In the year of our Lord 1461, Edward of the House of York, a man of great stature and prowess in the arts of war, did ascend the throne of England, following his valorous deeds in battle that did earn him the crown. The land, ravaged by the Wars of the Roses, did tremble beneath his firm hand, yet 'twas a hand that bore the promise of both peace and prosperity. Thus did Edward IV, whose name should be immortal in the annals of our time, reign with an eye toward the future, lifting this blessed realm from the mire of conflict into the flowering dawn of learning and strength.

In the first years of his reign, Edward, ever the cunning prince, did take heed of the perils that oft beset this fair isle. The tides of war, so recently settled, and the threats from beyond the seas called upon him to forge a mighty bastion of arms. In his wisdom, he did set about the founding of a standing army, unlike any this land had seen before. No longer would the king rely upon the mustering of common levies or the uncertain loyalty of the lords. Nay, Edward decreed that a professional host should be maintained in times of peace and war alike, sustained by royal coffers and trained in the arts of both sword and musket.

To this end, the king, in the twelfth year of his reign, did pass the Edict of Arms, which commanded the raising of a royal force, with coin to be levied from the Crown’s revenues and the purses of the wealthy. The gentry were bound by law to furnish men-at-arms and archers, trained in the longbow and the newly arrived hand cannon. Ships too did Edward summon to his cause, for he saw the might of the sea as England’s true defense. Thus, he established a navy royal, securing port cities and constructing new dockyards, chief among them the yards at Portsmouth and the royal harbor at Greenwich.

For the sustainment of this great endeavor, Edward sought out the gold and silver of merchants and foreign kings. He negotiated skillfully with the Burgundians, securing trade agreements that did fill the coffers of England, allowing him to fund both army and navy. From Flanders did flow the finest of cloth, and from our shores to Burgundy went English wool and tin, forging a bond that did strengthen the realm.

'Twas not in arms alone that Edward showed his worth. In his royal court, he fostered men of learning and wit, creating a haven for scholars who did look to the classical works of old for wisdom. He called upon the finest minds from across Christendom, and in this wise, England did begin to know the Renaissance. From Milan came artificers and engineers who did advise the king on the arts of fortification, and from Portugal came mariners who did teach the secrets of navigation and the mapping of the seas. Edward’s court, like unto the great courts of Florence and Venice, became a place where art and science did flourish hand in hand.

Furthermore, in the sixteenth year of his reign, Edward did establish a most wondrous innovation—the royal post. He commanded that messengers should ride swift between the cities and towns of the kingdom, bearing letters and edicts with great speed, that the word of the king might fly as swift as the wind. Through this service, the people of England were drawn closer, and the business of the realm did prosper.

https://preview.redd.it/7pr89txcazxd1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=4a214d1e21f462ef8241c92e8d54ee94ddda8e06

After the successful Paris Commune revolution, socialist ideas quickly spread across Western Europe. Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands embraced this new wave of socialism. Following the First World War, Britain faced internal upheaval, ultimately leading to the rise of the Union of Britain. This shift prompted the formation of the Continental People's Coalition. In 1937, the Spanish Civil War erupted between socialists and fascists, drawing France into the conflict. Post-World War II and the Second American Civil War, France established the Union of European Socialist Republics. As the U.S. Civil War reached a ceasefire, a new global Cold War emerged. This divided the world between the Democratic Treaty Organization, founded by Russia in 1950, and the Global People's Coalition, established by the URSR in 1945.

Country by row. (There is some country that isnt on the map)
Democratic Treaty Organization
Europe Leading Country : Russian Federal Republic
Asia Leading Country : Republic of China

1. German Republic, Republic of Austria, Slovak State, Slovenian Republic, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Republic of Bulgaria
2. Republic of Poland, Czech Republic, Republic of Hungary, Federal Republic of Croatia, Republic of North Macedonia, Federal Republic of Romania
3. Kingdom of Greece, Albanian Republic, Republic of Turkey, People's Republic of Ukraine, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Latvia
4. Republic of Estonia, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Vietnam, People's Republic of Korea, State of Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Republic of Philippines, United States of America, Republic of Argentina, Republic of Chile

Global People's Coalition
Europe Leading Country : Union of European Socialist Republics
Asia Leading Country : People's Republic of China
America Leading Country : People's Union of America

