protestant superiors throughout the colonies. In most places, they’re quickly crushed (although some flee into the backwoods and establish maroon-type settlements). In New England, Catholic insurgents march out of their frontier “reservations” and seize control of the port of Boston. Unfortunately, they did not take pains to guard their flanks and the rebels are cut off from their sources of support by the Puritans. Despite this, they manage to hold out in the port itself.

English Restoration (1663 AD)-Charles II restored to the thrones of England and Scotland. Owing to the disturbance made by Lambert, he is a tad bit less conciliatory than OTL. Some of the religious laws are enforced a bit more strenuously, leading a trickle of harder-core Calvinists to make their way to South Africa.

Massachusetts Compromise (1663 AD)-The Catholic rising has reached a stalemate. Catholic partisans are trapped within Boston and have been living almost exclusively on fish, while the Puritans cannot take the city. Fearing renewed Indian attacks and intervention by Charles II (who both sides think will side with the other), the Protestants and Catholics negotiate a peace. The worst discriminations against Catholics are abolished and the Catholics are permitted to elect one representative to the various assemblies. However, other than that, Catholics cannot vote, and they still face a lot of social discrimination. Similar measures applied in other colonies to avoid future unrest.

University of Cape Town Opens (1667 AD)-This is the firstfruit of Van Keuren’s plans to build a world-class navy and educational system in the Cape Free State. Many of its faculty were lured away from the finest schools in (Protestant) Europe (and some were former Catholics who made useful conversions to work there). The University establishes a large press to produce books for both the university and the public at large. There are relatively few students at first, but the diamond $$ means a lot of resources.

Establishment of First Afrikaner Settlement in India (1670 AD)-The Afrikaners establish a colony in SW India.

Shivaji’s Coronation (1674)-This marks the beginning of the Maratha Empire in India.

First Cinchona Plantations Established (1675 AD)-Faced with lots of malaria deaths among the settlers of the interior, the Afrikaner leadership learns of something called “Jesuits’ bark” used to treat tropical fevers in South America. The Afrikaners import some cinchona trees and set up plantations. The plantations don’t do well at first, since they’re in the temperate zone of South Africa proper, so plantations are set up in Angola and Mozambique, where they do better. Within two decades, malaria is brought under control in the region, although the tsetse flies remain a problem. “Jesuits’ bark” becomes an Afrikaner export, although the anti-Catholic Afrikaners don’t like the name.

Edict of Nantes Revoked (1685)-Louis XIV revokes the Edict of Nantes and subjects French Protestants to persecution.

Edict of Potsdam Issued (1685)-Frederick William, Elector of Brandenberg, offers asylum to fleeing Huguenots. Most of them end up there, but some end up going to the Confederation, attracted by the wealth of the diamonds and the possibility of participating in the Indian trade.

Thomas Geerling Writes Sermon “No Compromise” (1685)-Afrikaner minister Geerling writes the sermon “No Compromise.” Inspired by recent events in France, the sermon’s basic premise is that ANY compromises with the world will, sooner or later, lead to violence against God’s elect. This sermon is often cited to justify Afrikaner intransigence re: non-Calvinist foreign states.

Free State Volkstadt Passes Refuge Act (1685)-The Volkstadt of the Cape Free State offers refuge to French Huguenots, including full citizenship. By the time the great Huguenot exodus has passed, tens of thousands of them will have come.

First Skirmishes with the Rowzi Empire (1690)-The first skirmishes between the Afrikaners, still consolidating their hold over the territories taken from the Portuguese, and the Rowzi Empire, which controls almost all of OTL Zimbabwe. The Afrikaners get the worst of it a couple of times and establish a border similar to the OTL Portuguese border with the Rowzi.
 
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Hey, I've been familiar with your TL since the earlier incarnations and have a suggestion on format, how about writing your TL in prose form this time, rather than in the raw TL format? Anyway keep up the great work! :)
 
Hey, I've been familiar with your TL since the earlier incarnations and have a suggestion on format, how about writing your TL in prose form this time, rather than in the raw TL format? Anyway keep up the great work! :)

I do have written fiction set in TTL, but it's set much later in the timeline and I would prefer not to post any of it here, as that would count as "publication" and make it harder to sell.

Of course, "Dragon and the Bear" was not written in entry/date, entry/date format, but it wasn't narrative with characters either.

Hmm...I could always take a page from benjamin and describe specific happenings rather than straight narrative with all the events of the entire TL in there.
 
Abraham Van Keuren Proposes Makes His Improvements Speech (1648 AD)-Van Keuren proposes a policy of using the gold mined from the Witwatersrand to improve the Free State rather than fund wars outside of Africa.
The gold is found 2 1/2 centuries early? You mentioned premature discovery of diamonds, but not gold.
 
The gold is found 2 1/2 centuries early? You mentioned premature discovery of diamonds, but not gold.

Oops.

Due to the technological problems of getting the gold from the Witwatersrand, I kicked the gold rush forward to about 1790, with the diamond rush staying in place.

I'll have to fix that.
 
Where do you all see the TL going from here?

I obviously have my own ideas, but so do you, I imagine, and I'd like to hear them.
 
Here's the next century, which includes the breaking of the Rowzi Empire in Africa and the American Revolution.

If this continues to attract little interest, I think I might pose "Apartheid Superpower: The Prose Edition" to be a little different.

It certainly won't have all those (insert battles) and various filler moments. Plus prose TLs tend to be more readable and popular anyway.

18th Century

Afrikaner Population Reaches 80,000 (1700 AD)-Total Afrikaner population is 80,000; total non-white population is 300,000.

Passage of the Test Act (1704 AD)-This requires that all military and governing officials in Britain be members of the Anglican Church, disenfranchising not only Catholics, but Presbyterians and other dissenters too.

First Scots-Irish Arrivals in South Africa (1705 AD)-Although 4/5 of the Scots-Irish wave will emigrate to the USA, the most hard-core Calvinists will go the extra mile and journey to South Africa. They leapfrog the Afrikaners to settle in the interior regions of present-day Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, and Mozambique, as well as (eventually) move northward through eastern Africa into present-day Zambia, Rwanda, Malawi, and Uganda. Their potatoes grow surprisingly well in Africa and they pick up other crops from the Afrikaners already there. There are tensions between the S-I, who don’t really wish to assimilate, and the Afrikaners, who want them to, and consequently, the Afrikaner local governments tend to encourage the new arrivals to settle on the borders or in more isolated areas.

First Rowzi War Begins (1725 AD)-The Scots-Irish moving inland provoke a war with the Rowzi Empire.

First Rowzi War Ends (1726 AD)-The war ends with a status quo ante peace.

Beaufort Incident (1738 AD)-This is a large-scale battle between Afrikaner and Scots-Irish militias. It started out as a border dispute between an Afrikaner and a Scots-Irish township (the first is Beaufort, the latter is New Londonderry). The S-I were sick of their people not getting the proper respect from the Afrikaners (the town was founded by people who wished to live in Beaufort, but were unwelcome) and the Afrikaners viewed the S-I as impolite guests. By the time the dust was settled, the Afrikaner town had been levelled.

Battle of (What?) (1738 AD)-This is another, larger clash between the Afrikaners and Scots-Irish. The Afrikaner settlement of (Dutch name) is burnt, while Afrikaner cavalry drive away a herd of Scots-Irish cattle.

The Great Invasion (1739 AD)-Taking advantage of the budding civil war, the Rowzi Empire under the command of Tombolaikonachimwango II, son of the previous king of that name, decides to invade the Afrikaner Confederation. The Afrikaners call him King Tom and call the conflict King Tom’s War (it’s similar to America’s King Phillip’s War), even though the technical term for it is the Second Rowzi War.

Battle of (What?) (1739 AD)-This battle is a defeat for hastily-called-up Afrikaner reserves and is their first major loss to a non-white power. King Tom’s tribal levies move southward to threaten the Witwatersrand, where gold has been recently discovered.

Uprising at (Where?), (Where?), and (Where?) (1739 AD)-Slave uprisings break out in the Witwatersrand and in Natal. An Indian mercenary regiment based (where?) mutinies at heavy-handed Afrikaner attempts at evangelism.

Battle of (Where?) (1739 AD)-Afrikaners defeat the Indian mercenaries, shoot the ringleaders, and distribute the individual squads throughout other Afrikaner forces. Unofficially, Afrikaner preachers are told to be a bit more subtle.

Battle of (Where?) (January 12th, 1740 AD)-Outnumbered Afrikaner forces are surrounded by slave insurgents who have escaped the new Witwatersrand mines and King Tom’s regular forces which have moved into the area to take advantage. They manage to defeat their enemies, though at a high cost. This battle is known as “the day of the vow” because the Afrikaner soldiers made vows before God that if they were given the victory, they would celebrate the day as a Sabbath from now on. The black armies press and press and press, but the Afrikaner formations do not break and King Tom, having taken fearsome losses, retreats to the north (another Afrikaner army is moving in, so he can’t simply go around the first one). The last African charge will penetrate the outer ring of the Afrikaner defenses but it won’t get very far.

Battle of (Where?) (1740 AD)-Although King Tom’s push towards the Witwatersrand has been defeated, his army still occupies the north-central regions of Afrikaner territory and has been recruiting escaped slaves and serfs. He has to be dealt with, and fast. Scots-Irish and Afrikaner armies join together and attack King Tom’s force at (where?), inflicting heavy casualties and forcing him to withdraw from Afrikaner territory. Afrikaner forces pursue him into his heartland and occupy it up to the (what geographic feature?). King Tom is forced to sign a peace treaty surrendering much of his territory and promising compensation.

Foundation of the Afrikaner Confederation (October, 1740 AD)-The recent invasion of the Free State by King Tom in the aftermath of Scots-Irish/Afrikaner squabbles reveals just how fragile the situation has become. Representatives of the various white ethnicities (and one or two Coloureds as well—high-caste Indians) come to Cape Town and hammer out a new constitution. Slavery, which the white ruling class recognizes as untenable in the long term and a standing internal threat due to the recent slave risings, is also abolished. The proposal to abolish slavery (with compensation for masters) was a major kink in the reorganization process—Biblical debate raged for days before the anti-slavery forces won (the leader of that faction pointed that although slavery may be Biblical, it is not mandatory, and if the “powers that be” outlawed slavery, it would be immoral). Mechanisms will be put in place to exploit blacks economically—“hut taxes” to make previously self-sufficient black communities (untouched by slavery) need money to pay and thus need to work for whites, reparations in cash and labour from the Rowzi due to the carnage caused by the recently-concluded war, and limits to the size of tribal cattle herds (ostensibly for environmental reasons, but in reality to keep the tribes from supporting themselves, thus requiring them to work for Afrikaners). An apartheid-like policy is put in place where newly-freed slaves are NOT considered legal residents of the white settlements, but of the places where they (or their parents or grandparents) were taken as slaves. Thus, they’re subject to legal controls of various kinds. The state church is legally separated from Holland and becomes the Afrikaner Reformed Church. It is made the official religion and one must be a member in order to have a government position or own land larger than (what amount?). Other Protestant churches have complete freedom of religion, while Catholics, Hindus, and Muslims are subject to restrictions of various kinds (no attempts to convert Calvinists, must apply for permission to expand buildings, etc). The harshest restrictions are on Catholics, since the Afrikaners fear the Catholic states of Europe. The Afrikaner Constitution, or Great Charter, is signed by representatives of every existing settlement. The existing settlements become the nuclei of staten, the individual governing units within the Confederation. Universal manhood suffrage established in the Confederation—before, each staten had its own laws re: suffrage, leading to same states allowing only male heads of households to vote, some with property qualifications, and some even allowing women (!) to vote. One of the signers is Matthias de Lange, a recent immigrant who has risen to wealth and prominence due to his trading skill.

(more)

King Tom Launches Second Invasion of Afrikaner Territory (1760 AD)-King Tom is growing old and fears what will happen to the Rowzi Empire after his death. He decides to launch a pre-emptive strike on a large settlement of Scots-Irish on the fringes of his domain. His army destroys the settlers, but takes severe losses—it’s not the war machine it used to be.

Battle of (Where?) (1760 AD)-A combined Confederation army meets Tom’s force in battle. The Afrikaners defeat his army in three hours and force him to retreat to his kraal. The battle is on the Zambezi and the Afrikaners are supported by naval gunfire, which overcomes Tom’s advantage in numbers.

Burning of the Rowzi Capital (1760 AD)-Afrikaner forces destroy Tom’s city, killing hundreds of his people and the entire Rowzi royal family. Though various “sub-kings” will resist for years, the power of the Rowzi Empire is broken. This marks the end of the Third Rowzi War.

Quebec Act Passed (1767 AD)-This act grants the Catholic French Canadians the right to participate in governmental affairs in British Canada and replaced the explicitly-Protestant oath of allegiance with a nondenominational one.

Catholic League Formed in Boston (1768 AD)-Catholics, who despite being a large part of the populace (and the majority in certain parts of New England) continue to be discriminated against, form the Catholic League. They want the Quebec Act applied to them too. British authorities resist this demand, as they fear that it would eventually lead to more political rights for Catholics in Ireland and England.

Fourth Rowzi War Begins (1770 AD)-The Afrikaners decide to finish off the remnants of the Rowzi Empire, whose sub-kings are fighting for the scraps of King Tom’s dominion and periodically causing trouble for the white settlers who are establishing European-style civilization in the old Rowzi territory.

Fourth Rowzi War Ends (1771 AD)-The last remains of the Rowzi Empire are destroyed and the Afrikaners are triumphant.

Battle of (What?) (1773 AD)-This is TTL’s “shot heard round the world,” setting off the American Revolution.

Declaration of Independence (April 6th, 1774 AD)-The Thirteen North American colonies declare their independence from Great Britain.

Afrikaners Declare War on Britain (1774 AD)-The Afrikaners take advantage of Britain’s distraction with the American rebellion in order to expand their possessions in India in conjunction with the Marathas and in alliance with the French (who get drawn into the whole thing). They rather sanctimoniously criticize both sides on Biblical grounds—the Patriots are in rebellion against the God-ordained British government, while the British monarchy is fulfilling Samuel’s warning about greedy monarchs—but they do offer to mediate.

French Aid to Colonists Begins (1775 AD)-France is drawn into the American Revolution due to its interests in India, and begins aiding the colonists.

Battle of (Where?) (1775 AD)-

Battle of (Where?) (1776 AD)-General Benjamin Danvers routs the British in the district of Maine. Taking advantage of how (name?), the British general, had stripped the surrounding regions of troops, he surges northward, hoping to take the British base at Halifax by surprise.

Battle of St. John (1776 AD)-The British forces manage to slow him down. Taking Halifax by surprise is not going to work. Although Danvers is able to defeat the small British force, it slows him down enough for Halifax’s few defenders to fortify it.

Siege of Halifax Begins (1776 AD)-It’s a race against time—British ships and men are being pulled out of New York in order to deal with the threat to their trans-oceanic lifeline.

The Burning of the Ships (1777 AD)-With most of the defenders occupied, a small Patriot guerrilla band slips into Halifax. They sneak aboard the ships Hastings, Invincible, and Francis Drake, set them on fire, and steer them into the other docked ships. The resulting inferno destroys 2/3s of the British fleet in the harbour and much of the dockyard facilities.

Reinforcements Arrive at Halifax (1777 AD)-Reinforcements arrive at Halifax soon afterward. The destruction of many of the docks and the fouling of the harbour with debris, damaged ships, etc. slows down the unloading of the soldiers.

Battle of (Where?) (1777 AD)-Danvers engages the larger British force, just to “sting” them and force them to commit to a pursuit. He then begins retreat back towards New York.

Battle of New York (1777 AD)-Meanwhile, the Patriot general John Carter attacks New York City. The depleted British force is defeated and the city reclaimed.

Battle of (Where?) (1777 AD)-Patriot forces under General Robert Harms defeat the British. This battle secures the Ohio Valley for the future United States.

Battle of Lake Ontario (1778 AD)-General Robert Harms decides to “roll the hard six” and advances on the Great Lakes from his bases in the Ohio Valley. This combination land-and-sea battle will give the infant US the Niagara Peninsula, which includes the future sites of Toronto, Oshawa, Bramptom, Peterborough, etc. between Georgian Bay and Lake Erie.

Battle of (Where?) (1779 AD)-The British are not without their successes. The British rout one of the two major Patriot armies in the South and Loyalists begin flocking to their banner. Phillip Crook takes command of the Patriot armies in the South and prepares to make his stand (where?).

Battle of (Where?) (1779 AD)-Crook, aided by Scots-Irish militiamen who take several key British positions via infiltration, defeats the British army. The British commander is killed in the battle and the British forces are forced to retreat to Savannah. The south is secured for the United States.

Battle of (Where?) (1779 AD)-This battle is analogous to Yorktown. The French fleet prevents the British army from being evacuated by sea while Patriot forces commanded by Danvers and Carter attack the British army by land. The British general (name) is forced to surrender.

Treaty of Ghent (1780 AD)-The treaty that ends the American Revolution. Britain is forced to recognize American independence and the expansion of Afrikaner and Maratha power in India. However, the Afrikaners must permit British ships to use Afrikaner and Dutch ports and facilities in the Indian Ocean; the Americans are required to demilitarize the northern parts of Maine so that they cannot threaten Halifax again (and thus the St. Lawrence River and the rest of Canada). The British also begin negotiations with the Ottoman government for the creation of a Mediterranean-Red Sea canal, in case they need to rush forces into the Indian Ocean to defend their Indian empire and support Australia, which the British have been looking at for use as a penal colony.

Articles of Confederation Passed (1781 AD)-The new United States sets up a Confederate form of government. The government under the Articles has some similarities to the Afrikaner governmental structure.

Arrival of First Convicts in Australia (1783 AD)-A fleet of eight ships with 1000 prisoners arrives in Australia.

American Constitutional Convention (1784 AD)-The Confederation government didn’t work very well, so a more federalist structure is established.

Bill of Rights Passed (1785 AD)-The Bill of Rights is added to the Constitution after some anti-Federalists, fearing the infant US will degenerate into a dictatorship, emigrate to the Confederation.

Danvers Elected President (1785 AD)-Danvers, “victor of land and sea,” is elected to be the first President of the United States.

(What?) Process Invented (1785 AD)-That there was gold in the Witwatersrand was known for a long time, but how to extract it efficiently? This set heads a-thinking and in 1785, the (what name?) process is invented many years ahead of OTL. It will make the Witwatersrand mines MUCH more economical and set off another great rush and (white) population explosion in the Afrikaner Confederation.

Storming of the Bastille (1785 AD)-France’s bills from aiding the Patriots in the Revolutionary War, the leaders’ luxurious lifestyle, and maintaining their position in India (a TTL added expense) prove too much for the monarchy to handle, and a series of events very similar to OTL occur. The Tennis Court Oath will be made somewhere else (perhaps in a church, since a lot of clergy supported the 3rd Estate).

Danvers Inaugurated (1786 AD)-

First Coalition Forms against France (1786 AD)-Like OTL, the other monarchies of Europe fear the revolution and try to destroy it.

Afrikaner Confederation Declares Neutrality (1786 AD)-The Afrikaner Confederation declares neutrality in the growing European war, against criticizing both sides on Biblical grounds. The French Republic is guilty of rebellion against a divinely-ordained king and mixing the authority of Church and State (by requiring priests to swear oaths to the government—the Afrikaners don’t emphasize this point too much b/c they don’t like Catholicism), while the French monarchy was guilty of abusing the populace (esp. Protestants), which the European monarchies are guilty of as well. All sides in the war may trade and travel freely within Confederation domains. The Afrikaners aim to profit from the war and the flight of refugees it will generate—they hope to attract more whites to exploit the gold without needing as many black laborers.

Afrikaners Declare War on French Republic (1787 AD)-The Afrikaner policy of neutrality does not last long. The French advance per OTL into Holland and establish a new government. The Afrikaners declare war on the French for this brazen assault on their ally. French nationals in the Confederation are interned unless they register with the Confederate government and submit to surveillance. The only real action between the Afrikaners and the French takes place in India. Thousands of Dutch flee to the Confederation, which the growing gold rush means many more jobs.

Battle of (Where?) (1787 AD)-A British attempt to land an army on the Continent to relieve the Dutch is smashed by the French. The French mount several raids on the British coastline, setting off an invasion scare.

Battle of (Where?) (1787 AD)-Afrikaner forces attack the supply lines of a major French force in India while the British attack the main army. The two armies destroy the French force between them.

Battle of (Where?) (1787 AD)-Afrikaner forces defeat the French and their Indian allies and lay siege to (where?)

(What City?) Falls (1788 AD)-The fall of this city to the Afrikaners marks the end of French power in India.

British Landings in Western France (1789 AD)-The British land in western France. Something like the Vendee occurs.

Execution of Louis XVI (1789 AD)-The regime panics and executes Louis XVI and his unpopular Austrian queen (NOT Marie Antoinette). Several more moderate leaders object and get executed too. The revolutionary government is panicking—the loss of India and now a British-backed rebellion on their own soil?

Danvers Re-Elected (1790 AD)-

Battle of (Where?) (1790 AD)-(Analogue of Napoleon) distinguishes himself by driving the British expeditionary force into the sea.

Suppression of the Vendee (1790-91 AD)-The Vendee suppressed.

Establishment of the Directory in France (1791 AD)-A government very similar to OTL’s Directory is established in France in the aftermath of TTL’s Reign of Terror and the execution of Louis XVI.

George Kern Elected President of the United States (1795 AD)-Danvers does not run for a third term. Kern, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, is elected President.

End of the Wars of Revolution (1795 AD)-This is something like a hybrid of the Anglo-French Peace of Amiens and the various other treaties made with Revolutionary France, only with the French not doing as well (particularly in Italy). The other states recognize the French Republic and its ally the Batavian Republic, and concede to France the territories it had annexed (Belgium and the short-lived Cisrhenian Republic). Basically France has its “natural borders.” The Ancient Regime survives in Spain, Italy (with some modifications due to the French occupation), Germany, and the Hapsburg lands, and the French are forced to cede the remainder of their Indian holdings to the Afrikaners and British.

The German and Czech Revolts (1796)-Revolts flare in Germany and the Czech lands, spurred by the French example. They get crushed by the Prussian and Austrian princes, the latter with the aid of a Russian army that is returning to its home. Many leaders flee to France, where they vow revenge. A trickle of German Protestants head for the Confederation and its burgeoning gold industry.

Afrikaner Gold Rush Begins (1796)-The reports of the Dutch and German refugees of the riches the newly-rich gold mines of the Afrikaner Confederation attracts hundreds of thousands of (Protestant) fortune-seekers to the Confederation. This prompts further waves of European immigration to the Confederation, as well as huge numbers of Africans seeking their fortunes in the mines. This in turn leads to:

Afrikaner Immigration Policy Liberalized (1796 AD)-The Afrikaner leadership, having turned away thousands of whites due to the anal-retentiveness of their religious policies, decides that the demographic issues require more white people. The strictness of the religion test is reduced—applicants are no longer quizzed on the finer points of Calvinism, but instead given a test designed to see if they meet certain basic Protestant criteria. People with certain skills (ex-military men, for example) are given an even looser test—all they really need to do is sign off on a basic “statement of principles” that includes basic Christianity, white supremacy, etc.
 
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Well, er, it is interesting, it is just that I don't know much about the period in OTL, which hampers my ability to comment with more than 'interesting', or something like that.:eek:
 
I was going to blog about the acceptance of "Coil Gun," which was set in TTL, but when I found this thread, I realized I hadn't posted the whole thing.

:eek::eek:

I'll post the rest of the TL here and then link to it on my blog. Anyone who doesn't mind the necroing, feel free to comment.
 
Here's the next century. Lots of gaps and holes to be filled, but it's got, among things, a successful 1848 and a much different U.S. Civil War...

19th Century

(What?) Raid (1810 AD)-Arab slavers from the Sultanate of Oman attack an Afrikaner settlement (where?), abducting a dozen Afrikaners. The Afrikaners pursue, but are unable to catch the raiding party. The Afrikaners are sold in the Omani slave markets, and some of the women are put in harems.

First Oman-Afrikaner War Begins (1811 AD)-The Afrikaners will not tolerate this. They demand the return of the captives, and when the Omanis are not forthcoming, they declare war. Their European-style warships enable them to devastate Omani fleets with minimal losses. As part of the war, the Afrikaners relentlessly publicize the horrors of the East African slave trade—only 1 in 5 slaves taken in the interior make it to the coasts alive, bodies litter the trade routes for miles, slaves too weak to carry their burdens are abandoned and killed, etc.

End of the First Oman-Afrikaner War (1813 AD)-The Omanis, having lost their African territories to the Afrikaners and their outpost of Gwadar to the Persians, make peace. They promise to restrict all slaving activities to north of a certain line of latitude, and return all Afrikaner captives. In the case of a female captive who has had a child by her master, the child comes too—the Afrikaners will not see the child brought up as a Muslim. This nearly restarts the war, but the Omanis are forced to give in after Afrikaner warships shell their capital.

Suez Canal Opened (1815 AD)-The Suez Canal is opened, shortening communications with Britain’s remaining possessions in India and Australia and allowing British forces to be moved rapidly into the Indian Ocean. It’s been delayed a good bit by the French wars.

(more)

Second Oman-Afrikaner War (1834 AD)-Omani raiders start taking Afrikaners as slaves again. The leaders of the Confederation decide that enough is enough. The Sultanate of Oman must be destroyed.

Wreck of the Leiden (1834 AD)-The Afrikaner merchant ship Leiden is driven ashore in Japan by a storm. They’re attacked by local samurai, who kill most of them. Survivors are displayed in freak shows. Israel Hodges manages to escape to Nagasaki and leave Japan via a Dutch ship.

Afrikaner Conquest of Oman Concludes (1835 AD)-The Afrikaners finish their conquest of the Sultanate of Oman, establishing control over SE Arabia. The British do not object too strongly, since the Afrikaners’ new holding does not threaten the sea route to India and the Omanis were slavers anyway.

Israel Hodges Arrives at Durban (1835 AD)-The only free survivor of the Leiden arrives back in the Confederation and word of the fate of his ship and crew spreads rapidly. The Afrikaner public is very, very angry.

The Great Nipponese Punitive Raid Launched (March 1836 AD)-The Afrikaners launch a punitive expedition of 2,000 soldiers to Japan to avenge the mistreatment of the crew of the Leiden. Some of the Afrikaner leadership question the necessity of this adventure, but the public demands it, and most of the Afrikaner leadership wishes to make an example.

Afrikaners Land at (What Location) (June 1836 AD)-The Afrikaners land in force at the site where the ship was wrecked. They march inland, destroying everything in their path.

Battle of (Where?) (1836 AD)-Regional samurai gather and meet the Afrikaners head-on here. They get their ass kicked. 500 samurai killed; the Afrikaners lose perhaps 15.

The Rescue of the Leiden Survivors (1836 AD)-The Afrikaners come across the freak show where the survivors of the Leiden were kept. They liberate them, then kill every Japanese associated with the freak show except for a few that the Leiden survivors wish spared (for non-abuse, or perhaps b/c they’d secretly converted to Calvinism).

Battle of (Where?) (1836 AD)-Afrikaner forces meet a larger samurai army of 15,000 or so. The samurai get mauled—total samurai losses are perhaps 9,000, while the Afrikaners lose 500 or so.

Afrikaners Sack (What City?) (1836 AD)-To top off their punitive expeditions, the Afrikaners sack (what city?). Afterwards, they sail home—their losses were much greater than anticipated and so the plan to march all the way to Edo and burn it is terminated.

Afrikaner Raiders Return to (What City?) (December 1836 AD)-The Afrikaners return to the Confederation carrying much booty. Almost all of the soldiers carry captured katana—“katana-carrier” (or its Afrikaans equivalent) becomes an unofficial epithet for warriors who’ve served in faraway, dangerous (half the force was killed or wounded) places, and especially renowned soldiers are given katanas as a sign of their status (think the Black Beret).

(The Emperor’s Name) Restoration (1838 AD)-The samurai from Satsuma and Choshu, already chafing under the Shogunate and outraged at the latter’s complete incompetence at defending Japan, overthrow the Shogunate. The Emperor is restored to full power and Japan begins modernizing.

First Opium War Begins (1839)-The British, in order to get the most out of their reduced domains in India, have sold more opium earlier to China. The Opium War begins a little earlier, but has a similar result. Several southern treaty ports are opened, missionaries allowed into the interior, etc. The Afrikaners are permitted access to the treaty ports along with the Europeans and Americans. It ends with the First Treaty of Nanjing.

Irish Potato Famine Begins (1845)-This will force millions of Irish to North America and elsewhere per OTL. Although many Irish go to the existing Irish-dominated cities in the central interior, a significant number end up in their OTL places of dominance like South Boston.

Mohammed Ali Rebels (18?? AD)-Mohammed Ali, the Ottoman governor of Egypt, rebels against the Sultan. He sends an army marching north towards Asia Minor, provoking the intervention of various European powers.

Sinking of the Indefatigable (1840 AD)-Using early self-propelled torpedoes and more advanced artillery supplied by the Afrikaners, Ali’s forces sink the British ship Indefatigable off the Syrian coast. Fearing the possible possession of more such weapons by the Egyptians, the European commanders call off the landings in Beirut.

Turkish Invasion of Syria (1840 AD)-To get around the use of Afrikaner naval weapons, the Ottoman military invades Egypt-occupied Syria by land. Uprisings break out against the Egyptians.

Battle of Aleppo (1840 AD)-Egyptian forces caught in a bad position by the Ottomans and defeated. Egyptian forces retreat south towards Jerusalem. Some Egyptian forces remain in Beirut to “show the flag” and hold as much of the north as possible while the Egyptian forces regroup for a counterattack.

Battle of Baalbek (1840 AD)-The Egyptians and Turks fight to a draw. The Lebanese pocket survives.

Battle of (What?) (1841 AD)-Egyptian forces sally out of the Nile Delta and using the new Afrikaner technology sink two Austrian and one British ships. Although most of the Egyptian forces sent out against the blockade don’t come back, it’s an expensive victory for the allies. Combined with the prevention of the landings at Beirut, the Europeans decide to cut their losses.

Treaty of (What?) (1841 AD)-Peace between Mohammed Ali and the European powers. Thanks to Afrikaner military aid, the Egyptians come out better—no limits are imposed on Ali’s military, he is permitted to set tariffs as he sees fit, and his position is made hereditary. However, NO territorial gains—Egyptian forces withdraw to the Sinai.

Treaty of Hainan (1842 AD)-The Afrikaners, seeking to gain their own base for the China trade, offer the Chinese £50,000,000 for the island of Taiwan. They also offer their services for modernizing the Qing military and government, but are rejected bluntly as “foreign devils.”

Taiwan Crisis (1843 AD)-The British want revenge for Afrikaner aid to Mohammed Ali and view an Afrikaner Taiwan as a major threat to the security of the treaty ports. The British order the Afrikaners to cede Taiwan back to the Qing dynasty. The Afrikaners refuse, but there’s lots of back-channel communication going on between the Afrikaners and British—the Afrikaners know this is a war they cannot win.

Second Treaty of Nanjing (1844)-The crisis is ultimately resolved by the creation of a neutral, independent Taiwan. For decades, it will be a centre of all sorts of intrigue and conspiracies between Chinese, Japanese, British, Afrikaners, Americans, and others. The Qing are permitted to keep the gold—after all, they’ll need it to pay off the indemnity the Brits forced on them. The Afrikaners fume a lot about this, and begin planning their revenge.

(insert something about the Texan Revolution)

Texas Joins the United States (1845 AD)-

Mexican War Begins (1846)-

(more)

Beginning of the “Year of Revolution” (March 1848)-The intellectuals, students, etc. of Germany react against the oppressive anti-nationalist legislation put in place after the French forces withdrew. Rebellions break out in Vienna, Milan, Bohemia, and Venice against the Hapsburgs. The dynasty flees to Innsbruck.

Hungarian Revolt (1848)-The Hungarians join the fun.

Hungarians Withdraw Regiments (April 1848)-This enables Italy to unify, since it was the Hungarian regiments that crushed the rebels in OTL.

Prussian King Frederick William Accepts Crown of German Emperor (1848)-“Has crown forced upon him” might be a better description, but he does.

(more)

Treaty of Mexico City (1848)-Mexican War ends slightly earlier than OTL b/c several battles were decided earlier without the fanatic resistance of the San Patricios (who don’t exist in TTL b/c of less anti-Catholicism in the US). In addition to OTL’s Mexican Cession, the US annexes Baja California, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Sonora. This is due to the more Catholic US—white Catholics would not look down on the largely-Spanish settlers of these states, while OTL’s white Protestants would. BGMan from AH.com describes how those states, in addition to Santa Fe and elsewhere, were part of a SW “Spanish Civilization.” Some Southern members of Congress object to the inclusion of the new territories due to the Catholic issue, but the treaty is ratified.

Treaty of Warsaw (1849)-The Austrian Emperor, the German Emperor, and the Russian Czar meet at Warsaw. The Austrian Emperor appeals to the Czar to intervene against the Hungarians, but the German Emperor offers the Czar Austrian Galicia if he doesn’t. The Czar signs the treaty that grants Russia Galicia in exchange for its recognition of any Prussian conquests made during this war—up to and including the entirety of the Hapsburg domains.

Hapsburgs Flee (1849)-Knowing the game is up, the Hapsburgs flee the country. They first go to Switzerland, which “hurries them along.” Most of them ultimately end up in Russia, although some emigrate to the United States.

State of Europe after the Year of Revolutions: German Empire consisting of pre-1918 German Empire, Austria, and Slovenia stretching from Baltic to Mediterranean (minus the Rhineland—they’ll get that soon); Hungarian republic that includes Czechoslovakia and Croatia; Italy fully unified.

The Slaver Wars Begin (1850)-The Afrikaners begin conquering the interior regions of East Africa, ostensibly in order to suppress the remnants of the slave trade. The Afrikaners publicize the horrors of the trade (even reduced as it is by their occupation of the coastline). The conflicts ultimately lead to the Afrikaner conquest of the interior all the way to the rain forests of central Africa. The Masai will prove to be a major problem for the Afrikaners to deal with.

Japanese-Korean War Begins (1851)-Eager to flex their more modernized muscles and fearful of a possible “short victorious war” by the Qing eager to distract the populace from their recent failures, the Japanese invade Korea.

First Franco-German War Begins (1852 AD)-The Germans attack France in order to liberate the German population of the Rhineland. It appears to be an even match, but the new Republican government is not very competent and they quickly antagonize potential allies. They also play “shuffle the generals” a lot since they’re not entirely sure if the Prussian leftovers are trustworthy.

Chinese Intervene on Koreans’ Side (1852)-The Qing dynasty, like its Ming predecessors, does not want the Japanese in Korea. It too needs a “short victorious war.”

Battle of (What?) (1852)-In this great battle, the modernized Japanese forces slaughter the decrepit Qing army.

Battle of (What?) (1852)-The Qing refuse to give up after one setback. They get mauled again, although they do slightly better this time—the smaller Japanese army has been attrited somewhat by the first battle.

Treaty of (What?) (1853)-In this treaty, the Qing Court recognizes Japan’s predominance in Korea and pays the Japanese a substantial sum.

End of the First Franco-German War (1853 AD)-The Germans sue for peace. The French Republic insists on a demilitarized zone in western Germany, to protect the Rhineland. However, the French are too bloodied to attempt to redivide Germany or significantly weaken it.

(Name) Releases the Communist Manifesto (1854 AD)-(Name), who will become one of the earliest theoreticians of Communism, begins writing his history of 1848 and the Franco-German War, which he believes is the logical consequence of the ’48. He writes that the 1848 risings represented the death knell of the feudal order outside of “backward” Russia and the fact the French didn’t even attempt to significantly disrupt German unification meant that reaction of the monarchical sort was truly dead. That being said, the first stirrings of the class war—the friction between the middle-class republicans and working-class radicals in Vienna before the Prussian intervention forced a settlement—had begun. He predicts the dictatorship of the proletariat would emerge once the bourgeoisie regime crumbles. Much of his criticism is levelled at the Afrikaner Confederation—he thinks the white bourgeoisie of the African core of the regime have used racism and religion to divide the white proletariat from the black proletariat.

The Crimean War Begins (1854 AD)-The Russians decide to attack the Ottoman Empire and make a grab for Constantinople. Britain and France (who’re feeling mighty these days) intervene to defeat the Turks. The Afrikaners decide to assist the Russians with covert subsidies of gold and weapons (particularly antiship mines, to hurt the British fleet).

Taiping Rebellion Begins (1856 AD)-This will be TTL’s analogue to the Taiping. Afrikaner Calvinism will be a major influence in it (alongside or instead of the sort of Christianity that influenced the Taiping). The leader of the rebellion will claim that the Christian God took away the Mandate of Heaven from the Manchus and that the Qing defeat by the Japanese is proof of this. He is the new Jehu, empowered by God to destroy the Manchu dynasty and install a godlier regime. Although many foreign powers aid the Qing, the Afrikaners aid the rebels, since an insurgent dynasty might be more willing to do business.

Sweden Enters Crimean War (1856 AD)-Promised gains in the north by British and French, the Swedes enter the war.

Jacob Barends Condemns Afrikaner Support for Taiping (1856)-Barends, a well-known Reformed preacher, condemns the Confederate government for its aid to the Taiping rebels, who he views as heretics (due to their “Papist-like” practice of ancestor worship) and rebels against a divinely-ordained monarchy. He asks, “What fellowship can light have with darkness” and quotes other Scripture to denounce Afrikaner alliances with “ungodly” foreign powers. Although he and his supporters are a minority and are ignored, he is later cited by Afrikaner isolationists, especially those who disapprove of the government’s friends.

Crimean War Ends (1857 AD)-TTL’s Crimean War ends a little later owing to covert Afrikaner assistance to the Russians. The treaty that ends the war is very similar, with the glaring exception of Sweden. The Russians are forced to cede most of Finland to the Swedes—in that respect, they have their borders of 1560 again. The Russians continue building up the wartime “Ladoga Line” to keep St. Petersburg protected from the Swedes. The Swedes, knowing that Russia is far stronger than they, begin building their own massive defenses to protect their new territories.

Zachary MacDonald Elected to Congress (1860 AD)-Zachary MacDonald, the son of Irish immigrants who settled in the Midwest, elected to Congress from Ohio on a Republican Party ticket. He is Catholic and fears the spread of slave power. He unfavourably compares the American South to the Confederation and dislikes the Confederation on religious grounds.

End of the Slaver Wars (1860 AD)-The last of the slavers and warlike tribes of East Africa are defeated. Afrikaners again employ population relocation to break up the most dangerous of the tribes—however, this is a small-scale thing, no more than 10,000.

First Secessions from the Union (1861 AD)-With the election of Zachary MacDonald, who is the first Catholic President of the United States and hostile to the spread of slavery, the fire-eaters become dominant in the South. South Carolina is the first to secede, followed by the Gulf States and Georgia. Some pro-secession agitation in (what ex-Mexican state, SE of Texas?).

Confederate Forces Fire on US Troops Evacuating from (What Location?) (1861 AD)-US forces are very tardy in evacuating from (what strategic location?) and the Confederates begin making plans to eject them by force. The attack begins, ironically, when ships are arriving to take the soldiers home. This is ruthlessly publicized by the North, inflaming popular opinion against the Confederates.

North Carolina, Tennessee Secede (1861 AD)-These two states refuse to join in the suppression of their brethren and join the Confederacy. Unlike OTL, Virginia stays with the Union. Most of the ex-Mexican territories have low populations, bitterness towards the South for attempts to export slavery, and most importantly, US Army garrisons, so they don’t do anything. Except for (what state—probably one on the other side of Texas and thus isolated from US military support).

The Confederation Adopts Policy of Pro-Confederate Neutrality (1861 AD)-The Afrikaners don’t really have any particular interest at stake in the US, but they DO support the Confederate states on ideological grounds. The Confederates left the Union because of a Catholic, abolitionist-leaning President and since the states created the federal government, they can legally leave it—it’s not sinful rebellion against a God-ordained authority b/c there is a mechanism in place for leaving the Union and the North is the one breaking the law. Therefore, the Afrikaners will permit Confederate blockade runners to buy military-surplus weapons and other supplies and will allow Afrikaner banks to loan money to the Confederates, but the Confederation will not intervene in the US Civil War.

Battle of (Where?) (1861 AD)-The attempt by the remaining Spanish settlers to return their region to Mexico is crushed by US Army units garrisoning the territory.

Battle of (Where?) (1861 AD)-Confederate forces mount a pre-emptive invasion of Virginia to hit Union forces massing there. This is a Confederate victory, although it’s not as crushing as they hope.

Confederate Invasion of (What State?) (1861 AD)-Texan forces invade (what ex-Mexican state?), hoping to destroy the isolated Union garrison there.