1. People's Republic of Germany, Socialist Republic of Austria, Dutch Union, Swiss People's Union, People's Republic of Italy, People's Principality of Liechtenstein
2. Union of North African Socialist Republics, Socialist Republic of India, United People's Republic of Arabic, Union of Canada, Union of Mexico, People's Republic of California
3. People's Republic of Hawaii, Socialist Republic of Taiwan, Socialist Federal Republic of Indonesia, Democratic Republic of South Africa, Iranian Socialist Republic, Australasia Union
4. Union of South America, Republic of Cambodia, Thai People's Union, United Workers Republic of Egypt, Socialist Federal Republic of Myanmar, Republic of Cuba, West Indian People's Union

Currently working on an alternative 1500s scenario which involves the Ottoman Empire failing at the Battle of Varna, Ming Dynasty continuing their colonization into the South Pacific (reaching the Spice Islands, establishing permanent concessions in India and the Philippines), Vinland colony continuing independently after Greenland is abandoned (with the Greenlanders fleeing West instead of back East), Mansa Musa’s predecessor’s expedition across the Atlantic being successful but stuck and losing contact with the Old World in Brazil and finally Sigismund of the Holy Roman Empire successfully consolidating his holdings into a central Bohemian State.

I am posting the Varna section below as a part one of this series for feed back. I’m open to any and all suggestions. I’m not sure if this will blow up or not and I’m trying to figure out a cool name for this timeline (I know it’s a little wanky and unrealistic but I think it’s cool nonetheless)!

...1981, dispatch from John Doe, British correspondent from Harare, Zimbabwe.

What I write today may be my last dispatch from this war that has broken out in Zimbabwe. I am dictating this via telephone to my assistant at the X News Agency office in Harare.

I find myself with a garrison of some hundreds of soldiers, natives and former white Rhodesian officers, loyal to the government of Abel Muzorewa. We are besieged by the communist guerrilla forces of ZANLA, the former followers of Mugabe. ZANLA are slowly advancing into eastern Zimbabwe, leaving a trail of blood behind them.

Although my profession as a journalist prohibits me from taking part in the fighting, probably i Will be forced to take part in the fighting to save my life.

1980: the death of Mugabe and the war

In 1980, the country of Zimbabwe fell into chaos.

As I reported in my previous articles from 1980 (https://www.reddit.com/r/AlternateHistory/s/pOv95tvAm2), the country was moving towards relative stability, following the election of the communist president Mugabe to power.

After years of bloody war between the white minority of settlers and the native population, the new world government had brought order to the country and began a series of controversial reforms.

Mugabe had sacked former White Rhodesian officials and forced white politicians, such as former Prime Minister Ian Smith, out of politics.

Mugabe also wanted to proceed with land reform by confiscating all the land of white settlers and redistributing it to the black population. Mugabe had revealed himself to be of socialist ideas and was starting to express dictatorial ideas. He was also staunchly opposed to the apartheid South African government. But he died tragically in a bomb attack, the perpetrators of which are unclear.

After Mugabe's death, power in Zimbabwe fell to the hardliners of his ZANLA party. they accused the white minority of being guilty of the attack that killed the president. the black population unleashed a hunt for the White, destroying the settlers' homes in the capital and lynching several dozen of them. the white population fled en masse from Zimbabwe, while the government had also begun to arrest black political opponents such as Nkomo and his officials ZIPRA party.

1980: SADF invades Zimbabwe

Following the chaos, the South African army invaded the country in a lightning military operation to restore order. The South African army invaded the country, supported by militias made up of former White Rhodesian officers eager to return to their country and take revenge on ZANLA.

I followed the South African army that invaded the country, describing the undertaking in my previous article (https://www.reddit.com/r/AlternateHistory/s/07CUxHB0Cy)

The South African armed forces quickly conquered Zimbabwe, marching towards the capital Harare. the socialist Zimbabwean army from ZANLA offered great resistance near the capital. after a colossal battle between South African and Zimbabwean half-armoured vehicles near Harare, the organized resistance of the late Mugabe's army ceased.

the South African armed forces and Rhodesian militias entered a capital devastated by bombing and looting. in the prisons, hundreds of white hostages were found executed by the ZANLA army before retreating. Among the dead was former white Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith. this news pushed the white Rhodesian militias to carry out ruthless reprisals, with hundreds of executions of many POWs and black Zimbabwean civilians. the Rhodesians also destroyed Mugabe's monumental tomb in the capital with an explosive charge.

Native civilians and former ZANLA soldiers began a fierce guerrilla war in the countryside, making hit and run attacks against the SADF and the Rhodesian white militias.

1981: the new Zimbabwean government of Bishop Muzorewa

As the new year arrived, the South African Botha government proceeded to encourage the establishment of a new government in Zimbabwe.

The capital Harare was largely rebuilt by the South African military engineers, who rebuilt aqueducts, public buildings, roads and hospitals.