Battle of (Where?) (1861 AD)-The Confederate advance guard is thrown back.

Battle of (Where?) (1861 AD)-The Union forces crushed. Confederates occupy the state and a carefully-selected white Protestant government votes for incorporation into the Confederacy.

Battle of New Orleans (1861 AD)-Union ships and Marines are able to seize control of the city of New Orleans, preventing the export of cotton via the Mississippi. Confederate forces are unable to eject them, but they do keep them bottled up.

Union Launches Its Southwestern Campaign-(1861 AD)-US forces garrisoning the territories taken from Mexico mount a two-pronged invasion of Texas and (the occupied state). They manage to occupy parts of both, but are checked at (where?) and (where?).

Battle of (Where?)-(1861 AD)-Union victory. Confederate forces finally ejected from Virginia and an enclave in North Carolina is taken.

Battle of (Where?) (1861 AD)-Confederate victory.

Battle of (Where?) (1862 AD)-Union victory.

Emancipation Proclamation (March, 1862 AD)-MacDonald proclaims the abolition of slavery in the rebel states and dispatches secret agents into the South in order to stir up slave revolts.

(Where?) and (Where?) Uprisings (1862 AD)-Aided by Union agents, slaves revolt in Mississippi and Alabama. They overwhelm regional Home Guard forces and regular Confederate forces are recalled from the Gulf Coast and Mississippi Valley (to defend against Union naval forces) to deal with the rebellions. The larger rebel bands are annihilated, but some rebels escape into the outlying areas and wage hit and run attacks on plantations, Home Guard units, etc.

Barends Denounce President MacDonald (1862 AD)-The preacher Barends denounces President MacDonald for aiding and abetting slave risings in the South. He says this shows the depravity of Roman Catholics—they pay lip service to Christianity while attacking God’s social order. Claims that MacDonald has murdered the souls of slaves by helping them sin.

Battle of (Where?) (1862 AD)-Thanks to the recall of frontline forces to deal with slave risings in the Deep South, Union forces are able to break out of the New Orleans pocket. They advance well up the Mississippi River, freeing hundreds of thousands of slaves and ruining much of the cotton economy. The South will have earlier, worse money problems in TTL.

Battle of (Where?) (1862 AD)-Union forces go on the offensive in Tennessee in order to link up with the Union forces along the Mississippi. Confederate forces stall them, barely.

Battle of (Where?) (1862 AD)-Union forces go on the offensive into North Carolina. They’re checked (where?), but take more territory.

Battle of Savannah (1863 AD)-The Confederates unleash an ironclad warship, the Montgomery, which took longer than OTL to make b/c of their lack of resources. It destroys five Union ships blockading Savannah, enabling dozens of blockade runners to escape with loads of cotton for the Bahamas, Bermuda, or even the Confederation.

Mississippi Campaign Begins (1863 AD)-Union forces in Tennessee and in the Mississippi Valley attempt to link up again.

Jackson Falls (1863 AD)-Jackson falls to Union forces.

Treaty of Ceylon (1863 AD)-The British and Afrikaners both conclude that a prosperous India is in both their interests, that neither side will be able to get a decisive advantage over the other, and that half a loaf is better than none. An Indian Condominium is established. Both sides will retain their existing territorial possessions and govern the whole subcontinent jointly.

Battle of Memphis (1863 AD)-Memphis falls to the Union.

Vicksburg Attacked (1863 AD)-The Confederates manage to repulse Northern forces (who’re aided by local black guerrillas) and keep the link between Arkansas and Texas and the rest of the Confederacy open. The city is severely damaged.

Battle of Charleston Harbor (1863 AD)-The Montgomery is able to destroy the blockading squadron at Charleston, although it sustains some damage (shoddier construction) and is forced to retreat to harbour rather than continue moving north.

Launch of the Monitor (1863 AD)-Luckily for the North, they had their own ironclad project. It was on the back burner for awhile, but the devastation of the Savannah blockade squadron makes it a priority.

First Battle of Charleston Harbor (1863 AD)-The Montgomery emerges from beneath Charleston Harbor’s guns and is interrupted in its massacre of the blockading squadron by the Monitor. Both ships survive the engagement, but the Montgomery is forced to withdraw (again) below the city’s guns after it springs leaks in several places. The Monitor is kept there, just in case.

Vicksburg Falls (1863 AD)-Although the attempt to take it by storm failed, the city was still besieged. With the garrison weakened by hunger, a second assault is made and it succeeds. Arkansas and Texas are cut off from the Confederacy.

Second Battle of Charleston Harbor (1863 AD)-The Montgomery makes another attack on the Monitor. Both ships do so much damage to each other that they sink.

General Adrian Simmons Put in Command of Western Armies (1863 AD)-Simmons realizes the potential powder keg the “Black Belt” along the Gulf Coast is. The region is loaded with slaves and there are small-scale insurgencies here and there. If he can deal the Confederate armies some initial defeats, he can set the entire region on fire. Although President MacDonald does not want to alienate Virginia and other pro-Union slaves states and thus has discouraged recruitment of black soldiers, Simmons begins training them anyway, although not deploying them for anything other than guard duty.

“March to Montgomery” Begins (1863 AD)-Simmons does not suffer from lack of ambition. He sets his sights on the Confederate capital of Montgomery.

Battle of (Where?) (1863 AD)-The campaign does not get off to a promising start. Confederate forces stall the advance at (where?).

Uprisings at (Where?), (Where?), and (Where?) (1863 AD)-Slave revolts break out when word gets around that Union forces are advancing (but not that they’ve been stopped). Confederate forces rushed back, enabling Simmons to launch another attack.

Battle of (Where?) (1863 AD)-Simmons times his push perfectly and punches through the depleted Confederate forces.

(What City?) Falls (1863 AD)-Union forces punch straight through Mississippi and end up in northern Alabama. The Confederate leadership in Montgomery panics.

Battle of (Where?) (1863 AD)-The Confederates eject Union forces from Alabama, but barely.

Second Battle of Vicksburg (1863 AD)-Confederate forces in Texas attempt to take advantage of Simmons’ overextension by forcing the Mississippi. This they fail to do.

The Gulf Coast Revolt Begins (1863 AD)-The depletion of troops within Texas leads to a slave uprising in the sugar country along the southern Gulf coast. Fighting this insurgency will keep Texan forces preoccupied for the rest of the war, keeping Simmons’ rear (relatively) secure.

Treaty of Peking (1863 AD)-The Qing Dynasty forced to recognize the new Taiping regime in southern China and the cession of (what city?) and (what city?) to the British.

French Intervene in Mexico (1863 AD)-The French intervene in Mexico, hoping to set up a pro-French government that will ensure payment of Mexico’s debts and provide markets for French manufactured goods. The French are quite overconfident—they defeated Germany, one of the greatest (on-paper) European powers, and conquered much of the Barbary Coast. They think that a divided US will pose no threat to them, and in fact, they do send some aid to the Confederacy.

Treaty of Shanghai (1863 AD)-Soon after the Taiping Dynasty is secure in its rule over South China, it signs a treaty of alliance with the Afrikaners. The Taiping will make large-scale arms purchases from the Afrikaners and Afrikaner soldiers will train their military. A state church is established along Afrikaner lines, as is much local government (the Taiping regime is in many respects quite decentralized). Afrikaners also open numerous factories. The Taiping regime forbids large-scale Afrikaner settlement—it is only somewhat less xenophobic than the Qing, and the Taiping leadership knows that establishing Afrikaner settlement blocs is often a prelude to Afrikaner conquest.

The Highlands Revolt Begins (1863 AD)-There is a black uprising against the Afrikaners in the East African highlands. Lots of settlers die, often in icky ways like being staked down and having Africans urinate into his or her mouth until they drown (this actually happened to a British settler).

Battle of (Where?) (1863 AD)-A small detachment of Afrikaner soldiers are overwhelmed by a large rebel force.

Battle of (Where?) (1863 AD)-Using weapons acquired from the defeated Afrikaner force, the rebels attack the city of (what?). They get beaten off with heavy losses.

Battle of (Where?) (1864 AD)-This marks the end of the Highlands Revolt. An Afrikaner army of about 10,000 ambushes a black rebel army of perhaps 50,000. They trap them within the valley (by occupying the exits) and fire onto them from the rim. This marks the end of the Highlands Revolt, which killed 3,000 whites (mostly settlers killed by the rebels) and over 100,000 blacks.

(What Tribe?), (What Tribe?), (What Tribe), and (What Tribe?) Expelled (1864 AD)-The Afrikaners round up all the survivors of the major tribes that participated in the rebellion and scatter the survivors throughout the Confederation. Although immediate families are kept intact out of “Christian compassion,” but the tribes that rebelled are now effectively extinct. Over 100,000 blacks moved around.

Battle of (Where?) (1864 AD)-Union forces punch through Confederate lines in central South Carolina.

Charleston Falls (1864 AD)-Charleston, SC falls to a Union naval assault.

Battle of (Where?) (1864 AD)-South Carolina forces attempt to retake Charleston, and fail. This prevents them from reinforcing the Confederate units attempting to slow the Union advance in the North.

Montgomery Falls (1864 AD)-Montgomery falls to Simmons’ forces after a prolonged siege. Confederate government relocates to Atlanta.

Battle of (Where?) (1864 AD)-Confederate forces under the command of General James Hampton dig in along (what east Alabama / west Georgia river). They damage to defeat an attempt by Simmons’ forces to force the state line.

(more)

End of the US Civil War (1864 AD)-With the surrender of General Hampton at (where?), the Civil War in the US ends.

Afrikaners Develop “Forward Defense” Policy (1864 AD)-The Afrikaners study the “March to Montgomery” and conclude that something similar might happen to them, despite their somewhat more enlightened treatment of their blacks. Their military planners adopt a policy of trying to capture as much territory as fast as possible in the event of war with the neighbors, especially if they’re major powers, and fortifying the hell out of it. Any enemy offensive should be directed at reclaiming the enemy’s own territory, not crossing into Afrikaner territory. Emphasis however, is placed on not getting overextended. This leads to an emphasis on combat engineering in the Afrikaner military—any captured territory must be quickly and effectively fortified.

US Forces French to Withdraw (1864 AD)-The US government turns its attention towards the French in Mexico, who aided its enemies and sought to take advantage of the Civil War. The French are forced to withdraw from Mexico. Within two months, their puppet republic collapses.

Zachary MacDonald Wounded (1864 AD)-A band of ex-Confederate guerrilla fighters attack MacDonald and his entourage as he visits Charleston as part of a national reconciliation tour. MacDonald is shot several times and ultimately has to have his leg amputated, but survives.

Military Occupation of the South Begins (1864 AD)-MacDonald decides that, in light of the recent attack (and some obnoxious episodes like the VP of the Confederacy being elected to Congress), firmer measures are needed. Military rule imposed throughout the South. Military forces discover a half-completed Confederate submarine in Mobile (think something like the Hunley) and it is taken North for study and possible copying. Slave rebels who had divided up the old plantations into family farms are given title to their lands, while the remaining plantations owned by noted Confederate sympathizers are divided up among freed slaves and poor whites.

Ku Klux Klan Formed (1864 AD)-The KKK begins as a social club, but quickly turns to terrorism against the occupying forces, freed slaves, etc. It’s a lot smaller than OTL owing to the massive slave risings (the freed blacks had often defeated armed whites or knew others who had, so whites are more wary of attacking them), but it makes up for it in viciousness.

Black Militias Created (1864 AD)-MacDonald begins arming the blacks in the South with military-surplus weapons and organizing them into formations drilled by black veterans, most of whom are former slaves themselves. They will bear the brunt, and do most of the damage, in the war against the KKK.

Zachary MacDonald Re-Elected (1865 AD)-MacDonald is re-elected by a massive margin.

French Civil War Begins (1865 AD)-Many French invested heavily in Mexico and the collapse of the pro-French government impoverished thousands. Banks collapsed and others desperately called in any possible debts, impoverishing their debtors (many of whom live in the Vendee region). (Name), who claim to be the great-grandson of Louis XVI, appears and seizes control over the western French city of (name?). He combines Bourbon monarchism with republicanism (King is “first citizen”) and something resembling Marxism (redistribution of wealth) and promises economic equality under the new regime. “Louis XVII” is a “Great Man”—charismatic and a military genius too.

Battle of (Where?) (1865 AD)-Louis’s army, largely a collection of peasant rebels stiffened with some disaffected veterans of the Mexican intervention, inflicts a stinging defeat on the French army that’s moved into the Vendee to suppress him.

Battle of (Where?) (1865 AD)-Louis’s army defeats the French army a second time and an entire regiment defects. He marches out of the Vendee and lays siege to (what city?).

(What City?) Falls (1865 AD)-After a two-week siege, (the city) falls. Louis XVII makes it his capital.

Alexander Pienaar Writes Sermon “Wheat and Tares” (1865 AD)-Pienaar, a conservative Calvinist from the Cape, writes a sermon critical of the Afrikaner government for permitting non-Calvinist Confederate die-hards to come to the Confederation. He is critical of Baptists, very critical of Arminians, and EXTREMELY critical of Campbellites (who might have a different name in TTL b/c Campbell himself might not exist). This sermon influences the governments of several of the more conservative staten to keep a closer eye on the religious doctrines taught by US-born ministers.

Second Franco-German War Begins (1866 AD)-The Germans attack again, blitzing through the weakened French border defenses. They quickly occupy the Rhineland. The German government has learned from the mistakes of the first war. Contacts are immediately made with anti-French elements in the Batavian government, while the generals are given all the powers and resources they need to win.

First Batch of Cape Town Heresy Trials (1866 AD)-The Cape staten tries several US-born Campbellite ministers for heresy—the more moderate ones (equivalent to the Disciples of Christ) for promoting “unity at the expense of truth” (trying to reconcile Calvinist and Arminians and Catholics and Protestants) and the more extreme ones (Church of Christ) for denying sola fide by insisting on immersion-baptism as a requirement for salvation. Some of them recant, while others are fined, sentenced to various prison terms, or exiled. One particularly anal Campbellite condemns those who try him as modern-day Pharisees, refers to Calvinism as “traditions taught by men,” claims that the End Times are near (Christians being “brought before kings and governors”), and ends up being hanged. Many Confederate refugees emigrate to more liberal staten and some return to the US with their tails between their legs.

Second Batch of Cape Town Heresy Trials (1866 AD)-The first wave of heresy trials brought about a lot of criticism of the Afrikaner government from many Confederate émigrés, particularly Baptist ministers. Several of them are brought to trial for claiming that joining of church and state is ungodly and also for denying the validity of infant baptism (this is a lesser issue). The trial turns into a year-long brouhaha that ends with many of the alleged heretics acquitted and others receiving lighter sentences. Owing to the good arguments made by the alleged “heretics,” the Afrikaner Reformed Church convenes a commission to discuss the issue of baptism.

“Louis XVII” Assassinated (1866 AD)-The Bourbon pretender is assassinated by some subordinates concerned about maintaining the unity of France in the face of German aggression. Without their leader, the Vendee rebellion crumbles. The French government proclaims amnesty for all rebels who enlist to fight the Germans.

Battle of (Where?) (1866 AD)-The forces freed up from the Vendee region and the former rebel formations are not enough to defeat the Germans, although they do give them a run for their money.

Treaty of (Where?) (1867 AD)-The French are forced cede the Rhineland, along with (either Alsace or Lorraine—the part with the most Germans). The Batavian Republic changes its name back to its pre-Revolutionary form, although most of the government stays in place. More importantly, it can negotiate treaties with foreign states without France’s approval.

(What Staten) Heresy Trials (1867 AD)-Another, more heavily Scots-Irish, staten tries some US-born new arrivals for heresy. This time, the defendants are all normal Arminians (Methodists perhaps) and they’re found innocent—the Calvinist argument that Arminianism is really Pelagianism doesn’t hold water with the jury. This staten becomes a center for non-Calvinist Christianity in the Confederation.

(Name) Releases Revised Communist Manifesto (1867 AD)-Taking the recent events in Europe into account, (name) condemns Louis XVII as a reactionary but admits he had to incorporate classist elements into his program. His comments on Louis XVII will resemble OTL’s Marxist comments on fascism.

Revision of Afrikaner Reformed Church Baptism Dogma (1867 AD)-The governing body of the Afrikaner Reformed Church hands down its verdict on infant vs. adult baptism and immersion vs. sprinkling. The body was largely split and they decide to leave the matter up to the individual churches. About 25% or so of Afrikaner Reform Churches become “Reform Baptist” over the next several decades.

(more)

Afrikaner-Dutch War Begins (1869)-The Afrikaners and Dutch fall out over the issue of control of the East Indies. The more aggressive Afrikaner elements saw an opportunity due to the political situation back in Holland and forced through a war over some very minor casus bellis.

Goa Falls (1869)-

Batavia Falls (1870)-Maratha and Afrikaner units from India seize Batavia from the Dutch and their native allies.

Battle of (Where?) (1870 AD)-The Dutch counterattack and attempt to retake Batavia, but the Afrikaners’ engineering emphasis pays off—the Dutch and their allies are slaughtered attempting to force the defenses.

Sri Lanka Falls (1870)-The Afrikaners take Sri Lanka from the Dutch and incorporate it into the Confederation. Indo-Afrikaners provided the bulk of the troops needed to do this, and most of them stick around to provide the new ruling elite.

The Red Sea Incursion Begins (1870)-The Dutch send a small fleet through the Suez Canal (this means Britain implicitly supports them). They do not intend to force their way into the Indian Ocean—they intend to raid the Afrikaner settlements in the Horn of Africa and Arabia, stir up the Arabs, and divert Afrikaner forces from the Indies. Their primary hammer-blow will come from a completely unexpected direction…

The Great Voyage Begins (1870)-The Dutch send another fleet to the Indian Ocean. This time, they secure the cooperation of the British and Americans and strike across the Pacific through the Panama Canal. The Afrikaners, distracted by the Dutch raiders in the Red Sea and Arabia, do not see this coming.

Battle of (Where?) (1870)-The Dutch and their Arab allies defeat the Afrikaner militia at (where?) and threaten the city of (what?).

Battle of (Where?) (1870 AD)-The Dutch flotilla deals the Afrikaner navy a bloody nose when the latter attempts to bring reinforcements into Arabia.

Battle of (Where?) (1871)-The Dutch take an Afrikaner fleet by surprise in the fringes of the East Indies and destroy it. They relieve the besieged Dutch garrisons (where?) and (where?) and threaten Afrikaner-held (what?).

Battle of (Where?) (1871)-The Dutch fleet is defeated in a Tsushima-esque battle by the Afrikaners.

Treaty of (Where?) (1872)-The Dutch cede all their rights to the East Indies to the Afrikaners. Afrikaners pay the Dutch a substantial sum in compensation. Dutch colonists in the region permitted to remain if they accept Afrikaner citizenship, which most do. The Dutch join the British as major enemies of the Afrikaners. The Europeans now view the Afrikaners as a major threat.

Amsterdam Conference (1873)-The various European states gather in this analogue to the Conference of Berlin. They decide on a joint policy to strengthen their existing colonies in Africa and to start no further wars in the continent unless they absolutely have to. And no more attacks on native states—instead, strengthen native states to contain the Afrikaners.

(Name) Kills Heir (1874 AD)-When he discovers his son (name) has slept with one of his concubines, (name), Taiping Emperor, kills him with his own hands. He then names (name), one of his generals, as a worthy successor to him as ruler of the Empire of South China. Thus begins the non-primogeniture system of Taiping succession that will characterize most of the regime.

(What Amendment?) to the Great Charter Passed (1875 AD)-After a notorious episode where an Arminian citizen of one staten is detained when he (briefly) enters a more Calvinist staten on the way to another more liberal staten, the Great Volkstadt has had enough. It is clear that the religious clauses of many staten constitutions interfere, or potentially interfere, with the rights of citizens of one staten to travel freely in another. The Amendment clarifies that laws against heresy shall not interfere with the rights guaranteed by other parts of the Great Charter (at the time, this refers to trade/travel). Individual staten may punish individuals for propagation of heretical ideas, but they cannot bar believers in heretical ideas from trading/travelling in their territory. Much of the Reformed Church is against this, but the measure passes. This is a de facto 14th Amendment.

(Name) Becomes Taiping Emperor (1875 AD)-(Name) dies of grief soon afterwards and (name), his appointed successor, becomes Emperor. He puts down a coup attempt by (name), the late Emperor’s brother. This confirms the meritocratic succession.

Last Union Troops Leave South (1876 AD)-The last Union troops leave the South. The black militias formed during Reconstruction retain their arms, just in case. The South is much better off in TTL—the poor whites and blacks are more advanced economically, everyone can vote without shenanigans, and the regional situation is more equitable (South not “colonized” by Northern interests).

The Second Crimean War Begins (1877 AD)-The Russians attack the Ottomans in the Balkans and the Swedes in Finland, hellbent on revenge for their defeat a generation earlier.

(insert some stuff)

Afrikaners Attack Ottomans (1878 AD)-The Afrikaners have been having border disputes in Arabia with the Ottomans and decide to take advantage of their distraction. Afrikaner forces march upward towards the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina.

Battle of (Where?) (1878 AD)-

Fall of Medina (1878 AD)-

Fall of Mecca (1879 AD)-Mecca holds out for a VERY long time, but falls nonetheless. The Afrikaners have enough cultural sensitivity to use Muslim troops from India to occupy/garrison the city.

Battle of (Where?) (1879 AD)-The Afrikaners take Aqaba by storm and move as far north as (where?) in Ottoman Palestine.

British Intervene in the War (1879 AD)-The British have had enough. A British fleet arrives to reinforce the Ottomans in the Straits and to help out the beleaguered (sp?) Swedes in the north. Another naval force makes call at Alexandria and at Antioch, making the point to the Afrikaners too. The Afrikaners withdraw south of Aqaba.

(more stuff for the Second Crimean War)

First Women Voters (1880 AD)-The first Afrikaner women cast ballots in the staten of (what?). They cannot vote in national elections yet.

Afrikaner-Ethiopian Conquest of Somali Territories Begins (1881 AD)-Somali bandits (shifta in the Africans’ tongue) have been raiding southward into Afrikaner territory, killing many of the Afrikaners’ black African dependents and some Afrikaners themselves. They’re often extremely brutal--they blind men from rival clans, castrate men and use their scrotums as tobacco pouches, and during the poacher wars in Kenya, skinned a man alive and rolled him in hot sand when his vehicle (which they were forcing him to drive for them) ran out of gas. The Afrikaners decide to put a stop to these shenanigans and ally with the Ethiopians, who are having similar problems, to do it.

(more)
 
The 20th Century

Not as many butterflies as there should be, but I've got a United States in a TL with a POD in the 16th Century and I do need a Cold War...

First Afrikaner-Ethiopian War Begins (1902 AD)-The Afrikaners and Ethiopians have a falling-out over Afrikaner intrusions into Ethiopian territory, the use of Somali proxies to attack Ethiopian troops, and other grievances. The Ethiopian Emperor declares war on the Afrikaners.

(more)

First Afrikaner-Ethiopian War Ends (1903 AD)-The war ends in a draw—the Ethiopians are militarily weaker, but the Afrikaners have lots of military commitments elsewhere and the Afrikaner leadership concludes the war is not worth the effort. However, a small number of Afrikaner settlers are permitted to settle in parts of southern Ethiopia, ostensibly to help develop some resources there.

Egyptian Volte Face (1905 AD)-The Egyptians recognize the Afrikaners as a threat—had Ethiopia fallen, the Afrikaners would border them on two sides. The Egyptian ruler expels the Afrikaner advisors and immediately petitions for an (unofficial) alliance with Britain (this is unofficial because Egypt is technically part of the Ottoman Empire).

(more)

World War One Begins (1914)-(How does it begin?). Allies: Britain, France, Russia, Japan. Central Powers: Germany, Italy, Hungary, the Ottoman Empire. The Afrikaners remain neutral, selling arms and food to both sides and hoping to take advantage.

Battle of Gaza (1914)-Egyptian forces mobilize, but they mobilize on behalf of the British! The Egyptian and Ottoman armies collide at Gaza and the Egyptians are victorious.

Afrikaner Invasion of Sudan (1915)-Hoping to take advantage of the Egyptians’ preoccupation with the closer Ottoman threat, the Afrikaners invade Sudan. The Allies declare war on the Afrikaners, who did not expect this to happen—Egypt was not a formal member of the Allied coalition.

Conference of London (1915 AD)-The leaders of the Allied states meet and decide on a Europe-first policy, since the Germans are a threat to the homelands of France and Russia (and to a lesser extent Britain), while the Afrikaners are only a threat to the colonies. It is decided to have Japanese and Australians bleed the Afrikaners in their vulnerable East Indian possessions—it’s cheaper than an invasion of Africa.

Battle of (Where?) (1915 AD)-The Royal Navy attempts to force the passage out of the Red Sea in order to reinforce India. They destroy the Afrikaner Red Sea Fleet, but owing to losses, are forced to wait for reinforcements. They occupy themselves devastating Afrikaner cities and coastal fortifications in Arabia in the meantime.

Battle of (Where?) (1915 AD)-This battle is analogous to Jutland—the German fleet is contained. However, the blockade is somewhat weakened owing to Brit losses against the Afrikaners.

Battle of (Where?) (1915 AD)-The Royal Navy squadron in the Red Sea is ordered to go onto India even though reinforcements are not forthcoming. The Afrikaners attempt to stop their passage, but they get beaten.

Battle of Khartoum (1916)-Here the Afrikaners are defeated, although ejecting them from the great mass of Sudan they’ve occupied will be no easy feat.

Battle of (Where?) (1917 AD)-Afrikaners finally ejected from Sudan.

Ethiopia Enters the War (1917 AD)-Seeing the chance to bloody the Afrikaners and claim some “Ethiopian” territory, the Ethiopians enter the war on the side of the Allies.

Battle of (Where?) (1917 AD)-Under the command of Afrikaner general Thomas de Lange, Maratha and Afrikaner forces break the back of the British army in India. Although the British continue to hold many major cities in Bengal and the northwest, the destruction of nearly half their army spells their doom. Many of the native princes, eager to throw off the British yoke and be counted among the new rulers of India, betray the British alliance.

Russian Revolution (1918 AD)-

Renewed German Submarine Offensive (1918)-

The United States Enters the War (1918)-Due to the sinking of several American ships, the US enters WWI. As a condition of help to Britain, the UK must promise to grant Ireland independence when the war is over. The Afrikaners blast this roundly.

Bolshevik Coup (1919 AD)-

Treaty of (What?) (1919 AD)-The Bolsheviks make a separate peace with Germany and its allies. The new states of Great Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are carved out in Eastern Europe, while the Romanians are ceded Bessarabia. The Germans have not advanced as far, so Ukraine remains part of the newly-minted Soviet Union. The Bolsheviks also agree to sell grain to the Germans “as far as practicable.”

Ottoman Empire Sues for Peace (1919 AD)-The Ottoman Sultan sues for peace as Allied forces draw near Constantinople. The Allies make a somewhat merciful peace, since they still need to fight the Germanic juggernaut in Europe, the Afrikaner juggernaut in the Indian Ocean, and Russia has just bowed out of the war entirely. The resulting Treaty of Jerusalem formalizes the independence of Egypt and the cession of the Levant TO Egypt and the cession of present-day Iraq to the Persians. The fate of the other Arab states nominally part of the Ottoman Empire is left undiscussed. However, a series of trade agreements similar to OTL’s Capitulations are imposed, which really PO’s the Ottoman public.

Great Czech Uprising (1919 AD)-The Czech minority revolt against the Hungarians, throwing the nation into chaos.

Hungary Sues for Peace (1919 AD)-

Germany Requests Armistice (1919 AD)-

Treaty of (What?) (1919 AD)-The French have finally gotten their revenge on the Germans. The Rhineland is demilitarized permanently, while (either Alsace or Lorraine) is returned to France. The Germans are forced to pay reparations to the French. The French would like the reparations to be even higher, but the British point out that the new regime in Russia bodes ill and maintaining a stronger Germany (and the existence of its new allies in the East) would be prudent. The British, however, insists on plebiscites re: certain border territories in Germany and the kingships of various Hohenzollern relatives in the East. The Poles eject their Hohenzollern king and get some territories from Germany’s eastern border-zones, but the settlement remains intact elsewhere in the East.

Treaty of (What?) (1919 AD)-The Confederation is forced to recognize the Japanese conquest of Taiwan and loses Timor to Australia following the defeat of its European allies in the First Great War. However, the British are in turn forced to recognize the annexation of the last pro-British states in India by the Afrikaner regime. Afrikaner settlements in southern Ethiopia dismantled, although a few individual Afrikaners are permitted to stay due to their role in vital industries.

Scrapping of (What?) and (What?) (1919 AD)-The Afrikaners decide to scrap the two battleships that are under construction but not yet finished and use the materials instead to build submarines. The war has shown them that beating the Brits battleship-for-battleship is a losing proposition. Submarines, on the other hand, might be the key to victory in the next war.

Ottoman Civil War Begins (1919 AD)-Ottoman general (name) rises up against the Ottoman Emperor for his supposed incompetence in losing the remainder of the Empire’s Arab lands to the Persians and Egyptians and the remnants of its European hegemony to the Balkan upstarts.

Great Rebellion Begins (1920 AD)-Several major black-African uprisings break out against Afrikaner rule, while the Afrikaner acquisition of former British territories in India gets ugly—the British left all their military gear behind to arm an Indian insurgency. Nationalist risings in Burma and the East Indies break out as well.

Ireland Independent (1920 AD)-Ireland becomes fully independent without the “free state” stuff, but with a larger Ulster. There will not be an Irish Civil War in TTL. However, the IRA has more sympathy in the Republic as a result, which could be problematic.

Ottoman Civil War Ends (1920 AD)-The war ends with (the WWI emperor) deposed and exiled to a palace in the Taurus Mountains (where the Sultan will live in luxurious isolation with sterilized concubines) and his son Mahmoud takes the throne. The rebellious general becomes Prime Minister (he will have all the real power for as long as he lives) and begins plans for modernizing the Ottoman army.

Ottoman Invasion of the Caucasus (1921 AD)-(General) decides to give the reorganized army some real combat experience. The Ottomans invade the Caucasus, which is torn by ethnic strife and Red-White violence. The Ottomans quickly occupy all of present-day Azerbaijan and Armenia, leaving Georgia alone. Although some press for a war of revenge against Persia, (the general) vetoes it. The conquest, fast though it was, revealed flaws in the Ottoman army, and thus more work is required. Retaking Mosul can wait.

Relief of Rangoon (1922 AD)-An Afrikaner relief force defeats Burmese rebels who are laying siege to Rangoon, the capital of the Afrikaner staten of Burma.

Battle of Batavia (1923 AD)-Afrikaners retake Batavia (present-day Jakarta) in several days of brutal house-to-house fighting.

Great Rebellion Ends (1924 AD)-Although banditry and guerrilladom will occur for years afterwards, the Afrikaners have re-established control over the Confederation. The only accounts remaining to be settled from the last war are the Ethiopians, and at present, the Confederation is too weak to launch another war. The Afrikaners preoccupy themselves with natalist programs (to replace whites killed in the war), large-scale population relocation to break up rebellious ethnicities, and getting a functional economy going again.

(more)

(What Number?) Amendment to the Great Charter Passed (1928 AD)-Ruling-class women now have the right to vote in national and local elections all across the Confederation. This is pushed as a reward for women’s service at the home front during the Great War and in battle alongside men defending their homes and families during the Great Rebellion. The passage of this amendment is rather difficult—however, the backing of the Afrikaner Reformed Church is attained by pointing out men and women voted on leaders in the early church, and that “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor hold authority over a man” refers only to religious, not political, situations.

Second Ethiopian-Afrikaner War Begins (1933 AD)-Using some minor border violations as pretext, the Afrikaners attack the Ethiopians.

(Name) Becomes Taiping Emperor (1935)-This will be the last non-hereditary succession in South China.

Treaty of Addis Ababa (1935 AD)-This marks the end of the second Ethiopian-Afrikaner War. The Afrikaner settlers expelled at the end of the First World War are allowed back, and must be compensated by the Ethiopian government. Ethiopia’s sovereignty is guaranteed, but the presence of a large body of armed Afrikaners limits Ethiopia’s ability to deal with the Afrikaners as equals. This begins the long Ethiopian vassalage to the Confederation.

Afrikaner Conquests of the Trucial Coast (1935-38)-The Afrikaners conquer the Trucial Coast and parts of the Arabian interior, an opportunistic grab for territory and wealth, particularly oil. The Rashids are left independent, as Persian vassals. The al-Sauds are obliterated.

Beginning of the East Asian Phase of the Second World War (1938 AD)-The Japanese and the Qing strike southward, with the Qing attacking the Taiping and the Japanese attacking the Philippines, French Indochina, and the Afrikaner- and Australian-held East Indies. US declares war on Japan. The Japanese have planned for this and have some carriers waiting to ambush the American fleet when it leaves Hawaii.

Battle of (Where?) (1938 AD)-Per the war plans, the US battle line steams out of Pearl and makes for the Phillippines. It’s ambushed en route by Japanese carrier-based aircraft and submarines and is devastated. All of the battleships and most of the cruisers and destroyers sunk, with thousands of deaths and thousands more taken prisoner. Japanese lose a few submarines and aircraft, but no surface ships.

Battle of Pearl Harbor (1938 AD)-The Japanese decide to push their luck. With their largely unscathed fleet, they attack Pearl Harbor, hoping to wreck its fuel supplies, docks, etc. and make it unusable. Unfortunately for the Japanese, the Americans are prepared and pissed off and the Japanese are forced back in a colossal air battle. Some of the fuel supplies are damaged and many of the American planes are lost, but Pearl is still usable. The Japanese retreat.

Death of (Name) (1939 AD)-Taiping Emperor (Name) killed by Qing-Japanese bombing raid launched from Taiwan. He has not selected a successor, so his son (name) succeeds him. This is the end of the meritocratic system of succession in the Taiping empire.

Soviets Enter Second World War (1940 AD)-With most of Europe’s militaries moving eastward to deal with the Japanese, the Soviets and Romanians attack Poland, Hungary, the Baltic states, and Swedish Finland, hoping to undo the negative results of the First World War and (in the case of the Russians), “terminate bourgeoisie nationalism.” There was a serious debate about attacking the Afrikaners instead of Eastern Europe in hopes of setting off a massive popular uprising, which would have probably happened, but the Europe-first party won, citing the unique opportunity the Asian war presented. At the same time, large numbers of Communist infiltrators (Indian exiles for the most part, along with Turkic peoples) are sent southward into India in order to sow dragon’s teeth while the Qing and Japanese distract the Afrikaners.

Germany and France Declare War on the USSR (1940 AD)-The Germans, not wanting the Reds on their borders, go to war to defend Poland. The French likewise, to save the “Little Entente,” and the British, per the old alliance with Sweden. The Ottomans remain neutral, for now.

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“Miracle on the Oder” (1941 AD)-Here the seemingly-invincible Red horde is stopped. The Germans left the bridges on the Oder intact, but mined in such a way the explosives aren’t visible (drilled into the bridge and welded inside?). The overconfident Soviets begin crossing and when about half the Soviet force is over the bridge, the Germans set the explosives off. German forces then pounce on the stranded Soviet forward elements and slaughter them. The Soviets withdraw to Warsaw to regroup.

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Soviet Invasion of India (1943 AD)-The Soviet leadership begins to get a bit desperate. They conclude that the way to break the stalemate in the West is to invade India and use its manpower against the Franco-German armies in Poland and the Anglo-Scandinavian forces in the north. They think that owing to the distraction of the Afrikaners and the large-scale infiltration operations they’ve been engaging in over the last couple of years, the Afrikaner-Maratha ruling class will fall quickly and they can use the radicalized Indian masses as cannon fodder. So they bribe the Afghan Emir and all the tribal chiefs and invade India. The Soviets make the most progress and gather the most collaborators in the areas that used to be under British rule.

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American Landings in Siberia (1944 AD)-American forces from Alaska push through depleted Soviet armies into Siberia.

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Vladivostok Falls to Americans (1945 AD)-

Battle of (Where?) (1945 AD)-The Japanese and Qing defeat an American push from occupied Vladivostok into northern Korea.

Siege of Vladivostok (1945-6 AD)-The Qing and Japanese lay siege to the trapped American force within Vladivostok.

The Great Revenge (1945-47)-When the Afrikaners occupy areas of India that had been under Soviet control, they unleash a massive reprisal against collaborators and their families. This leads to full-blown depopulation of some regions, regions that are then repopulated with Afrikaners and loyal ethnicities. This changes the demographic balance of India considerably, but also gives later generations of Indo-Afrikaners a major sense of “white guilt.” They even refer to it as “the killing times” in an ironic reference to repression in Stuart Scotland.

Soviets First Deploy IRBMs (1946 AD)-The Soviets unleash early-model IRBMs loaded with nerve gas on targets in India, Iran, the Ottoman Empire, Poland, Germany, and even enemy-occupied regions of the USSR in hopes of disrupting enemy war production and troop movement. The attacks are immediately followed up by massive attacks on enemy positions in Soviet territory. The combined efforts force the Allies back in several places, but the most important Allied position holds, despite taking absurdly high casualties.

Qing China Makes Separate Peace with the US (1947 AD)-Faced with Afrikaner incursions in the west, a crumbling southern border with the Taiping, the use of their soldiers as Japanese cannon fodder, and constant US bombing, the Qing make peace. Part of the peace treaty includes a clause saying that the US will back the territorial integrity of Qing China, which right now is being threatened by the Afrikaners. The Taiping get some territorial concessions though.

US Nuclear Strike on Truk (1947 AD)-The United States smashes the remnants of the Japanese fleet with a nuclear bomb. US planes paper Japan with photographs of the destruction in an effort to pressure the Japanese government to surrender.

Tokyo Bay Demonstration Strike (1947 AD)-Although much of the Japanese ruling class wants to surrender, the militarists still hold sway over the Emperor. The US detonates another nuclear bomb in Tokyo Bay. Although the bomb is far enough away to not do major damage, the blast does blind thousands of people in Tokyo, some permanently. This frightens the Japanese moderates into turning on the militarists and massacring them.

Afrikaner Destruction of the Vosmak Line (1947 AD)-The Afrikaners deploy nuclear weapons against the entrenched Soviet forces at Dushnabe and Bokhara. Afrikaner forces immediately attack, smashing the weakened Soviet defenses in four places. The Soviets are able to reform and force the Afrikaners back at Urganch, but Soviet manpower is running low. The Afrikaners are now in possession of much of Soviet Central Asia.

Soviet ICBM Launch on East Africa (1947 AD)-The Soviets launch several primitive ICBMs at targets in East Africa. Three carry nerve gas, while a fourth carries a “dirty bomb.” Two of the ICBMs malfunction and crash into the Indian Ocean, while (what city?) is hit by the nerve-gas and (what city?) is hit by the dirty bomb. Over 40,000 people, including 9,000 Afrikaners, are killed, and parts of (what city) will not be safe to live in until the 1980s.

Afrikaner Nuclear Strike (Where?) (1947 AD)-The Afrikaners take their revenge by destroying two Soviet cities with nuclear weapons, killing over 70,000 people. In one such city, it is later discovered, the Soviets had two more “dirty bombs” prepared for use against Afrikaner troops (the Soviets expected the enraged Afrikaners to immediately attack, and they thought they’d run out of nukes).

(What Location?) Uprisings (1947 AD)-Several revolts break out against the weakened Soviet government. They’re brutally repressed in some places, but in some places, the rebels actually win.

Battle of (Where?) (1947 AD)-Qing and some local Japanese forces defeated in western China by Afrikaner and Tibetan invaders.

Treaty of Nagasaki (1947 AD)-The Japanese finally surrender. Japan must withdraw from its remaining Southeast Asian conquests and compensate Europeans, Afrikaners, and locals who suffered at the hands of its military. Korea and Taiwan must be granted a great deal of local autonomy and, especially with Korea, attempts to impose Japanese culture must stop. The US made a more lenient peace with Japan since President Thompson believed that their help would be needed against the Afrikaners.

Battle of Ashgabat (1947 AD)-The Afrikaners again attack the Soviet forces. Radiation poisoning has begun to take its toll on the Soviet armies, which crumble. Afrikaner forces occupy the Caspian port of Aktau.

World War II Ends (1947 AD)-Seeing that all is lost, the Soviet leadership issues its unconditional surrender to the Anglo-German-American alliance from its last redoubt in the Siberian city of Omsk.