After elections that were not deemed legitimate by the UN, a new government was elected in the country with Bishop Abel Muzorewa as black prime minister.

Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa is a man of rugged and dignified appearance, with a commanding presence that reflected his authority and leadership. In 1979 he had already been prime minister of Rhodesia for a few months, before being forced to resign. He is a kind, honest, deeply religious and self-assured man, who always wears the robes of bishop of the United Methodist Church. After being sworn into the new presidential palace in Harare, Muzorewa gave a speech to journalists about his plans.

Muzorewa made an impassioned plea for peace and reconciliation between the country's diverse communities. In front of an enthusiastic crowd, he highlighted the importance of peaceful coexistence between blacks and whites, urging everyone to work together for the well-being of the nation.

“It is madness to destroy Zimbabwe with a fratricidal war,” Muzorewa said. “We must be like brothers, united in our commitment to rebuild our country.” The Prime Minister announced an amnesty for all ZANLA communist guerrillas and former Mugabe supporters who surrender, promising that they will be able to return to their homes without problems.

In a gesture of openness and reconciliation, Muzorewa also launched a peace proposal towards Joshua Nkomo, the pro-Soviet leader of the ZIPRA party. "I propose to start negotiations for a government of national unity," Muzorewa said, "to rebuild our country together."

The Prime Minister also outlined his priorities for the future, including rebuilding the indigenous police force with the help of Zimbabwean tribal leaders. He concluded his speech with an appeal to the white Rhodesian militias, urging them to stop violence against the natives. "The Rhodesian militias must stop spreading terror among our people," he stated firmly.

The people of Zimbabwe greeted Muzorewa's installation as prime minister with skepticism. Although the bishop is seen as an honest person, blacks think he is just a puppet in the hands of the South African apartheid government and white Rhodesian settlers. The new Muzorewa government did not have much popular support and the new government's police force struggled to attract recruits.

An horrible massacre of the ZANLA in a village

In recent months, the communist guerrilla forces of ZANLA (Mugabe's Maoist communist party) have reorganized in the countryside and borders of Mozambique. The guerrillas have recruited numerous young people in the Zimbabwean countryside and have received large quantities of weapons from China, in their military camps in Zimbabwe. in the east of the country, ZANLA has driven out the South African and Muzorewa government garrisons and is advancing slowly, with operations that are now becoming those of a regular army.

ZANLA reconquered numerous villages, where it indulged in horrific massacres. I myself, following a South African patrol on patrol, was able to observe the consequences of one of the massacres carried out by Mugabe's former supporters.

The bush village was inhabited by a few dozen native farmers and their families and by a few Methodist priests, who ran the village church, school and dispensary. It was a small settlement forgotten by God, but not by ZANLA. The guerrillas had identified the village as a target to eliminate, given the presence of some priests who would have supported Muzorewa.

During the night, ZANLA had entered the village, setting fire to the church and the school and killing all the inhabitants with machetes while they slept. The Methodist priests had been bayoneted to death in the church, in front of the altar where a large crucifix stood.

I saw this scene of unspeakable butchery and I vomited. Defenseless civilians had been slaughtered like cows in a slaughterhouse. The South African soldiers, white and black, collected the remains of the bodies of the unfortunate people to wrap them in sheets and bury them in some improvised graves. I also participated in the burial of the victims, praying together with the South African soldiers so that those souls would find peace in eternal rest.

I always have a service pistol on my belt and I intend to use it in case I find myself face to face with ZANLA guerrillas or risk being captured by them.

The last stand of Muzorewa's soldiers in Umtali

Today I went down with a helicopter bringing supplies to the city of Umtali. I was sent to Umtali to tell the story of this city's resistance to the advancing ZANLA troops. Umtali is now an island in a sea, the last stronghold of Muzorewa government loyalists in this region. It has been besieged for weeks by the communist ZANLA infantry forces, who are advancing. The garrison that is defending this city is made up of several hundred white Rhodesian militiamen and native soldiers loyal to Muzorewa's new government.

Umtali is a city in the heart of Manicaland, nestled among rolling hills, which was once a crossroads of commerce and tourism, an open gateway to the sea through the port of Beira in Mozambique. The city has a mild climate and breathtaking scenery, dominated by the surrounding mountains. The hills were a paradise for Rhodesian tourists who wanted to hike and observe wildlife, while the city was full of hotels and restaurants that welcomed travelers. Now it is a city besieged by the communist guerrillas of the ZANLA, who are relentlessly attacking the South African garrisons and the Rhodesian and Muzorewa's native militias.

In future dispatches I will recount the battle for Umtali, in case I survive.