Zhem River Crisis (1948 AD)-Almost as soon as the Soviet Union surrendered, war nearly flared again. German forces moving southward to occupy strategic sites in the Caucasus and Central Asia collide with Afrikaner and Persian forces moving northward to occupy as much territory as possible. Afrikaners continue to penetrate Russian Xinjiang and parts of Qing China. There are several nasty collisions. The European powers claim that the Afrikaner move violates the (analogue to the Tehran or Potsdam agreement); the Afrikaners dare them to do something about it. They make a reference to their possession of the atomic bomb.

President Thompson Delivers Ultimatum (1948 AD)-William Thompson, President of the United States, delivers an ultimatum to Thomas Lutkens, leader of the Confederation. If the Confederation attempts to take any more territory from the former Soviet Union or Qing China, or engages in further combat with the European nations, it and its allies (this includes the Taiping) will face nuclear retaliation. US nuclear-capable bombers begin massing in Taiwan, Australia, Korea, Japan proper, Great Britain, Morocco, France, and parts of the former USSR.

Afrikaner Withdrawal (1948 AD)-The Afrikaners back down. Under Allied pressure, the Afrikaners withdraw south of the Aral Sea and Persians, without their big friend to help them, retreat to their pre-war boundaries in the Caucasus, although they are sure to get their share of Tajik-speaking territory in Central Asia (organized as an oblast on the opposite side of Afghanistan, which is not required to surrender a corridor). German and “friendly Russian” forces soon replace them. The Afrikaners, unable to annex territory outright due to the inconvenient presence of their Afghan allies, instead create the puppet Turkestani Republic north of Afghanistan (consisting of present-day Uzbekistan, northern Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan). The Tibetans are forced to leave the territories they occupied in western Qing China.

League of Democracies Formed (1948 AD)-Recognizing the danger that the gigantic Confederation represents to world freedom, the United States, Great Britain, and Germany mastermind the formation of the League of Democracies, TTL’s equivalent to NATO. Ukraine, Belarus, and the new Russian Republic are admitted as members.

Self-Determination Compact Formed (1948 AD)-The Afrikaners form this counter-alliance, which consists of the Confederation, Persia, Taiping China, Tibet, Thailand, the Hejaz, the Rashids, and Afghanistan. Ostensibly, this alliance is protect against attempts by “outside forces” to “subvert the traditional governments and societies that comprise this alliance.” It’s essentially the Warsaw Pact—the Confederation is the dominant power and the others are, to varying degrees, its satellites. The Ethiopian government refuses to sign. Afrikaner forces mobilize on Ethiopia’s borders, but the United States hints broadly that an attempt to invade Ethiopia to force its compliance will not be appreciated. The 1930s Treaty of Addis Ababa is renewed instead.

Mongolian Revolution (1948 AD)-Mongolian nationalists rebel against the Qing dynasty. Having just been mauled by the Afrikaners and Taiping, the Qing are too weak to do anything about it. The rebels receive some Afrikaner weapons once it’s clear that they’re not going to get crushed immediately, but actual aid is limited and the Mongolians forces refuse to allow their nation to become an Afrikaner satellite. Mongolia becomes a neutral state.

First Satellite Launched (1948 AD)-

Fall of the Qing Dynasty (1950 AD)-The twin defeats of WWII and the successful rising of the Mongolians convince many in China that the Qing have lost the Mandate of Heaven. (Name), one of the few Qing generals who shows any degree of military competence, topples the Qing dynasty and establishes the Yong (“everlasting”) dynasty.

First Indonesian Revolt (1951)-Spurred on by the propaganda of the retreating Japanese (who left lots of weapons behind), the native peoples of the East Indies rise up against the Afrikaners. They get brutally put down.

First Man on the Moon (1955 AD)-The United States lands the first man on the Moon.

Launch of the Danvers (1958 AD)-The United States follows up on its lunar triumph by launching the Danvers, an unlikely spacecraft that accelerates by detonating nuclear bombs behind it (Project Orion). Owing to concerns about fallout, the Orion is launched into orbit via chemical rockets (4-9 Saturn 5 launches to assemble the vehicle in orbit plus separate launches for the nukes, or perhaps a smaller # of Nova launches) and doesn’t start setting off bombs until past lunar orbit.

Danvers Arrives on Mars (1959 AD)-The Danvers’ shakedown cruise takes it to Mars, which it deploys a team of astronauts to explore the surface and collects lots of rocks. When the ship returns to Earth, it leaves several satellites in Martian orbit.

Danvers Returns (1960 AD)-The Danvers returns from Mars. The astronauts who sailed with it are hailed as national heroes.

Syria, Hejaz Attack Egypt (1960 AD)-The Syrians, Ethiopians, and Hejazi, egged on by the Afrikaners, attack the Egyptians, who are not part of the League of Democracies. The Ethiopians, whose weak Emperor is an Afrikaner puppet, are hoping to get some territory in Sudan and get a better deal re: waters from the Nile (the Egyptians periodically threaten war over Ethiopian water projects), while the Syrians and Hejazi have border issues of their own. The League of Democracies sends lots of aid to the Egyptians to test out against the neighbors—this is like the Arab-Israeli wars, where both sides tested out their weapons and tactics.

Afrikaners Land a Man on the Moon (1961 AD)-The Afrikaners get a man onto the Moon as well.

Peace of Khartoum (1962 AD)-The war ends in a negotiated peace. The Ethiopians are permitted to build some more dams and gain some territory from Sudan, while the Hejazi gain some trading rights in Aqaba. The Syrians gain little.

Afrikaners Launch the Rookiat (1964 AD)-The Afrikaners have produced their own Orion-type ship, the Rookiat. Now both World Powers have one.

Traditional Spacesuits Replaced (1964 AD)-The traditional spacesuits weren’t up to snuff during the Mars mission, so US scientists devise a new sort of spacesuit. It’s much like this:
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/biosuit-0716.html but is less sleek and high-tech.

Egypt Officially Joins League of Democracies (1964 AD)-This defeat (albeit a narrow one) at the hands of the Afrikaners’ proxies convinces the Egyptian government to try to join the League of Democracies. The League requires Egypt to make efforts towards rule of law, full religious freedom, a parliament with real power, etc. The Egyptian ruler does so, and Egypt joins the League.

Launch of Danvers and Rookiat (1965 AD)-The United States and the Afrikaners dispatch two of their Orion-type ships on a long voyage to the outer solar system. It’s a gesture of peace and goodwill between the two powers, whose relations have been recently strained by the proxy wars of the Middle East.

The Pampas Revolt (1965 AD)-The Afrikaners have been feeding funds and weaponry to white supremacists in southern Brazil for years, in hopes of establishing an allied state in the Western Hemisphere. Said white supremacists revolt. In the process, they commit lots of atrocities (expulsion/massacre of blacks and those of insufficiently white blood, for example). The white supremacists in question are an uglier fringe of this group:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pampas_Republic The three states where the revolt occurs are Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná.

Brazil, US Bring Afrikaners Before League of Nations (1965 AD)-Brazil and the US condemn the Afrikaners for their aiding/abetting of this sort of behaviour. Christopher Korb, the Afrikaner ambassador to the League, denies Confederate involvement, but points out that the Confederation government is loathe to prevent member staten or private citizens from assisting oppressed white peoples elsewhere in the world. He makes things worse by referring to the US President as a “cuckold” due to the fact that his wife is a painter and once hired a (male) nude model. She threatens to sue him, but he has diplomatic immunity. The US government begins procedures to declare him a persona non grata and he is forced to apologize.

The Confederation Recalls Korb (1965 AD)-Korb is recalled by his government for his embarrassing behaviour. He gets one last dig in—he says that even if no immoral behaviour went on with the First Lady and her model, she would be wise to avoid the appearance of evil in the future. The Confederation replaces him with the more polished James Hodges, who presents evidence of US aid to anti-Confederation elements in India, Africa, the Middle East, and the East Indies. He denies official Confederation involvement, but said if the Confederation (or certain individual staten or private individuals) sent arms and money to the Brazilian rebels, it would be belated retaliation for Western interference in the internal affairs of Compact nations. “We have turned the other cheek long enough.”

Mobilization (1965 AD)-In response to the Afrikaner interference, the League of Democracies mobilizes its military. The Afrikaners and their allies mobilize theirs. Skirmishes break out in several places and it looks like WWIII is aborning.

The Battle of (Where?) (1965 AD)-Luckily for the world, the pro-Afrikaner rebels in Brazil get overextended and are crushed in a major battle. This presents both sides with a face-saving way to back down—the Afrikaners’ puppets, whose association the Afrikaners denied in the first place, are no longer a problem, and the integrity of the Brazilian state has been vindicated.

Korb Appointed Minister of Public Morals in (What Name?) Staten (1965 AD)-In protest of his recall and forced retirement, the leadership of (what staten?) appoints Korb Minister of Public Morals.

Return of the Saturn Expedition (1966 AD)-The American and Afrikaner Orion-ships return from their long voyage to the outer solar system. They’ve taken lots of pictures and deployed various satellites in orbit around Jupiter and Saturn—both sides’ astronomers and publics are elated by the information bonanza that results. This also helps heal the damage of the recent crisis, as it is a joint American-Afrikaner triumph of science.

X-20 Dynasoar Becomes Operational (1966)-The Dynasoar, an early one-man spaceplane cancelled in OTL, is instead further developed and deployed. They are launched into orbit on rockets, skip across the upper atmosphere, and land normally. They will be further refined over the decades, becoming both faster and more heavily armed and armoured, as well as more manoeuvrable in space.

Ascension of (Name) (1967 AD)-He will be the last Taiping Emperor. He combines the worst of both worlds—most of the time he is an ignorant do-nothing who spends most of his time with his concubines and allows his advisors to corruptly govern, but when he does assert himself, it’s usually to make a half-hearted attempt to spread Taiping ideology (closing down Buddhist temples, executing those who practice foot-binding or abandon infant girls, etc).

Treaty of Cape Town (1968 AD)-After some civilian spacecraft are critically damaged by space debris (possibly nuke shrapnel from the Danvers and Rookiat), the US and Afrikaners sign a treaty mandating that all spacecraft have a certain % of magnetic materials. This way, in the event of accidents (or war), space debris can be more easily cleaned up by the use of gigantic electromagnets.

Thomas de Lange Born (1968 AD)-Thomas de Lange is born to David and Christina de Lange in Palma, Delgado Staten.

Taiping China Leaves Compact (1969 AD)-(Name) withdraws Taiping China from the Afrikaner-led alliance, citing various “violations of Taiping sovereignty” (assassinations conducted on Taiping soil, sending Afrikaner missionaries to try to bend the Taiping beliefs in more orthodox directions, etc).

The Sonora Incident (1969 AD)-The Sonora, the second American Orion-type spaceship, suffers a system malfunction that leads to many of its nuclear charges detonating. The resulting electromagnetic pulse disables dozens of American and Afrikaner satellites and even some manned space stations, leading to the deaths of several dozen when life-support systems fail. WWIII nearly breaks out—both sides believe the orbital detonations are part of a first-strike and there are a lot of skirmishes. However, control is restored before the nukes fly.

Treaty of Madrid (1969 AD)-Both sides, shaken by the accident, agree to retire their Orion-ships. Ion-drive technology is beginning to be a viable means of ship-propulsion, but it doesn’t generate the necessary combination of high specific impulse and high trust to visit the outer solar system in an appropriate length of time. Spatial scientists on both sides protest that this means there won’t be anymore exploration of the solar system for the foreseeable future, but they’re shouted down by the general publics who fear the consequences of another accident.

Last Orion Ship is Retired (1970 AD)-The last Orion-ship is retired. For nearly 50 years, the outer solar system is off-limits to mankind, although exploratory trips to Mars are possible using existing ion-engine technology).

First Stealth Aircraft Tested (1970 AD)-The first prototype Stealth aircraft are tested in the western United States.

Afrikaners Begin Promoting Tourism (1971 AD)-Even this early, the Afrikaner economy is showing signs of falling behind. The government decides to promote the Confederation as a tourist destination, citing the wildlife of the Serengeti Plain, the history and architecture in India, and the friendly people. The scheme is initially successful. The scheme is also meant to increase white immigration to the Confederation—if the people like the place, perhaps they’ll stay (even if they have to serve a couple of years in the Afrikaner military before they can become citizens).

South Chinese Revolution Begins (January 11th, 1973 AD)-This is the beginning of the end of the Taiping dynasty. Sick of harassment at the hands of the Taiping police due to religious differences, a Taoist sect called the (name) destroys the police headquarters in (what city?). A major uprising breaks out in the city. The Confederation and its allies abide by the Taiping decision to leave the Alliance and do nothing, thinking that the rebellion will put pressure on the Taiping to come crawling back.

Battle of (Where?) (January 13th, 1973 AD)-Local military forces ordered to crush the rebellion. A full third of the army defects to the rebels, more desert, and the attempt by the remainder to seize control of (what city?) is defeated. (Name), leader of the rising, calls on the Yong for aid. Although an outright invasion of South China does not occur, arms, money, and “volunteers” find their way south of the Yangtze.

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Yong Invasion of Taiping China (September 8th, 1973 AD)-Seeing the rebellion spread all across southern China, the Yong government acts. Northern armies cross the Yangtze in three places, while another offensive is launched in the west. Taiping armies already beset by military mutiny and popular unrest crumble. There is fierce debate in the Great Volkstadt about whether or not to intervene at this point, but the anti-interventionists win out—the Taiping made their bed, let them sleep in it. The fact that intervening in China is logistically very difficult doesn’t help.

Battle of (Where?) (September 19th, 1973 AD)-Loyalist Taiping forces manage to inflict a nasty defeat on Yong armies, keeping them out of the Taiping heartland.

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Fall of Tianjing (August 3rd, 1975 AD)-Tianjing, the Taiping capital, falls to Yong forces. Its old name of Nanjing is brought back. The Taiping Emperor is killed in the fighting, but his sons (name), (name), (name), and daughters (name) and (name) manage to escape to Shanghai.

(Name) Crowned Emperor (August 5th, 1975 AD)-(Name) is crowned Emperor. He makes an allusion to his position being like that of King David after Absalom’s rebellion, and promises to return in triumph. In fact, in order to try to divert nationalist sentiment away from the Yong, he promises to take North China as well. The Great Volkstadt authorizes Afrikaners to serve as volunteers if they wish, since the Emperor who betrayed the Compact is dead, and begins sending aid.

Battle of (Where?) (August 11th, 1975 AD)-Taiping forces attempt to break the Yong siege of (what city?). They get soundly stomped.

Surrender of (Where?) (August 12th, 1975 AD)-Yong forces take (what city?). The only major city still in Taiping hands is Shanghai.

Peking Nuclear Strike (August 18th, 1975 AD)-The desperate Taiping fire a single-warhead nuclear missile at Peking in a move meant to decapitate the Yong government. The missile is damaged by interceptors and hits near (what city?), killing 200,000 people.

(What location?) Nuclear Strike (August 24th, 1975 AD)-The Yong regime retaliates, destroying the Taiping garrison at (where?) with a nuclear strike. The last obstacle on the road to Shanghai is destroyed.

Siege of Shanghai Begins (August 30th, 1975 AD)-Yong forces lay siege to Shanghai. The city is swollen with Taiping loyalist refugees and is supplied by sea from Taiwan—the Japanese fear that Taiwan might be the next target and want to bleed the Yong as much as possible, and Afrikaner aid is beginning to arrive.

Fall of South China (September 11th, 1975 AD)-Shanghai falls to the forces of Yong and China is reunified. With the aid of Afrikaner volunteers, the Taiping royal family attempts to flee to Singapore via Vietnam, where some Chinese garrisons remain loyal to them. The aircraft containing the last Emperor and one of his sisters is brought down and both die. Two younger brothers make it to Batavia. (Name), another sister of the last Taiping Emperor, is taken alive and married to the eldest son of the Yong Emperor for political reasons. Their children will be the rulers of All Under Heaven.

Afrikaner Overtures to Japan (September 18th, 1975 AD)-The Afrikaners make diplomatic overtures to Japan, pointing out the danger that the now-reunified Chinese represent to Japanese control of Korea and Taiwan. If Japan were to leave the League of Democracies—where they’re not popular due to their colonial rule over Korea—they could join the Afrikaners’ alliance and be safe. Under heavy US pressure, the Japanese reject the offer.

Chinese Demand Return of Taiping (November 1st, 1975 AD)-Once they’ve consolidated their control over southern China, the Yong demand the return of the Taiping royals, along with any Afrikaner mercenaries who served them after the death of (the incompetent Emperor). They want to try the Taiping for their human-rights violations and punish their Afrikaner volunteers as “mercenaries.” The Afrikaners refuse.

Chinese Declare War (November 2nd, 1975 AD)-The Empire of China declares war on the Afrikaner Confederation. This activates the Compact treaty between the Afrikaners and their various allies, although only Tibet and Thailand directly participates in the war (some border raids against the Yong). Chinese naval units attack remaining Taiping garrisons in Vietnam while Chinese land forces begin moving southward. Massive air-strikes on Batavia and Singapore are disrupted by Afrikaner air defenses. Afrikaner forces invade southern Vietnam from OTL Malaya and move north to meet the Chinese in battle.

Battle of (Where?) (November 12th, 1975 AD)-The Afrikaners and Chinese collide. The Afrikaner force is about half the size of the Chinese one, but is more technologically advanced. The battle is a draw high-casualty draw—both sides forced to retreat, dig in, and await reinforcements.

(What Location) Nuclear Strike (November 14th, 1975 AD)-Noting that massive Chinese reinforcements are coming, the Afrikaners launch a nuclear strike on the Chinese defenses, followed by an immediate assault by radiation-suited soldiers. The Chinese are forced northward.

Batavia Nuclear Strike (November 16th, 1975 AD)-The Chinese slip a submarine into Batavia harbour and set off a nuclear bomb, destroying the coastal parts of the harbour and much of the Afrikaners’ (what number?) fleet. 100,000 killed, including about 9,000 Afrikaners, and fourteen military and over sixty civilian ships sunk or “mission-killed.” Although Singapore remains operational (a similar mission is intercepted and stopped), this is a major blow to the Afrikaner strategic position in the Far East.

(What Location) Nuclear Strike (November 17th, 1975 AD)-The Afrikaners destroy (what port?) in southern China with a nuke and drop another bomb on the supply lines of the army in Vietnam.

US Brings Chinese Empire and Afrikaners Before the League of Nations (November 19th, 1975 AD)-Both sides are condemned for their use of nuclear weapons against civilian targets. The League levies sanctions (no military-related trade for either as long as the war lasts) and the US makes some unpleasant military threats.

Yong-Afrikaner Armistice (November 21st, 1975 AD)-The international outcry and the US military threat against both sides provide the perfect excuse for both nations to have a cease-fire.

Peace of Singapore (December 9th, 1975 AD)-The Chinese Empire and the Afrikaner Confederation make peace. Both parties will withdraw all of their militaries from Vietnam and neither will interfere with its politics. Both parties will also chip in large sums of money to pay for reconstruction of Vietnam. The religious freedom of Chinese Christians is to be guaranteed and all who wish to emigrate must be allowed to do so. Although most Chinese Christians choose to remain in China, about 300,000 or so emigrate to Afrikaner territories in East Indies and India, where they’re granted citizenship. Both US and Afrikaner military leaders study the Sino-Afrikaner War intensely, as it is a smaller-scale version of the conflict that both sides think is inevitable. The US makes it a priority to get hold of Afrikaner and Chinese battle data. The Taiping royals will remain free, although to appease the Yong, they’re relocated from Singapore to Arabia.

Morocco Officially Joins League of Democracies (1976 AD)-The spanking the Afrikaners inflicted on the Chinese (although the war ends with a compromise favourable to both sides, it is clear the Afrikaners would have eventually won if the US had not intervened) is enough to prod the Moroccan monarchy into making the necessary reforms.

Second Indonesian Rebellion (1976 AD)-Nationalists and Muslims in the East Indies rebel against the Afrikaners once it’s clear the Afrikaners intend to primarily settle the Chinese Christians in their region. They get slapped down, huge numbers are deported to Arabia, Somalia, and elsewhere and Chinese settlers begin streaming in, stabilizing Afrikaner control over the East Indies for a generation. Singapore becomes a Christian city, along with (pick some other cities). OTL majority-Christian regions such as the Moluccas are likely to gain a significant Chinese flavour.

Lower-Caste Revolt in India (1979 AD)-Several lower-caste revolts against Afrikaner rule break out in India. They’re crushed by 1980. Lots of Indians end up in Angola and other unlikely places.

Foundation of the Afrikaner Émigré Society in Amsterdam (1980)-In the aftermath of the Sino-Afrikaner War and the crushing of the two internal revolts, some Afrikaners become disillusioned with their society. Several of them who have emigrated to the Netherlands found the Afrikaner Émigré Society. As the Confederation stagnates, other such societies will be founded in Britain, Australia, and the US.

Pavle Boonzaier Writes “Christian Government” (1982 AD)-Although “bringing everything under the rule of Christ the King” theology has been part of the Afrikaner government for a long time, this crystallizes it in a form resembling a more overtly violent version present-day American “Christian Reconstructionism.” Boonzaier writes that the Calvinist “white” races of the Indian Ocean basin are the new chosen people and that the region is their Canaan (with everyone else as “hewers of wood and drawers of water”), but that Christians everywhere have a responsibility to spread the Gospel by bringing the entire world (economically, politically, culturally) under “the lordship of Christ.”

The Serengeti Brothel Scandal (1983 AD)-It is revealed that the government of (what staten—it includes the Serengeti) is running a series of brothels for foreign tourists visiting the Serengeti Plain. Everything is being recorded and the Afrikaner intelligence service will later use this evidence to try to blackmail American or European tourists into conducting espionage or sabotage for them. This is the tip of the iceberg—in regions like India and Southeast Asia, where sexual mores are looser, there’s even more of this going on. Although the Afrikaner government tries to hush this up, it fails and becomes an international scandal. The Church goes ballistic and heads roll in the intelligence service. The Afrikaner plan to bring in lots of foreign exchange via tourism collapses.

First Mag-Lev Line Completed (1983 AD)-The first Mag-Lev train line, which runs from Seattle to San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego/Tijuana to La Paz, is completed.

(Ship Name) Asteroid Capture Mission Returns (December 1985 AD)-The robotic spacecraft return with a “Christmas present for the world”—an asteroid captured a month’s travel beyond the Lunar orbit that contained large deposits of gold. This mission pays back most of the costs of developing the asteroid-capturing flotilla, but does not quite put the company in the black. However, it does fulfill the conditions the Feds imposed in exchange for some funding and regulatory bypassing—it depresses the value of Afrikaner exports, weakens its currency (it also weakens the US and allied currencies, all of which are on the gold standard, but given the other benefits, it’s a net gain), and seriously cuts into the profitability of many of the deep gold mines in southern Africa. The asteroid, once brought into a stable Earth orbit, is named Forty-Nine (after the Forty-Niners) and gold-mining begins, further weakening the Afrikaners’ currency and cutting into the profitability of the Afrikaner economy.

Formation of the Theonomy Party (1984 AD)-Boonzaier’s writings are quite popular among the more conservative Afrikaners and a political party dedicated to putting those beliefs into practice appears. It’s a third party behind the Liberals and Conservatives, but that will change.

First Low-Earth Orbit Battle-Station Completed (1985 AD)-

Publication of (Title) (1985 AD)-Written by (name), a more secular-minded Afrikaner, it uses many of the pro-Draka arguments that can be found here: http://thescorp.multics.org/22stirling.html . It serves as a non-Christian defense of the Afrikaner Confederation’s laws. Benefits include reduced population growth and poverty for the underclass (he compares the Confederation to several Asian and Latin American states) and thus reduced environmental degradation, how the cheapness of non-white labor makes beauty far more profitable than cheap, tacky things, how the limitations on American cultural imports preserve the folk cultures under Afrikaner rule, long-term thinking of Afrikaner landholders vs. the (alleged) short-term-profit-at-the-expense-of-the-land mentality of American farmers, etc. The Afrikaner economy, more reliant on savings and investment than on consumer spending, is also held up as more productive model.

First Theonomy Party Representative in the Great Volkstadt (1986 AD)-Jan Wouter is the first Theonomic representative in the Great Volkstadt.

Passage of the Second Military Service Act (1986 AD)-This act forbids emigration of male citizens prior to doing their 2-4 years of military service.

First Profitable Asteroid-Capture Mission (1987 AD)-This missions finishes paying off the huge debts that (corporation) incurred and actually makes the company’s share-holders a lot of $$.

First Viable Electric Car in the United States (1987 AD)-The (what company?) (model name) is the first commercially-viable electric car—it’s full-sized, can go a very long distance without charging, and isn’t a tin-can on wheels. Within a decade of it becoming available, American oil consumption drops by half. The Afrikaners and their Persian allies, who between them control much of the Persian Gulf’s oil production, take a major economic hit.

Brilliant Pebbles Deployed (May, 1987 AD)-The United States and its allies deploy the Brilliant Pebbles missile shield. Although the initial system consists of only 800 interceptors, it is viewed as a major threat by the Afrikaners, who’ve tried to sabotage the project at various points. Though the US President offers to bring the Afrikaners under its umbrella (much like how Reagan offered SDI to the Soviets too), the proud Afrikaners refuse. They go to work on producing their own version.

Failure of the (What Name) Mission (1988 AD)-The Afrikaners attempt to do unto the US what the US did unto them by towing in an asteroid loaded with (mineral), a major US export. The mission fails due to technical problems with the probes and despite Afrikaner (and US, since the asteroid could be a threat to the Earth) attempts to stabilize the situation, the rock goes tumbling off into deep space. The Afrikaners are humiliated and lose a butt-load of $$ on the venture.

Prevention of Espionage Act Passed (1988 AD)-This act enables Afrikaner intelligence people to commandeer civilian assets if it’s necessary to deal with spies. This was a controversial act, since it’s seen as infringing on the rights of the ruling class far more than the conscription-related legislation did (the Afrikaners have had universal military service for centuries, so no big). As a concession, the Great Volkstadt must renew it every five years. The Theonomy Party supports the legislation owing to the threat of “false Christians and heathens” (the US and its allies).

Disruptive Persons Act (1989 AD)-This act was passed to deny media attention to prominent Afrikaner dissidents. If a person is placed under a “d-notice,” it is illegal for newspapers to report on their activities beyond a bare minimum. There’s some leeway with “bare minimum”—obits and such are permitted, but political stories are not.

Paul Webb Assassinated (1989 AD)-Webb, a well-known Afrikaner dissident, is assassinated by some hooligans linked with the Theonomic Party. Said assassins are hanged, but it’s noted that all of them have some terminal disease or very bad family circumstances—it’s possible that they agreed to serve as kamikazes.

First Microwave Power System Activated (1990 AD)-The first microwave-power system, in which solar energy collected on the Moon is transmitted to the Earth’s surface to power cities, goes online in the United States. The new system powers Louisville KY, enabling the US to shut down several ground-based power-plants (some remain, however, as backups).

Somali Rebellion Begins (April 1st, 1993 AD)-After an Afrikaner landowner kills a Somali clan chief for interceding on behalf of one of his employees, an insurrection breaks out. It spreads to several Somali cities and receives some aid from the Ethiopian intelligence service, which seeks to throw off its vassalage to the Afrikaners, and from the US (arms delivered by the US to Somali clansmen in hopes they’d be useful against the Afrikaners someday).

Mogadishu Falls to Rebels (April 3rd, 1993 AD)-Rebels seize control of the city of Mogadishu and proclaim the establishment of a Somali republic.

Addis Ababa Hit (April 6th, 1993 AD)-Afrikaners discover Ethiopian aid to the Somali rebels and launch an air strike on Addis Ababa, destroying the headquarters of intelligence agency and devastating one of their military bases. The Ethiopians get the hint and quickly cut off their support for the rebels. The Afrikaners lose three planes and a pilot to the Ethiopian air force and ground defenses, but they destroy most of Ethiopia’s Air Force and air-defense network in the process.

Mogadishu Retaken (April 9th, 1993 AD)-Afrikaner security forces retake the city from the Somali rebels and nearly level it in the process. Hundreds of captured rebels (and thousands of innocent bystanders unlucky enough to be captured) are hanged, taxes raised on the blacks within the city to compensate Afrikaner victims (loss of property, health, or lives), and over 20,000 Somalis deported to Madagascar and India. Although the Afrikaners try to cover this up, there’re lots of unpleasant photos of children crying as families are rounded up and torn away from their ancient homelands in the world press.

US Deploys First Orbital Rail-Gun (1994 AD)-This satellite fires a 3 ounce projectile at 60 miles per second. It looks like a long cylinder (the barrel) emerging from a large sphere with a second cylinder emerging from below the sphere. Two big solar panels emerge from the sides of the big sphere. It has anti-missile and anti-satellite functions and is deployed to protect the orbital solar-sat network.

Afrikaners Deploy Their Own Orbital Rail-Guns (1995 AD)-Not to be outdone, the Afrikaners deploy their own orbiting rail-guns.

Afrikaner Émigré Society Established in Philadelphia (January 1995)-The first society for Afrikaner émigrés is established in the United States. This is significant b/c of the great US-Afrikaner enmity.

Johan Lambert Publishes His Thesis (February 10th, 1995 AD)-Johan Lambert, a very distant relation of the English exile Lambert and a clergyman in the Afrikaner Reformed Church, publishes his thesis. In it, he makes the controversial claim that the Roman Catholic Church’s position on faith and works is not all that different from the traditional Calvinist position—the Calvinist position is “lordship salvation,” which teaches that a saving faith is the sort of faith that produces a lifestyle of obedience, good works, etc. He points out that the Catholics believe that “faith” is mere belief, not the sort of productive faith that Protestants think is sufficient for salvation. He then goes on to point out that both Catholic and Calvinist teachings can produce errors—Catholics try to earn what they already have, while there are an awful lot of lazy Protestants (who think that mere intellectual assent equals saving faith and anything else is “works-based”). He cites this 1541 agreement between Catholics and Protestants to show in some respects they’re really not that different:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1880597/posts

His thesis spreads like wildfire among a population grown tired of the sacrifices that are increasingly needed to maintain their control over their overextended empire AND face down the United States in the Cold War.

Synod of Cape Town (May-June, 1995 AD)-The entire upper leadership of the Reformed Church is called for the first time in decades to discuss Lambert’s thesis and its impact. Lots of fiery speeches are made, along with nasty accusations (Lambert is supposedly “dancing to Rome’s tune” and betraying the memory of his ancestor). Ultimately the anti-Catholic traditionalists win out and Lambert is condemned as a heretic. His works are banned and he himself is defrocked and subject to d-notices. The traditionalist faction demands he be imprisoned under the heresy laws (which remain on the books but haven’t been enforced in decades except as another means of abusing non-whites), but he and some of his supporters “fly the coop” and emigrate to the United States. They are well received by the Presbyterian Church USA (but not the PCA and more conservative bodies, some of which are overtly pro-Afrikaner).

Conservative, Theonomic Party Merge (1995 AD)-The Conservative Party is absorbed by the Theonomic Party.

James Taveres Nearly Elected President of the Confederation (1995 AD)-James Tavares, the Theonomic Party candidate, is nearly elected President of the Confederation. The Liberal candidate Andrew Koch is re-elected, barely. The Liberals win because part of Tavares platform is the conquest and annexation of Australia, which he views as completing the destiny of “God’s people” in the Indian Ocean basin and provide them with a secure frontier. There are some Calvinistic Anglicans in Australia and, according to Tavares, many Australians dissatisfied with “humanism and Papism” would convert to Calvinism if they did not fear government reprisals (he cites the jailing of a Calvinist-Anglican cleric by the Aussie government and neglects to mention that he was jailed for espionage). Koch points out that it is unlikely in the extreme that Australia would join the Confederation voluntarily, and an attempt to conquer Australia would cause World War III. Koch shows lots of “Daisy Ad”-type things on TV. Tavares gains most of the African vote, while Koch gains most of the Indian and East Asian vote.

The Koch Racial Controversy (January 3rd, 1995 AD)-Theonomic/Conservative officials in the Afrikaner government attempt to interfere with Koch’s trip to Cape Town for his inauguration by misusing the racial laws and thus he cannot travel via certain places in his itinerary (more rural, conservative areas). They claim that he has too many Indian ancestors to be considered “white.” Ultimately he gets to his inauguration on time, but it’s a clear sign of how intransigent the T/C elements are becoming.

(Name) Executed for Heresy (February 1995 AD)-A white citizen gets executed for heresy, the first such execution in decades. It’s done in one of the more conservative staten, where the Theonomic Party is dominant and there aren’t very many non-Calvinists to start with. This provokes a major uproar in the international community and, were it not for good damage-control by the Theonomists, might have been their undoing. Some Theonomioc leaders quote the narrow-road Scriptures to say that the anger of the League of Democracies is proof that they made the right decision.

Internal Fusion Pulse-Drive Tested (March 1995 AD)-This sort of pulse-drive does not rely on conventional nuclear bombs being set off behind it in order to fly. Instead, lasers ignite (what substance) pellets, triggering a fusion explosion. This mode of transport is far less hazardous (and potentially war-provoking) than the old-line Orion and could easily mean a manned return to the outer solar system. It’s based on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_confinement_fusion

OSS Issues Its “To the Knife” Report (1996 AD)-The OSS issues the report warning of the dangers of the Afrikaner political state wedded to the “Christian Government” ideology. It points out that various states allied against Russia in the mid-to-late 19th Century to maintain the balance of power in Europe, but once the power of the Russian Empire was wedded with Bolshevik ideology, the resulting Soviet Union became the world’s problem. The US, Germany, and Britain allied to contain the Afrikaner Confederation in order to maintain the balance of power after WWII—however, if the “Christian Government” types gain control of the Afrikaner polity, they could shift from merely defending “their own” (which includes minor aggressions against neighbors) to a more aggressive foreign policy that could threaten the US, not because the US backs its nearer enemies, but because the US must be destroyed or subordinated on ideological grounds.

Jeremy Roberts Elected US President (1996 AD)-In response to the near-victory of the overtly imperialistic Tavares, Roberts from the Republican Party is elected President. His platform includes an expansion of the orbital-defense network and more expansion into space.

Beginning of Nuclear-Kinetic Conversion (1997 AD)-The US begins converting its strategic force from nuclear weapons to orbital kinetic weapons. Land-based ICBMs are the first to be decommissioned, with enormous clusters of kinetic impactors in orbit capable of striking targets in Africa from initial points-of-descent over the East Coast taking their place. Aircraft- and submarine-delivered nuclear weapons, especially the latter, remain in place.

Leadership of (Denomination) Forced to Register as Foreign Agents (1997 AD)-Soon after his election, Roberts forces the leadership of (what denomination) to register as foreign agents, since they often propagandize on behalf of the Afrikaner government.

Allen Bekker Elected President of the Confederation (1997 AD)-Bekker, the first Theonomic President of the Confederation, is elected. The League of Democracies conducts its “Iron Hand” military exercises at the same time, in case he tries something dangerous.

(Name) Thompson-Goes to Work in the Afrikaner Bureau (1997 AD)-(Name), it turns out, is an Afrikaner spy.

Afrikaners Begin Nuclear-Kinetic Conversion (1997 AD)-The Afrikaners follow suit, although they lack the resources to match the Americans’ sheer numbers of weapons. Their strategies begin to focus on the use of spaceplane-delivered nuclear devices in order to destroy whole KEW constellations.

(Name) Thompson Defects to Afrikaner Confederation (1998 AD)-(Name), an OSS official, defects to the Afrikaner Confederation along with information about OSS networks in the Confederation itself and the Americans involved with them.

Events of “Picking Up Plans in Palma” (September 4th, 1998 AD)-Against all odds, an OSS agent retrieves the schematics of the newest Afrikaner battle-station, the Rijinburg, which is being constructed in Earth orbit.
 
In which there is gratuitous nukage and our story ends...

21st Century

Rijinburg Becomes Operational (2000 AD)-The Rijinburg, newest and most advanced of the Afrikaner orbital battle-stations, becomes operational. R-Burg has the dimensions of the International Space Station, but is much, MUCH heavier owing to its weaponry and armor. It also serves as an orbiting command center coordinating the masses of kinetic impactors targeted at the US and its allies.

Roberts Re-Elected (2000 AD)-The ascension of the Theonomic Party prompts the US public to re-elect Roberts, who promises a hard line against the Afrikaners.

Afrikaners Field Their Own Stealth Aircraft (2000 AD)-The Afrikaners deploy their first squadron of stealth aircraft. They’re very primitive and can only fly at night (think F-117—the current American stealth aircraft are F-22 or better). They land at very high speeds, so they have to deploy chutes to slow them down.

Third Indonesian Rebellion Breaks Out (March 11th, 2001 AD)-Indonesian nationalists rebel against the Afrikaner regime in several cities simultaneously. With the exception of Batavia itself, Java falls to the rebels. Most of Sumatra falls to the rebels as well, but the Moluccas and Singapore, heavily settled by Christian Chinese, remain loyal.

The (What Region) Revolt Erupts (March 20th, 2001 AD)-The beating death of an Indian by an Afrikaner police officer sets off a rebellion in (this city) in eastern India. The rebellion spreads to several cities in the region. Many Afrikaners in the region are lynched.

(What Region?) Revolt Crushed (March 26th, 2001 AD)-The revolt is quickly crushed and various rebel POWs subjected to icky reprisals (blown apart by artillery, forced to lick up the blood of whites they’d killed, etc). Think the aftermath of the Sepoy Rebellion, only on worldwide TV.

Third Indonesian Rebellion Suppressed (April 5th, 2001 AD)-Afrikaner government forces manage to regain control over the rebellious territories through the heavy use of airborne troops and even kinetic-energy strikes from orbit. Crushing the rebellion cost the Afrikaners over 20,000 lives (mostly Chinese citizens killed in pogroms—actual military deaths perhaps 400). Allied weapons and literature discovered in several rebel hideouts.

The Australian Resolution Passed (April 8th, 2001)-The outraged Great Volkstadt passes a resolution demanding the Australians (and through them, the entire League of Democracies) cease aiding/abetting exile and rebel groups in the East Indies. By itself, this might not have been so bad, but it gets worse. Australia must leave the League of Democracies (as their behaviour is endangering their allies), extradite a substantial list of people (not just East Indian exiles, but also several intelligence personnel and even a particularly anti-Afrikaner cleric!) to the Confederation for trial, and even give (pro-Afrikaner party—they support the Confederation b/c they don’t want lots of Indonesian refugees/immigrants) MPs some valuable committee posts, so this doesn’t happen again. The Aussies have two days to comply. Tavares praises the resolution, citing that the time for “God’s people” to fulfil their destiny in the Indian Ocean is at hand. Many Afrikaner MVs who would have opposed the resolution vote for it, thanks to the uprising in India. 2/5 of the Afrikaner population is Indian (Afrikaner-Indians or high-caste natives) and this is a very sensitive issue for them and their MVs. The Indian-Afrikaners tend to be more liberal than their African kinsmen, but the revolts push them firmly into the warlike camp.

Spaceplanes Deployed into Orbit (April 9th, 2001)-As the deadline draws near, both sides deploy their spaceplane squadrons to the orbital battle-stations corresponding to their ground bases.

World War III Begins (April 10th, 2001 AD)-The Third World War begins with a massive aerial and naval assault on Australia. At the same time, Afrikaner forces attack the various Euro-allied states in the Sahara and invade British West Africa, Egyptian Sudan, and Russian Central Asia (what’s left of it). The Syrians and Persians descend on the Egyptians and Ottomans, and the Persians send some forces to attack Russia. Despite some of the more extreme Theonomic rhetoric about how this is the War of Armageddon that will bring the entire world “into obedience to Christ,” the Afrikaners’ war aims are rather limited—prevent Australia from being used as a base for subversives and destroy enemy positions on its borders (annexing British West Africa or reducing it to an Afrikaner client state is an acceptable outcome; similar situation for Egyptian Sudan or what’s left of Russia’s Central Asian territories). Despite Tavares’ claim years before (and the League propaganda based on it), the Afrikaners do not actually intend to annex Australia. In space, the Afrikaners launch a full-scale assault, gambling that sheer aggression will overcome their smaller numbers and lower quality. China declares its neutrality in the conflict—for now.

Nuclear Strike on San Francisco (April 10th, 2001 AD)-The Afrikaners immediately strike San Francisco with two submarine-launched nukes since their spies in the US tell them that the President of the United States is there. The attack is timed with an attack on US early warning satellites designed to keep the US in the dark as to where the nuke will hit and anti-missile satellites, to keep the missiles from being intercepted, as well as a general attack on the kinetic constellations and orbital units. Although the city is devastated and 80,000+ lives are lost, the President survives. In any event, the wartime chain of command is in effect and the military is capable of unleashing the wrath on its own. The plan to win major victories (or even launch a successful first-strike) while the US cannot retaliate isn’t going to work.