Map of North America, circa 2024

Flag of California

Flag of Texas

Overview of the Scenario (Ask Me Anything in the comments)

In this timeline California and Texas are their own independent nations. They managed to remain independent through a few different factors. In Both their cases, they had larger populations in the 1830s and 40s, roughly 80,000 for Texas and 100,000 for California (as opposed to 30,000 and 10,000 respectively). These population figures were achieved through immigration and settlement of Latinos disaffected with the Mexican Government at the time, as well as the arrival of increasing numbers of White Settlers from the U.S., mainly those who continued heading west ward due to discrimination on the East Coast; the Irish and other Catholic peoples, as well as Mormons.

Texas won its independence in 1836. Following this, there was an ongoing debate between Pro-Independence political factions and Pro-American ones. These debates lasted until the late 1840s and ultimately, the Pro-independence factions won out.

California's first attempt at independence was crushed in 1837 when the mostly Californio Alvarado Rebellion was defeated. However, almost a decade later the local Californio population, alongside white settlers, and a few allied native tribes (Yokuts, Miwoks, Navajo, and Western Apache) defeated Mexico with the help of the U.S. and Texas in 1848.

California and Texas would retain their independence following what was known as the "Great North American War" (this timeline's Mexican American War). The U.S. did attempt to annex California by force, but were defeated at three battles; John C. Fremont was defeated near Lake Tahoe, Winfield Scott was defeated outside San Diego, and Robert F. Stockton's Pacific Squadron was trapped in the San Francisco Bay and forced to surrender. At this same time, Texan forces skirmished with American troops at the Red River, and a force of Texan Cavalry, the famous Texas Rangers, raided border towns in Louisiana. Following their defeats in California, as well as growing international and domestic pressure, the U.S. was forced to recognize the independence of California and Texas in 1849 with the signing of the Treaty of Santa Fe. This failure by the U.S. to obtain Texas and California would be a driving force that would lead to the American Civil War in the early 1860s.

Relations between the two young republics and Mexico would be cold until the 1860s when both Texas and California would join Mexico in their fight against the French and Austrian Empires, turning the Second French Intervention into the War of the American Alliance. Together the three nations would defeat the French, Austrians, and their puppet state, the Mexican Empire. The American Alliance would remain a powerful defensive force in the Americas until its disillusion following World War One.

Mexico left the alliance in 1907, and three years later California, Texas, and the U.S. would invade the country due to fighting from the Mexican Revolution spilling over into their borders. The U.S. would pull out in 1917 following their entry into WW1, but California and Texas kept troops stationed in border regions until 1919. Both nations would completely pull out of Mexico save for Baja California, which the California Republic officially annexed in 1921. This would sour relations between California and Mexico, but their was little the latter nation could do, having just emerged from a costly and destructive revolution.

California and Texas would enter WW2 in 1941 following the attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Most Californian troops would fight in the pacific, while most Texan troops fought in Europe and North Africa. Each nations' most famous commanders in the war were George S. Patton, who commanded California's "I Corps" in Africa, Italy, and France, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was the commanding general of all Texan forces in the European Theater and the mastermind behind the Normandy Landings. Eisenhower would go on to serve as President of Texas from 1946-1956.

California and Texas found themselves in the U.S. camp during the Cold War as members of SEATO and NATO respectively. Both would fight in the Korean War as a part of the U.N. Intervention in the 50s. By the mid 60s however, Californian and U.S. relations had soured due to the former's refusal to disavow left-wing elements in the government, namely the Democratic Socialist and Californian Workers' Parties. The former was one of California's largest parties, and the latter was a major minor party within Californian politics. Both the centrist Liberal Party (a major party at the time that held the presidency from 1948-1964), and the right leaning National Party (the other largest party alongside the DSP) stood in solidarity with their political opponents, leading California to pull out of Vietnam in 1966, formally leave SEATO in 1967, and join the growing Non-Aligned Movement that same year. In response to this, the U.S. pulled what troops it had in Baja California out, leading the ongoing "Baja Crisis" in Baja California to escalate rapidly.

Through this split Texas remained friendly with California and acted as an ally on the international stage. Texas tried to keep a middle ground between the two nations as they needed as much support as they could get since they had intervened in the Central American Crisis, and were directly involved in fighting groups like FSLN (Sandinistas), FMLN, and URNG. By the 1990s relations had normalized however, and both the Baja and Central American Crises came to an end in 1992 and 1996 respectively.

Texas is still to this day a member of NATO, and while California is still a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, they are counted among the U.S.'s major non-NATO allies. Both would fight as members of the Coalition in the Gulf War and as members of ISAF in the War in Afghanistan. Texas would also take part in the 2003 Iraq War.