Assassination of Vice President and Secretary of State (April 10th, 2001 AD)-At the same time, (Calvinist-Thuggee) assassins go into action in Philadelphia. Although several of the attacks fail, the Vice President and Secretary of State are killed. The Afrikaners refrained from using a FOB to destroy the city because they did not wish to risk the Library of Congress. Terrorists attempt to suicide-bomb Cape Canaveral in Florida, in order to prevent the use of its new laser-launch facilities, while other attempts launched at airports commandeered by the military in order to launch bombers.

Nuclear Exchange (April 10th-12th, 2001 AD)-In two days of utter hell, the US and its allies and the Afrikaners bombard one another with nuclear weapons. Cape Town, Johannesburg, and many other key Afrikaner cities are destroyed. A cruise-missile strike using a smaller nuclear warhead aimed at the Pentagon is destroyed by ABMs, but Omaha and Chicago are destroyed, along with at least one of the two remaining land-based missile fields. The Brilliant Pebbles succeed in stopping most Afrikaner ballistic missiles, but the orbital attacks in the early days of the war have torn holes in the network, enabling a few missiles to get through. Afrikaner Brilliant Pebble knockoffs block a lot of Anglo-American ballistic missile strikes, but their inferior system lets a lot get through, not to mention once the initial shock wore off, the Allies bounced back and all but destroyed Afrikaner spatial assets, leaving only the cruder ground-based ABMs to stop missiles on the approach. Afrikaner air and naval bases through the Indian Ocean basin are heavily targeted. Although efforts are made to protect Australia, much of Sydney (including its distinctive opera house) and virtually all of Melbourne are destroyed by Afrikaner submarine-launched cruise missiles. Sporadic nuclear launches continue over the next two years, but both sides have used up (or lost) most of their supply of nukes. The Afrikaners are the worst-off—although their forces are in control of much of northern and western Australia, those troops are largely cut off from assistance from India and Africa. Cairo is nuked, as is Jerusalem (although the damage is much less severe)—since the Afrikaners are largely amillenialists and believes that since the Church has replaced Israel, Jerusalem is not particularly important. During the exchange, the League used hypersonic bombers to destroy Afrikaner ABM batteries and radars to clear a path for missiles, and used armed spaceplanes to devastate Afrikaner spatial assets. By the time the primary exchange ends, 7/8 of Afrikaner spatial capability is destroyed, in contrast with only 1/3 of the League. 25% of the League militaries have been destroyed, but the Afrikaners lost 40%. Considering the Afrikaner armies are already smaller than those of their enemies, it’s clear that this is the turning point. Cities hit: San Francisco, Chicago, Omaha, Berlin, Bordeaux, Rome (specifically targeted as the center of the Catholic Church—four nuclear-tipped cruise missiles expended to do it), Albuquerque (hit by a warhead aimed at the coil-gun launch fields that misses), and somewhere in the Baltics (a hit on St. Petersburg that missed), Sidney in Australia, Rio de Janiero, Cairo, (the capital of Morocco), Jerusalem, and seven cities in the Confederation (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Delhi, and three more). In addition, the Rijnburg struck several military targets on the East Coast with long-range KEWs and Afrikaner gamma-ray SLBMs devastated certain areas. Nearly 2,000 strikes made on military targets, some of which had some substantial megatonnage but most of which were tactical-sized. Large-scale climactic disruption in the Southern Hemisphere; lesser climactic problems in the north.

Relatively few nuclear weapons are used within the atmosphere early on in the conflict due to the presence of extensive networks of space weapons capable of bringing down ICBMs and even sea-skimmer cruise missiles and attacking ground targets. Orbit-to-ground KEWs used extensively instead of nukes—the Afrikaners destroy the aircraft carrier (name) along with several other ships and most of the military bases and beach defenses of northern Australia prior to their invasion; the Aussies, who lack battle-stations of their own, hold their fire until the Afrikaners are already landing, then hammer them with free-floating KEWs. Nukes are used to intercept kinetic projectiles (preferably in bulk).

http://www.nukestrat.com/china/Book-173-196.pdf

The above link will be helpful in calculating nuclear hits on the United States in terms of fallout and the like. All three Afrikaner orbiting battle-stations are destroyed within four hours; two of the four American stations survive, although one is badly damaged.

Ecological consequences of the attack include ozone damage that will lead to large-scale increases of skin cancer for decades and plagues of insects that threaten agriculture owing to the deaths of many birds. Radiation weakens immune systems, leading to a return of the Black Death and other dangerous diseases.

Battle of Jaffa (April 18th, 2001 AD)-Afrikaner, Syrian, Rashidi, and Persian forces engage Egyptian and British forces near the port town of Jaffa (OTL’s Tel Aviv). The Anglo-Egyptian armies are pushed south, but solidify their position north of Jerusalem.

Battle of (Where?) (April 20th, 2001 AD)-The Hejazis and Rashidis attempt to cut off Egypt’s supply lines to its armies in the Levant and are beaten back.

Battle of El-Obeiq (April 20th, 2001 AD)-Afrikaner armies destroy one Egyptian army and another fleeing to Khartoum, where it’s quickly bottled up. Hoping to avoid a lengthy siege that will enable the Egyptian forces to recover further north (as what happened in WWI), the Afrikaners leave a small force to keep the second Egyptian army trapped in Khartoum while the larger Afrikaner force advances up the Nile with the goal of invading Egypt itself before the Egyptians can recover from the devastation unleashed in the Afrikaner nuclear strikes.

First Debris-Collecting Mission Launched (April 21st, 2001)-Debris from the destroyed Afrikaner and Allied spacecraft and weapons system has made orbital navigation EXTREMELY precarious—at least one civilian space station, a dozen satellites, and two manned craft have been lost to fast-moving space debris. The United States government has planned for this and launches the (name), a gigantic electromagnet designed to collect metallic space debris, into orbit. Dozens of similar craft launched over the next few weeks. Within five months, the larger and more dangerous sorts of space debris have been cleaned up, although small and/or non-metallic things like paint chips prove to be a problem for years to come.

Great Khartoum Breakout (April 28th, 2001 AD)-The Egyptian forces, who have grown short of food and are becoming rather desperate, mount a massive last-ditch assault on the Afrikaner screen that keeps them trapped in Khartoum. The ferocity of the attack breaks the Afrikaner line and the Egyptian forces surge towards the great Afrikaner supply depot at Atbara.

Battle of Aswan (May 1st, 2001 AD)-Afrikaner forces briefly penetrate into Egypt proper and defeat an Egyptian force. However, heavy casualties and the breakout of the Egyptian army from Khartoum force the Afrikaners to retreat south back into the Sudan.

Battle of Atbara (May 12th, 2001 AD)-Afrikaner and Egyptian forces collide. The battle is a technical Afrikaner defeat, since the Egyptians remain in possession of Atbara and most of its supplies. However, the Egyptians are savaged and the Afrikaners manage to carry away a significant quantity of supplies and destroy more.

Battle of Ed Damer (May 15th, 2001 AD)-The Afrikaner forces break through the Egyptian cordon and make their way southward along the Nile.

Afrikaners Arrive in Khartoum (May 19th, 2001 AD)-The Afrikaner forces arrive in Khartoum and stop there to rest and resupply. The Afrikaner leadership attempts to make deals with locals to set up an Afrikaner puppet Republic of Sudan with its capital at Khartoum.

Battle of the Jordan River (May 20th, 2001 AD)-The Afrikaners attempt to flank the Egyptians and take what’s left of Jerusalem from behind. In an ugly battle that sees the use of several tactical nuclear weapons and kinetic-energy weapon attacks from orbiting Allied spaceplanes, the Afrikaner army is bloodied and forced northward along the Jordan River valley into Syria.

Egyptian Invasion of Syria (May 29th, 2001 AD)-Egyptian forces cross into Syria in order to destroy the Afrikaner force and neutralize the pro-Afrikaner government.

Ottoman Invasion of Syria (May 29th, 2001 AD)-The Ottomans surge out of the Taurus passes.

Battle of (Where?) (June 2nd, 2001 AD)-Afrikaner and Syrian forces crushed between Ottoman and Egyptian forces. KEW-bombing by spaceplanes plays a major role in the victory, although it comes at a price—the Afrikaners used a combination of two SLBMs and some of the few remaining orbital weapons to devastate the American spaceplane squadron supporting the Egyptian and Ottoman ground forces. With the exception of a few Alawite holdouts in the mountains, Syria is out of the war. The Egyptians leave the occupation to the Ottomans and begin moving south to conquer the Afrikaners’ Arab lands for themselves. The Ottomans, meanwhile, decide to settle accounts with the Persians.

Orbital Realignment Begins (June 3rd, 2001 AD)-The Afrikaner nuclear forces (particularly the submarines) have been weakened sufficiently that the US leadership feels it safe to deploy its remaining battle-stations into orbit above enemy territory, to assist in surveillance and bombardment. (US battle-station over Texas) is shifted northward to Ohio, while (the battle-station over ??) begins making its way to Africa, to attack the Confederation’s heartland. Orbiting relay mirrors are moved as well, to reflect lasers fired from the battle stations or from the ground into targets in the Afrikaner heartland.

Battle of (Where?) (June 5th, 2001 AD)-The Ottoman forces crush the skeletal Persian forces defending their northern borders.

Mosul Falls to the Ottomans (June 7th, 2001 AD)-The Ottomans take Mosul. The Persians, meanwhile, are moving armies northward to meet the Ottoman threat.

Battle of Tikrit (June 10th, 2001 AD)-Ottoman forces collide with Persian forces north of Baghdad. It’s a tactical stalemate, but a strategic victory—the Persians are prevented from attacking the Egyptian forces that are preparing to invade Arabia.

Adam Banarjee Elected as Pope (June 22nd, 2001 AD)-The surviving members of the College of Cardinals elect Banarjee, an Indian Catholic priest exiled from the Confederation for political reasons, as the next Pope. He takes the name Adrian IV. This is widely seen as a deliberate “FU” to the Afrikaners.

The Battle of the Great Berm (November 5th, 2001 AD)-Allied forces make their first attempt to breach Afrikaner defenses in southern Arabia. Despite the destruction of a major Afrikaner defensive position with a tactical nuclear weapon and the destruction of the electronics of much of the enemy’s “smarter” weapons by firing high-powered microwave weapons into enemy positions (the device floats down on a parachute, turns on, and proceeds to melt all enemy electronics a fair distance around), the allied forces are thrown back with heavy losses.

British Offensive into Afrikaner West Africa (November 2001-January 2002 AD)-British armies from West Africa, along with their native allies, sweep into Afrikaner territories in western Africa. Afrikaner units inflict heavily losses, but are overwhelmed by the fast-moving British armies and massive popular uprisings.

Battle of (Where?) (December 2nd-5th, 2001 AD)-Allied forces finally break the first major Afrikaner defensive line in Arabia.

Medina Falls (December 6th, 2001 AD)-Egyptian and British paratroopers seize Medina. Hejazi forces trapped between Medina and the allied armies to the north surrender. At a stroke, the northern half of the Hejaz is taken.

Battle of Mecca (December 12th, 2001 AD)-Egyptian forces seize control of Mecca from the Hejazis and their Afrikaner backers. Afrikaner forces withdraw into Oman and Yemen, where Afrikaners have been settled for centuries, and dig in behind a second massive defensive line.

The Great Airborne Massacre (December 20th, 2001 AD)-The British and Egyptians attempt to make lightning strike twice and seize strategic points on the Afrikaner defense line from the air. This fails messily.

Assassination of James Chitwood (December 29th, 2001 AD)-Chitwood, the fearsome Afrikaner security man who has kept India firmly under the thumb is assassinated by Allied agents, along with his two most capable potential successors. Sam Hodges, who ultimately succeeds him, is a mediocre sort and though he tries hard, maintaining Afrikaner control of India is beyond his abilities.

Great Indian Uprisings Begin (January, 2002 AD)-Massive popular uprising in India supported by Anglo-American air and naval forces. The Afrikaner regime in India crumbles. Multiple Afrikaner regiments fight to the last man; surviving Afrikaner soldiers and settlers are taken prisoner. Sikh soldiers move into India to aid their allies, but they’re crushed too. The Afrikaners destroy (a rebellious Indian city) with a nuclear-tipped cruise missile in February, but rather than terrorize the Indians into submitting, it radicalizes the entire Indian population, causing the rebellion to spread. Afrikaner nuclear strikes on (what city?) and (what city?) are foiled by American Aegis-type systems.

Indian Confederation Proclaimed In (What City?) (April 2002 AD)-Samiron Basi, a lower-caste intellectual and provisional leader of the various rebel factions, proclaims the establishment of the Indian Confederation. It’s similar to the Afrikaner mode of government, only with the Afrikaners, Marathas, and pro-Afrikaner princes removed, and anti-Afrikaner princes and lower-caste Indians taking their place. Enough of the governing structure remains intact that the new leadership can simply take it over. The Confederation immediately joins the League of Democracies.

Afghan Invasion of India (May 2002 AD)-The Afghans, loyal to the oaths their leader had sworn to the Afrikaners, pour southward out of the Khyber Pass into India. The Afghan armies plan on reinforcing the beleaguered Sikhs.

Battle of (Where?) (May 22nd, 2002 AD)-The Afghans almost manage to link up with the Sikhs, but Allied forces are able to prevent this.

Battle of (Where?) (May 3rd, 2002 AD)-The Afghans retreat northward and regroup, but they get stomped on again.

Great Afghan Retreat (May 8th-19th, 2002 AD)-The Afghans retreat back up the Khyber Pass. The League armies mine the Khyber Pass and leave them bottled up in their mountain homeland, for now.

Burmese Rebellion Breaks Out (May 20th, 2002 AD)-A rebellion against what’s left of the Afrikaner leadership in Burma breaks out, led by a putative member of the Konbaung dynasty (toppled centuries ago by the Afrikaners).

The Hejazi Flanking Campaign Begins (May 22nd, 2002 AD)-The Afrikaners attempt to outflank the Anglo-Egyptian forces that are slowly grinding through the Afrikaners’ massive Yemen-Oman defensive line. An Afrikaner force goes around the Anglo-Egyptian force via the Red Sea and seizes control of (what Hejazi city?), cutting off the Anglo-Egyptian supply line.

Invasion of the Sikh Empire (May 26th, 2002 AD)-One of the first acts of the Indian Confederation is to, with Allied assistance, invade the Sikh Empire.

Battle of Lahore (May 28th, 2002 AD)-The Sikhs defeated, although they make the inexperienced Indian armies pay a heavy price.

Battle of (Where?) (May 28th, 2002 AD)-An Anglo-Egyptian force attempts to dislodge the Afrikaners. The Afrikaners’ heavy fortifications defeat the first two attacks, but the third attack breaks through. Unluckily for the Allies, the Afrikaners retreat northward, devastating Anglo-Egyptian garrisons and supply convoys while looking for a place to safely evacuate.

Battle of (Where?) (June 2nd, 2002 AD)-The Sikhs defeated a second time. Indian and Allied armies approach the Sikh capital at (where?).

Treaty of (Where?) (June 5th, 2002 AD)-The Sikh Empire makes peace with the Alliance. As part of the treaty, Muslims and Hindus granted full political rights (previously, they were denied the right to hold public office, and the Sikh vote counted for more). Protection of the Sikhs’ minority rights guaranteed.

Coronation of (Name) as Burmese King (June 7th, 2002 AD)-Rangoon falls to rebel forces and (name) is crowned King, restoring the Konbaung dynasty to power for the first time in centuries. The Afrikaners attempt to nuke Rangoon, but League forces shoot the nuke down. The King’s first act is to apply for admission to the League of Democracies, which is granted (he is already attempting to establish a parliament).

Battle of Aqaba (June 9th, 2002 AD)-The Anglo-Egyptian armies finally get the Afrikaner army at bay near the city of Aqaba, where the Afrikaners are trying to hijack sufficient transport to get them home. Although some of the Afrikaner troops are able to get away via ship, most of them are killed or captured in a fight that levels the city. This is the first major battle where the allies deploy hypersonic antitank missiles that reap a murderous toll in Afrikaner armor.

China Enters the War (July 12th, 2002 AD)-The Chinese Emperor drove a hard bargain—the price for China’s entry into the war is the return of all the European enclaves on its coast, the return of Xinjiang from Russia, and a free hand re: Tibet and Central Asian territories. The Allies are forced to agree. Chinese forces surge southward through Vietnam into Malaysia, westward to pincer Afrikaner, Tibetan, Afghan, and Turkestani forces in Central Asia, and also attack Afrikaner ally Thailand. Afrikaner submarines fire nuclear-tipped cruise missiles at the Chinese industrial heartland and although most are shot down, Harbin and Changchun are destroyed.

Siege of Singapore Begins (August 2nd, 2002 AD)-The Chinese forces encounter their first serious resistance here—the territory north of the city had been all but stripped bare of troops. The Chinese had advanced more slowly than they intended, thinking it was all an Afrikaner trick, but that was not the case.

(Where?) Breakthrough (September, 2002 AD)-The wrecking of much of their supply line only delayed the inevitable. Egyptian and British forces break the second major line of Afrikaner defenses, penetrating deep into Oman and Yemen. Pro-Egyptian uprisings break out all across southern Arabia and despite severe Afrikaner brutality (including the use of poison gas against civilians), Afrikaner position crumbles.

Thailand Surrenders (September 10th, 2002 AD)-Thailand surrenders and its king abdicates. The Chinese install a pro-Chinese prince on the throne after killing all those ahead of him in the line of succession (and several behind him too).

Singapore Falls (September 19th, 2002 AD)-The Afrikaner commander of Singapore surrenders to spare the populace further suffering. The fall of Singapore cuts off the remnants of Afrikaner military power in the East Indies from further reinforcement, and the various Afrikaner armies in the region surrender to Chinese and Australian forces over the next month.

Chinese Annex Singapore (September 21st, 2002 AD)-Owing to its high Chinese population, the Chinese annex Singapore. The largely-Christian inhabitants of the city will have full religious freedom and can elect their own local officials—the Yong do not wish to antagonize their new subjects.

Battle of (Where?) (September 22nd, 2002 AD)-Persian, Turkestani, and Afrikaner forces are defeated in this great battle near the Aral Sea. The Turkestani republic begins to disintegrate, and Persian and Afrikaner forces are forced to retreat into Persia proper.

Malay Kingdom Proclaimed (September 26th, 2002 AD)-(Name), a distant relation of the Afrikaner-deposed Malay royal family, is made King by the Chinese. The rights of Chinese will be guaranteed in the new state, which provokes grumbling by nationalists—the Afrikaners have been replaced by the Chinese, but the local ruling class remains largely the same. The new Malay regime does make some efforts to placate nationalists, so those people remain a cranky minority.

Fall of (Turkestani Capital) (September 29th, 2002 AD)-This marks the final collapse of the Turkestani Republic, which was cut off from further reinforcement by the collapse of Afrikaner authority in India and Russian offensives into Persia. The Chinese and Russians begin dividing up the territory between them.

Tactical Nuclear Strikes at Tribal Armies at (Where?) and (Where?) (September 30th, 2002 AD)-Two major tribal armies in Afghanistan are destroyed by League nuclear strikes. Allied covert units begin moving into Afghanistan, making deals with the tribes for a march on Kabul. The two tribes refused to deal with the League forces and suffered for it. The others soon fall into line.

Siege of Kabul (October 4th, 2002 AD)-League and tribal armies lay siege to Kabul. The emir petitions for peace.

Treaty of Kabul (October 8th, 2002 AD)-The Afghans are forced to bow out of the war. Though certain Pashtun tribes will continue the fight (largely out of fear the victorious League will impose its Western values on them), Afghanistan as a whole is out of the war.

Afrikaners Deploy Hypersonic Anti-Orbit Missile (October 9th, 2002 AD)-The Afrikaners launch hypersonic missiles at (name), the allied orbital platform floating over (and continually bombing) their possessions in Africa. The attack fails to destroy the station, although it damages it enough that it has to be towed out of range, freeing the remnants of the Afrikaner industrial and military base and their field armies from orbital bombardment. The missile is even more effective at destroying the relay mirrors moved into the space over Afrikaner territory and reflecting laser beams fired from elsewhere into ground targets. If the missile senses it’s being attacked, it has a backup weapon—a “Metal Storm”-type device fires a tungsten spike out of the warhead at the target.

Battle of (Where?) (October 10th, 2002 AD)-Afrikaner forces recently evacuated from Central Asia land in eastern Arabia in an attempt to cut off Anglo-Egyptian supply lines. The Afrikaners cut several of the transport links, but the Anglo-Egyptian forces double back and destroy them. This only delays the collapse of the Afrikaner positions in Arabia.

Great Evacuation (October 30th, 2002 AD)-Afrikaner forces, along with the majority of Afrikaner civilians, evacuated from southern Arabia. Multiple Afrikaner regiments make “last stands” against Egyptian and British forces in order to protect the fleeing refugees—this is their Dunkirk. Remaining Afrikaners interned by Egyptian and British forces, ostensibly for their own protection.

Allied Nuclear Strikes on (Where?) and (Where?) (November 3rd, 2002 AD)-The Ethiopian government has been conducting secret communications with the allies. They wish to join the war against the Afrikaners, but there are two very large, heavily-armed Afrikaner settlement blocs within their territory that could threaten the Ethiopian government. The allies destroy them with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles in an hour-long missile battle—the Afrikaners shoot down the first wave with ABMs and then fire a nuclear missile at Addis Ababa. The allies shoot that missile down and launch a second wave of nuclear cruise missiles that overwhelm what’s left of the settlement’s ABMs.

Ethiopia Enters the War (November 5th, 2002 AD)-Ethiopian forces “clean up” the Afrikaner remnants within their territory and collect surviving nuclear material from the intercepted missiles.

First Battle of (Where?) (November 6th, 2002 AD)-Small Afrikaner forces infiltrate across the Ethiopian border and seize control of (what town?).

Insurgent Cells Triggered (November 7th, 2002 AD)-The insurgent cells the OSS established in Somalia are activated. Hundreds of Somalis armed with American and Chinese arms attack Afrikaner garrisons, settlers, vital rail and road junctions, etc, seriously buggering Afrikaner efforts to defend against the Ethiopians.

Second Battle of (Where?) (November 8th-9th, 2002)-Ethiopian forces reclaim the town and move into northern Somaliland. Afrikaner efforts to deal with the Ethiopian invasion are hindered by Somali partisan activity.

Battle of Meerstown (November 10th, 2002 AD)-Ethiopian armies defeat the skeletal Afrikaner garrison at Meerstown (modern Beledweyne).

Fall of Tibetan Capital to Yong (November 12th, 2002 AD)-The Tibetan capital of (what?) falls to Chinese armies. Although no more large-scale operations will be possible for months due to the winter, Tibet is mortally wounded. The Yong dynasty proclaims the annexation of Tibet.

First “KEW Bus” Deployed (November 20th, 2002 AD)-Assembled in orbit from a mix of space- and ground-made parts, this ship is designed solely for orbital bombardment of ground vehicles. Unlike the space platforms, which were designed primarily for dealing with enemy spacecraft and REALLY large ground targets like ports and aircraft carriers, this vessel carries hundreds of orbit-to-ground KEWs and relatively few defensive weapons. Its sensors are accurate enough that the ship can hit tanks from orbit. The Afrikaners possess a limited ability to defend against it (their own hypersonic anti-orbit weapons and remaining mobile ICBMs), but their allies don’t and owing to increasing Allied dominance in air, sea, and space, it is very difficult to move weapons out of Confederation borders.

The Great Nile Offensive Begins (December 2002 AD)-British, American, Egyptian, and Ethiopian units surge down the Nile River, shattering the Afrikaner armies bled white from their earlier offensive into Egyptian Sudan.

Battle of Baidoa (December 18th, 2002 AD)-The Allied armies defeat the Afrikaner forces in the region.

Battle of Mogadishu (December 21st, 2002 AD)-The capital of the Afrikaner staten of Somaliland falls to Somali insurgents supported by Anglo-American air and space units and Ethiopian armor. Afrikaner Somaliland is split in two.

Russia Invades Northern Persia (December 24th, 2002 AD)-Russian troops invade northern Persia, cracking the nation’s border defenses with the aid of American orbital bombardment. Orbital bombardment seriously bollixes Persian attempts to reinforce their beleaguered frontline units (much like how American air power prevented the Iraqis from reinforcing their bridgehead at Khafji).

Fall of (Where?) (January 1st, 2002 AD)-Russian forces take (what city?).

The Futile Counterattacks (January 15th-20th, 2002 AD)-The Persians make repeated attempts to retake the city, but are repeatedly attacked by the “KEW bus.” The units that survive the storms of KEWs and close with the Russians are defeated, repeatedly. The Afrikaners ultimately drive the “KEW bus” away with nuclear-tipped ICBMs and “station-killers,” but the Persian army, already badly hurt by the nuclear exchange and the battles with the Ottomans, is exhausted.

Peace of Isfahan (January 8th, 2003 AD)-Persia makes peace with the League. It must cede all territories west of the Tigris River to the Egyptians and Mosul and the regions north of it to the Ottomans, with a plebiscite to be held for Mesopotamia proper at some point. They also lose their Tajik oblast—it’s divided between the Russians and the Chinese. The Confederation now stands alone.

Peace of Ha’il (January 15th, 2003 AD)-The al-Rashids, seeing Afrikaner power in the Arabian Peninsula destroyed and without Persia to protect them anymore, make peace as well.

Battle of (Where?) (February 2nd, 2004 AD)-Afrikaner forces attack Allied units near the southern tip of Lake (name?) (OTL Lake Nyasa). They’re repulsed.

Peace of Breemstown (February 7th, 2004 AD)-The rump Afrikaner government in Breemstown (OTL Maun, in present-day Botswana) decides that all is lost—India, the East Indies, Arabia, and Somalia are gone, Allied armies are still near (Lake Nyasa), British forces have crossed the Congo River, an Anglo-Brazilian-American army has landed in OTL Angola, and its allies have either made their own peace or ceased to exist. The Afrikaners sue for peace. They recognize the independence of Indonesia, Burma, the Indian Confederation, and Somalia and recognize the Egyptians’ conquests in the Middle East. The Afrikaner leadership also recognizes the untenability of the Confederate government in much of its territory and offers to grant independence to much of its African core and retain only a volkstaat (a smaller Afrikaner-ruled state) that would consist primarily of present-day South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Mozambique. The victorious allies reject this proposal as unworkable and insist on the creation a united, democratic African state. The Afrikaner leadership is forced to give in on this point.

Andries Triegaardt Attempts Coup (2004 AD)-Enraged at the “sellout” of the Confederation’s founding principles, Afrikaner general Triegaardt attempts to cut off Breemstown’s communications with the rest of the Confederation (to prevent them from ordering active Afrikaner armies elsewhere to surrender) and destroy the large Anglo-American army poised to invade the Afrikaner core. His basic plan is to destroy the primary allied army in East Africa and thus get better terms than the Breemstown government did (the volkstaat). Riots break out among the non-white peoples throughout the remnants of the Confederation.

Battle of the Okavango Delta (2004 AD)-Allied and loyal Afrikaner units devastate Triegaardt’s army, foiling his plan to hammer the primary Allied army and preserve the old-style Confederate government (albeit in a more limited land area). Although it takes place after the formal peace, it’s considered the last battle of the Third World War. Thomas de Lange dies during the battle.

Death Toll of WWIII: 380 million (65 million soldiers, 315 million civilians—mass starvation and diseases caused by climactic disruption). This is the initial toll—millions more will die in the coming decades of cancers and other problems caused by the ecological devastation of the Earth (“nuclear winter”-type effects in much of the Southern Hemisphere and even in parts of the North).

Massive Migrations Break Out (2004 AD)-Owing to the collapse of the Afrikaner government, huge numbers of people deported far from their homelands in the aftermath of rebellions immediately try to go home. This leads to unfortunate incidents, including the deaths of over 1000 Somalis trying to leave India in a shipwreck.

Allies Impose No-Travel Policy (2004 AD)-The victorious allies, desperate to keep things from falling apart, impose a policy of preventing large-scale migrations of deported peoples. Said people will be kept contained until the Allies can move them themselves.

Restore the University Fund Established (2004 AD)-Academics from around the world begin raising money to rebuild the Universities of Cape Town and Johannesburg, heavily damaged in the nuclear exchange. Books need to be replaced, as do many priceless works of art and architecture.

Islamists Seize Mecca and Medina (September 4th, 2004 AD)-Many anti-Afrikaner Arabs were Muslim fundamentalists and they don’t take kindly to the largely-secular Egyptian monarchy ruling the Holy Places. (Islamist terror group—name) seizes control of Mecca and Medina from the weak Egyptian garrisons and proclaim the Caliphate of the Hejaz.

Battle of (Where?) (September 10th, 2004 AD)-

Persia Recognizes Caliphate (September 11th, 2004 AD)-The Persians recognize the new government, largely to spite the Egyptians. The allied leadership is unhappy, but suffers from divided councils—the Egyptians have gotten seriously overextended and long-term control of the region is likely unsustainable, but then again, the Egyptians were US allies during WWIII.

Arab Nationalists Seize (What City?) (September 18th, 2004 AD)-The secular Arab nationalist opponents of the Afrikaners also don’t like the idea of being ruled by the Egyptian monarchy much either. They seize control of (what city?) and proclaim the establishment of the Arab Republic of Oman. Their nationalist mythos appeals to the days of the Omani Sultanate, destroyed long ago by the Afrikaners.

Persia Recognizes the Republic (September 19th, 2004 AD)-The Persians recognize the new Arab government, also largely to spite the Egyptians.

Battle of (Where?) (September 20th, 2004 AD)-The Egyptians’ retaliation comes quickly. The republicans are able to hold, barely, and though the battered Egyptian force has retreated northwest, they could stage a second assault soon.

US Intervention (September 22nd, 2004 AD)-The US brings one of its surviving battle-stations to bear and destroys a huge rock formation located between the Egyptian, Republican, and Hejazi armies with kinetic-energy weapons and orders the fighting to stop. The ragged global economy could not handle another war, particularly one in the Middle East.

Egypt Recognizes Hejaz and Oman (September 25th, 2004 AD)-The Egyptians recognize the two states. Although they fume and bitch mightily about it, they’re secretly thankful—the cost of garrisoning the territory was very great, and after the war, the Egyptian gov’t was running on fumes. The Islamist government controls western Arabia from northern Yemen to just south of Aqaba, while the Omani government controls OTL Oman and Yemen (the latter might be hard to handle).

Somali Anti-Ethiopian Insurgency Begins (January 2005 AD)-Some of the Somali insurgents trained and funded by the US in the years leading up to WWIII begin attacking their Ethiopian allies. They want some Somali territory conquered by the Ethiopians years ago (and some snippets the Ethiopians took as a reward for helping defeat the Afrikaners) incorporated into the new Somali state.

(more)

Multi-Racial Election Held (2006 AD)-The first multiracial election in Confederation history takes place. Thomas Sitaraman, an East African Indian, is elected President of the Confederation, while the Great Volkstadt and all but a few of the provincial assemblies are non-white-dominated. Sitaraman calls for a constitutional convention, believing that more radical changes to the Confederate government are necessary.

Nuclear Winter Ends (2006 AD)-The last dregs of the nuclear winter end. Now it’s time for the “nuclear summer.”

The First Antimatter-Catalyzed Pulse-Drive Tested (2006 AD)-This ship is based on this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter_catalyzed_nuclear_pulse_propulsion The advantages of this sort of pulse-drive is that it requires MUCH less mass than the Orion pulse-drives or the inertial-confinement pulse-drives. Although the use of this drive means far more efficient ship designs are possible, the creation of antimatter is absurdly expensive and so very few of these ships are likely to be built in the near-term.

The Wreck of the Athens (2006 AD)-The civilian transport ship Athens is severely damaged by undetonated submunitions from the orbital phase of WWIII. Something had caused the submunitions to activate and begin seeking targets. It is suspected the submunitions were Afrikaner in origin, since they homed in on the American transmissions. Despite a series of rescue attempts, the craft ultimately breaks up in orbit and all aboard die.

Establishment of African Republic (2007 AD)-The new government rewrites the nation’s constitution, basing it on the post Civil War US model. The new constitution grants all citizens regardless of race or gender full political rights, institutes separation of church and state, ends religious restrictions on non-Calvinists and racial or religious tests for participation in the government, limits on the size of the military (and the number of nuclear weapons), and a number of other things. The government is relatively decentralized, although an equivalent to the 14th Amendment is put in place so that areas with white majorities (largely in the south and east) cannot repress non-whites and non-white majorities cannot repress local whites. Sitaraman elected the first President, with (Afrikaner dissident) as his Vice President. The Great Volkstadt is 55% black, 15% Indian, and 30% white.

The Return to the Outer Solar System (2010 AD)-This project was supposed to be launched before the war, but the combination of the global nuclear exchange and the effort to rebuild delayed it for nearly a decade. Now that some semblance of order has been restored, the expedition is launched from the great spaceport at (where?) using a pair of ships powered by antimatter-catalyzed pulse-drives, which require far less mass and material. As a symbol of world peace and unity, the expedition contains Americans, Chinese, Germasn, Russians, Japanese, and Afrikaners. Although the postwar world is no utopia (continued guerrilladom in Central Asia, Tibet, and Afghanistan, lots of racial problems in the new African Republic, and lots and lots of post-nuclear devastation, birth defects, cancers, etc), everyone can look forward to a brighter future.

First Normal Spring (2016 AD)-For the first time in a decade, spring comes as it ought in Australia.
 

Ceranthor

Banned
Well, first thing's first...

I honestly think that you need a better POD. I highly doubt that the loss of one city in the Netherland is going to cause a mass exodus out of the country, and its even more doubtful that the Calvinists would choose the Cape of Good Hope as their sanctuary. The place was little known and largely ignored by every colonial power, despite its prime position between Europe and the East. Some random dude picking up on it and somehow convincing 5000 people to emigrate with him just doesn't make much sense, especially when their destination was (at that time) considered to be located at the ends of the earth.

A better POD might be the Dutch successfully capturing Mozambique Island at the turn 17th century. This would basically kick the Portuguese out of Africa and screw with their share of the Asia trade, and it would give the Dutch not one but two strong footholds in the continent. We could see two groups of Afrikaners forming, with a more trade-based group in Mozambique and OTL Boers at the Cape; this is probably your best bet for some kind of Afrikaner superpower.

But there's a lot of other problems here too; for one, the Afrikaners defeating a couple of tribes north of the Orange River wouldn't cripple all the Bantus south of the Limpopo; if anything, its more than likely that some Shaka Zulu-esque figure might rise up and fight back. At this point there's 20,000 Afrikaners in Africa, but there's a couple million Bantu south of the Limpopo alone. If enough of them are armed and reinforced by the Portuguese, its highly unlikely the Afrikaners can carry the day. Hell, against the Zulus and the Matabele they lost some significant battles OTL, so ATL an army of Bantus, Portuguese, and Coloureds with guns will destroy them on the field.
 
A better POD might be the Dutch successfully capturing Mozambique Island at the turn 17th century. This would basically kick the Portuguese out of Africa and screw with their share of the Asia trade, and it would give the Dutch not one but two strong footholds in the continent. We could see two groups of Afrikaners forming, with a more trade-based group in Mozambique and OTL Boers at the Cape; this is probably your best bet for some kind of Afrikaner superpower.

That does sound like a good idea. Could you elaborate as to what happened OTL?

Given the Confederation ends up spanning Asia, the Dutch usurping the Portuguese entirely strikes me as a way to get that more realistically.
 
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I've done some cursory Googling and the first Dutch attack was in 1607. That's after the POD.

Perhaps with a strong local base at Cape Town, the Dutch successfully take the island?

Do you have any numbers about how many Portuguese were in Africa at this point? I'd like to keep the Portuguese strain in the Afrikaner population for worldbuilding reasons.
 
The Bushman War (1586-8 AD)-Afrikaners devastate the San and Khoi, establishing their control over the southern interior regions of present-day South Africa. Perhaps 60% of the Bushmen are killed in the war, while the remainder are enslaved. However, these new slaves all die within ten years due to disease and simply not being able to hold up.

I can't see this happening. In OTL, even with the whole devastation of the Cape Khoi they managed to survive and become part of a middle-class between White and Black. I don't think they would all completely die and the social ramifications of them surviving would be interesting.

Battle of the Ridgeline (1606 AD)-The Afrikaners and their victims meet in battle. It’s an Afrikaner victory—they lose 200 soldiers and the tribal forces lose perhaps 1,000, devastating black manpower south of the Limpopo. The Afrikaners’ low manpower does not permit them to immediately conquer everything south of the river, but over the next generation, they manage this.

Again, i don't see this happening. Two problems with this.

1) It assumes all tribes south of the Limpopo are a monolithic force.

2) it assumes 1,000 men is a damaging number of casualties. The Zulus sustained three times that many at Blood river and had no real problems. And that's just the Zulu, discounting the massive number of tribes not destroyed by the Mfecane TTL.
 
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Ceranthor

Banned
I've done some cursory Googling and the first Dutch attack was in 1607. That's after the POD.

Perhaps with a strong local base at Cape Town, the Dutch successfully take the island?

Do you have any numbers about how many Portuguese were in Africa at this point? I'd like to keep the Portuguese strain in the Afrikaner population for worldbuilding reasons.

Well the Portuguese base at Mozambique was founded in 1507, so you could just have the Dutch successfully conquer it sometime after then. This would actually put less of a focus on Cape Town, and see more attention paid to a newly conquered Mozambique, because it occupies a similar role, a better location(closer to Arab/Indian trade routes) and comes pre-equipped with a massive fort and several other settlements. In fact, Cape Town would likely become secondary to a conquered Mozambique; while the Cape is remote and surrounded by hostile tribes, the areas around Mozambique are relatively peaceful, close to other civilizations, and are basically just in a better position.

Now the Portuguese who did occupy Mozambique Island early on OTL numbered very few(all soldiers/missionaries, no women and bastard kids only), and the only reason they did repel the Dutch was because they were hardasses. A couple of sieges saw ~200 Portuguese taking on more than 5000 Dutch and winning. So basically you could have the Dutch attack the place so often that the garrison gets sick of defending the place and just gives up, which is the most likely way for them to take it over.

And also, it's doubtful that all the Khoisan would be killed or enslaved, but they weren't considered a "middle class" at all. Their conflict with the Dutch was kind of a lopsided version of cowboys and Indians, except that the Khoi almost never won. The Dutch didn't consider them human. That said, it isn't likely that all of South Africa's Khoisan would die en masse, but you probably would see a situation very similar to OTL, with only the Cape Khoi being exterminated and the rest driven into mountain ranges or deserts.

And yeah, I reiterate the point about the Afrikaners conquering the Bantu with two battles. Hell, even the concept of them conquering all of Southern Africa in such a short time is ASB. OTL it took them 100 years to get to the Great Fish River, which isn't all that far from the Cape. Them scattering three million Bantu and conquering--not just exploring, conquering everything south of the Limpopo would have taken a lot more than two battles and sixty years. And another thing you're forgetting is that Southern Africa isn't easy to move through. It has mountains, deserts, savannahs, forests, and that's just everything south of the Vaal River. Once you get to Mozambique, the land becomes even wilder, and malaria and the tstse fly are endemic. Hell, by the 1800's the only party to travel from Cape Town to Natal(this is about one eighth the distance to the Limpopo) took a year and a half to get there, and eventually failed when the natives slaughtered all involved. This was with good maps, native guides, and several armed guards, in 1810. If the Afrikaners tried to do something eight times as difficult and dangerous in the 1600's, they would have failed miserably. Between the tsetse fly, native peoples, and the complete lack of maps at that time, Afrikaners would have found the area almost impossible to properly penetrate. Them actually conquering all that land is ridiculous.

And finally, I have to call the general character of the Afrikaners out in this TL. While it would doubtless be different from that of OTL's Boers, the Afrikaners never have and never will be Mongols with guns trying to conquer everything they see. For the most part, and especially in their early stages, they were content to just wander around the place farming massive tracts of land, and while they might be more conquest-oriented in this TL, I highly doubt they would go apeshit in trying to subjugate everything around them. You certainly could have them overpower some nearby tribes(the Xhosa, the Tswanas) and get rich off of monopolizing the diamond trade, but neither of these things would turn them into a collective Genghis Khan(as you've done in the TL). And furthermore, it's not as if their aims wouldn't be checked by the Dutch themselves. The VOC will be trying to secure parts of the Cape for itself, and we might even see the Dutch invading the place themselves if the Afrikaners start becoming uppity. That said, many of the Afrikaners would still likely consider themselves to be Dutchmen, and they wouldn't put up too much of a struggle if Amsterdam tried to exert more control over the place, which would likely prevent the Afrikaners from going nuts putting everything to the sword.
 
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