Zimbabwe, 1980: After Mugabe's assassination, the country is invaded by the South African army and fell into civil war

..., 1980, dispatch from Jon Doe, special envoy embedded with the South African army

I am in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.

I am here following the South African troops of the Botha government, which supports apartheid in their country. The South African army intervened in the country to restore order, which had fallen into chaos.

Until a few weeks ago I was here in the capital as the English correspondent for Manchester City Paper. But a series of tragic events forced me to make a daring escape from the country, fleeing to South Africa. I was forced to join the embedded journalist with the South African troops who invaded Zimbabwe in a lightning operation.

Against every convention that sees the journalist as an impartial observer, I am forced to carry a South African service pistol, in order to protect my life in a war that has degenerated into a merciless conflict.

Let's look back at the tragic story that brought me here in these tragic circumstances.

The last tragic weeks in Zimbabwe, former Rhodesia

A few weeks ago, I was in the capital Harare.

Zimbabwe has fallen into chaos, as I described in the previous article (https://www.reddit.com/r/AlternateHistory/s/B44pVIWq5c).

The country, after the recent political elections, was in a precarious state of peace. The new government of the black president Mugabe, of socialist ideas and aligned with China, had begun a series of radical reforms to change the country. The new Mugabe government had dismissed the white officers and officials of the Rhodesian government. He had also expressed the idea of ​​supporting black South Africans in their fight against the white apartheid government. He also wanted to carry out land reform, confiscating land from White English settlers in Zimbabwe and redistributing it to poor black farmers. These measures have provoked strong discontent among the White minority in Zimbabwe.

But President Mugabe was assassinated in a bomb attack, which no one officially claimed responsibility for. Mugabe's assassin unleashed violence from the black population towards the White minority, who were forced to flee largely from Zimbabwe.

Mugabe's assassination inspired a wave of violence, plunging the country into chaos.

The late President Mugabe was replaced in the leadership of the ZANLA faction, the army and the government by his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa.

He is known as "the crocodile" for his political cunning. In the 1980s, during his public appearances, Mnangagwa often wore military uniform, complemented by medals and a striped scarf in the national colors of Zimbabwe. His presence has always been authoritative, with a penetrating gaze and an upright posture that conveys determination and confidence. In public, Mnangagwa has been known for his incisive and direct speeches, sometimes extremely ferocious towards his political opponents.

Zimbabwe's new president has ordered a state of emergency, mobilizing the military and intensifying domestic surveillance to prevent further unrest.

The new president of Zimbabwe announced that the intelligence services had discovered that Mugabe had been assassinated by a plot by Apartheid South Africa and former White Rhodesian army officers. He also accused government minister Nkomo, head of the armed ZIPRA faction aligned with the Soviet Union, of having killed Mugabe.

A few hours later, the military arrested hundreds of white civilians and their families in the country, as well as former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith and numerous former Rhodesian politicians.

Nkomo disappeared, probably having fled abroad, while his party was declared abolished by the government and numerous officials and ZIPRA officers were arrested.

The new government has started to talk about the risk of a South African invasion of Zimbabwe, in order to restore order and stop this civil war that is starting.

I myself was forced to leave the country, faced with threats from the new government to foreign correspondents, taking a plane to Pretoria, South Africa.

South African army invades Zimbabwe

A few weeks later, I am now in the country following the South African troops, who have crossed the borders of Zimbabwe with the unspecified pretext of restoring order to the country.

The South African troops are followed by militias of former White Rhodesian officers, who were forced to flee the country following Mugabe's death.

The South African army invaded Zimbabwe in a blitzkrieg. Without a formal declaration of war, the South African air force bombed the capital, major military bases and the country's infrastructure. The Zimbabwe Air Force was destroyed on the ground in the first days of the war.

Over the course of a few weeks, the South African armed forces methodically advanced towards the capital.

The troops I follow marched through deserted indigenous villages: the native population fled into the bush, fearful. In other villages, the poor black population welcomed us indifferently, without showing much enthusiasm.

The military bases were abandoned by the ZANLA government military, who abandoned trucks and heavy weapons and probably fled into the bush to start a guerrilla war against the South Africans.

The advance of the South Africans encountered determined resistance from the government army only near the capital. I witnessed this historic battle, which saw South African armored troops fighting a tough battle against the Zimbabwean army, who fought with heroism worthy of better causes to defend their capital.

The Great Armored Battle of Harare

The dusty landscape of the Zimbabwean plateau stretches out before me. At dawn, the sun casts long, sinister shadows over armored forces preparing for battle. The air is full of tension, the constant hum of tank engines fills the silence.

I'm aboard an Olifant Mk1, the main battle tank of the South African forces, with enhanced armor and a 105mm gun. Ratels troop transport vehicles and Samil trucks carrying reinforcements and ammunition line up next to us.

In front, on the horizon, I glimpse the silhouettes of old but robust Zimbabwean T-54s and T-55s, recently arrived from the Soviet Union and ready to defend their territory. Behind the tanks, we can observe a heavy concentration of Zimbabwean infantry and artillery troops, preparing for battle in entrenched positions.

The attack begins with an artillery bombardment by our forces. The shots of the G-6 Rhinos echo across the valley, raising clouds of dust and debris. It is a choreography of destructive power, each explosion timed with precision, trying to weaken the enemy lines before direct confrontation.

As our Olifants advance, the earth trembles under their weight. Commanders communicate through radios and every order transmitted urgently. The South African strategy is simple but risky: a frontal attack to break the enemy defenses and advance towards Harare. The Ratels float on the flanks, ready to intervene where necessary, while the South African infantry forces advance some distance away, behind the cover of our tanks.

The enemy responds with determination, the T-54s and T-55s fire through the rising dust. The first shots crash against the armor of our Olifants. The roar is deafening, an inferno of metal and fire. A well-placed shot causes an Olifant to explode next to us, debris flying in all directions. It's chaos, where discipline and cool-headedness are the key to survival.

Our tank fires repeatedly at enemy tanks. After a few minutes, only a few burning wrecks remain in front of us.

In the chaos, the sounds of the South African air force can be heard, bombing enemy armored troops and entrenched infantry. Napalm flames cause Soviet tanks to explode. It is a hell of fire and destruction.

As we approach, only the burning wrecks of enemy T55 tanks remain in front of us.

But soon, enemy infantry emerges from the trenches, brandishing automatic weapons and RPGs and throwing grenades. The machine gunners of the Rhodesian tanks begin to fire entire magazines, while our soldiers return fire, advancing under the cover of the tanks.

Zimbabwean troops fight with fierce determination, knowing the terrain well and using it to their advantage. But our Ratels advance on the flanks, providing covering fire and trying to keep the hotbeds of resistance under control.

The battle becomes a flurry of explosions, cannon fire and screams. The sky darkens with black smoke, a miasma of destruction that blurs vision and suffocates lungs. Our Olifants continue to advance, the main cannon firing repeatedly, each shot a roar of power.

After hours of intense fighting, the enemy lines begin to give way. We see the last T-54s and T-55s retreat, their silhouettes becoming increasingly indistinct through the curtain of smoke and dust.

Our infantry advances, taking control of enemy positions, consolidating the conquered ground. The last Zimbabwean soldiers emerge from the trenches, throwing their weapons to the ground and raising the white flag, handing themselves over to the South African infantry.

It's a victory, but at a high cost. The battlefield is a carnage: the land is strewn with burnt vehicles, wounded soldiers and corpses.

The trenches of the Zimbabwean enemy are filled with dead, dying or shredded soldiers, who are rapidly swelling and decomposing in the suffocating African heat.

As the sun sinks below the horizon, the sounds of battle quieten, revealing signs of devastation.

Immobilized tanks, explosion craters and scattered debris tell the story of a fierce struggle. Behind us, some African tanks are immobilized, hit by Zimbabwean fire or blown over by mines.

Our doctors rush to help the wounded South Africans and Zimbabweans. The first South African helicopters are starting to arrive on the battlefield, to evacuate the dead and wounded to field hospitals.

South African troops have already started digging large mass graves with bulldozers, where enemy dead are starting to be buried.

The surviving South African soldiers gather, exhausted but relieved by the victory.w

The march towards Harare continues, but the road is still long and treacherous. Every victory has a cost and every battle leaves scars.

Night falls, and with it an eerie silence, as we reflect on what has been and what is to come.

Chaos in the capital Harare

After the tank battle outside Harare, the situation in the capital appears dramatic.

Mnangagwa's government abandoned the capital, leaving the city in chaos.

Before fleeing, Mnangagwa ordered ZANLA troops to execute all white hostages in government prisons.

South African troops who recently occupied Harare found the bodies of hundreds of white hostages shot in prisons. Former white Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith was also executed by shot in the back of the head.

Harare was occupied by militias of White Rhodesian refugees and the South African army a few days ago.

The South African army released some propaganda photos of its soldiers entering the city, joyfully welcomed by the native population of Harare. But this appears only as propaganda.

In reality, the capital is in chaos. The city was destroyed by South African bombing. The native police and any semblance of order have dissolved.

The starving native population looted or burned shops, government buildings, barracks and abandoned settler houses.

The militias of white Rhodesian exiles were tasked with restoring order in the capital.

A South African soldier who spoke to me on condition of anonymity told me that he had witnessed numerous summary executions of black civilians by white Rhodesian troops.

White Rhodesian officers walk around the capital armed with submachine guns, shooting to kill every black civilian they encounter.

My witness claims to have seen a drunk white Rhodesian militiaman, who was escorting a group of captured black Zimbabwean regular army soldiers, with their hands tied behind their backs. Among the soldiers, there were some kids wearing uniforms bigger than them and some women in uniform. the Rhodesian militiaman had them placed along the wall of a destroyed house. The kids and women in uniform burst into tears, realizing that the end was near. The militiaman then shouted: "for the death of Ian Smith and White Rhodesia!" and fired towards the prisoners, cutting them down with a burst of machine gun fire. The Zimbabwean soldiers remained there on the ground, while the militiaman went away smiling and smoking a cigarette.

The streets of Harare are deserted, patrolled by aggressive white Rhodesian militiamen and black and white South African soldiers. The native civilian population remains closed at home, awaiting events.

Mugabe's grave

Mugabe's monumental tomb in the Harare cemetery was destroyed by an explosive device, probably planted by Rhodesian rebels. The images immortalizing the destroyed tomb of the assassinated president of Zimbabwe have been seen around the world.

In numerous African capitals there were popular demonstrations to remember Mugabe as a martyr and a hero who fought for his country's independence against the white colonizers.

guerrilla warfare in the countryside I am outside the capital, together with the crew of the South African armored troops. South African soldiers began digging trenches and erecting an improvised military camp of tents and wooden huts, surrounded by barbed wire.

I had to start carrying a service pistol with me, because there were numerous cases of attacks by guerrillas.

When night falls, it is risky to venture outside the camp. I myself saw some careless white South African soldiers, who left the camp at night for bodily needs, being recovered by their comrades in a black bag. Their corpses had been slaughtered and mutilated by natives.

In the savannah and bushland around us, the native population and former Mugabe supporters are organizing a resistance. A tough war is looming for the South Africans which will be made up of ambushes and ambushes in unexpected places, mines buried along the roads, hit and run attacks, brutal executions of white soldiers and white and black Zimbabwean civilians by the guerrillas.

A recent order of the South African command has given the permissione to SADF to bomb any Zimbabwean village, where ZANLA guerrillas could Hide, even if the bombing could kill Zimbabwean civilians.

Policy options for a new Zimbabwean government

I attended an officers' briefing at my camp. The situation seems unclear and full of tension.

The South African government has now given up on the idea of ​​putting the White minority back in power in Zimbabwe. Ian Smith was already a spent force and his killing eliminated him from any possible government role in a future government.

Botha recently announced that he recognizes the black bishop Muzorewa as president of the new state of Zimbwea. He is a moderate politician, in favor of peaceful coexistence between whites and blacks and hostile to Mugabe's socialism. He is now reduced to being a puppet in the hands of the South Africans and it is difficult to say how much popular support he can enjoy. South African officials have already tried to co-opt some local black tribal leaders to convince them to support Muzorewa and train police troops for his government, but there has been no success.

Mugabe's former aides and ZANLA leading generals fled abroad, forming a Zimbabwean government in exile in Tanzania. Some Generals retreated into the bush, returning as guerrillas to organize indigenous resistance against the whites once again.

The ZANLA government-in-exile was recognized by some communist countries as the only legitimate government of Zimbabwe.

The pro-Soviet faction of ZIPRA and its leader Nkomo have apparently left the scene and is in exile in Zambia. Nkomo seems to express intentions to collaborate with the South Africans and with Muzorewa, but the militants of his movement would probably reject any collaboration with the occupiers.

The South African army has released numerous political prisoners from Zimbabwean prisons, including numerous ZIPRA officers and militants, who may be convinced to collaborate against Mugabe's followers.

Apparently, some ZIPRA militants have already started to collaborate with South African Army, giving information about the location of ZANLA and Mugabe's guerrillas.

The country appears to be headed towards a confusing civil war between multiple factions, while the United States, the Soviet Union and China have all condemned the South African invasion of Zimbabwe as an illegitimate act.

Numerous states have announced new sanctions against the South African Botha government for its illegal invasion of Zimbabwe and its discriminatory apartheid policy towards black South Africans.

Geopolitical map of Europe on 1 January 1947, shortly before the German Empire surrendered and remained unoccupied.

By the time Hamburg and Kiel were nuked by the USAF, France was preparing for a costly invasion of Germany proper in cooperation with Ivan Ilyin's Tsarist Russia. Egypt was trying and failing to capture the Suez Canal, while a third front had been opened via Denmark.

Air forces on both sides were deploying jet aircraft, while Germany was firing V-1 and V-2 missiles against targets in England and France, killing thousands of people. At home, citizens of those nations underwent rationing and restrictions on their freedoms, especially in authoritarian Russia, ruled by an ultranationalist regime that committed genocide against Ukrainians, and Communist France.

On 3 January 1947, Germany surrendered, ending WWII and ushering in the Cold War.

This scenario is extended and more detailed from the previous one.

In this extended timeline, Jahangir never ordered the execution of Guru Arjan Dev and maintained peaceful relations with the Sikhs. He also began to build a Mughal navy with the help of the East India Company. These changes to his policies fostered better relations with the Sikhs, which were one of the main reasons behind rebellions in northern India and the subsequent decline of the empire. Jahangir successfully repelled the Safavid invasion in 1622, keeping Kandahar under Mughal rule. This region was crucial for trade, which would have strengthened the economy of the Mughal Empire.

The trade initiatives and the development of a Mughal navy with the East India Company continued under Shah Jahan's reign.

Aurangzeb was not a religious fanatic; he maintained a policy of secularism and Din-i Ilahi. He never imposed jizya and cultivated good relations with both Sikhs and Hindus. Without the imposition of jizya, there would have been no Jat revolt, Sikh rebellions in northern India, or strained relations with the Rajputs, who were considered the backbone of the empire. Aurangzeb also succeeded in integrating the Pashtuns into the Mughal Empire through cultural exchange and strong relationships with local governors, meaning there would be no Pashtun rebellion, which had previously damaged the empire. Aurangzeb had also reformed the Jagirdari System in which he implemented a more centralized system of revenue collection where land grants were more closely regulated, ensuring that the crown retained greater control over income and administration, hence avoiding the Jagirdari crisis. Aurangzeb initiated Deccan expansion but only captured the northern territories of the Golconda and Bijapur Sultanates, which means there would be no prolonged Mughal-Maratha wars. He also recognized the Ahom Empire as an independent kingdom. After the First Anglo-Mughal War, Aurangzeb expelled the East India Company from India instead of allowing them to trade. He died ten years earlier, in 1697, and ensured a secure and peaceful succession for his son, Bahadur Shah I.

After Aurangzeb's death, Bahadur Shah I ascended to the throne in 1697. He maintained the stability of the empire and peaceful relations with both the Rajputs and Sikhs. Bahadur Shah I also ensured a smooth succession for Azim-ush-Shan. Additionally, he initiated trade with France.

Without the instability caused by Aurangzeb's death, the Sayyid Brothers never became kingmakers, and nobles like Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah and Zulfiqar Khan did not gain significant influence in the Mughal court. Instead, Rajput chiefs could have emerged as the kingmakers of the empire.

Following Bahadur Shah I's death, the absence of instability in the empire meant that Mirza Azim-ush-Shan was never killed in 1712 and instead became the Mughal emperor. Azim-ush-Shan was much more experienced in governance than Jahandar Shah. Under his reign, art and trade flourished, and he ruled the empire until the early 1730s. He created an Institutional Bureaucratic structure which helped The emperor to control Jagirs and Reduce corruption

After Azim-ush-Shan's death, there was a brief war of succession lasting two to three months, during which Azim-ush-Shan's nephew, Rafi ud-Darajat, won the struggle after killing Farrukhsiyar and ascended to the throne. Rafi ud-Darajat never had tuberculosis and survived in 1719, gaining the experience needed to govern the empire. Without the Mughal-Maratha wars and Sikh rebellions, Rafi ud-Darajat managed to repel the Afsharid invasion of the Mughal Empire, ruling until the late 1740s.

Without the Maratha invasion of northern India, there would have been no Afghan invasion either.

The Mughal Empire would require capable rulers and constant adaptation to the new world to survive and thrive.

In 864, Boris I of Bulgaria christianized the country. That same year (the official date being 10 June), he had a daughter named Maria¹, followed by Anna two years later, but no male heir. POD

On 15 February 889, Boris retired to a monastery and was succeeded by Maria, a very intelligent and philosophical woman for the time. She chose world conquest, beginning with the Byzantine Empire, as her main goal, and began a series of reforms, such as the division of Bulgaria in provinces, counties and communes, founding a navy, and adopting meritocracy. In 893, after crushing a rebellion² by her father, Maria proclaimed herself Tsaritsa, triggering a war with the Byzantines.

After three years of war, Maria's husband led the Bulgarian warriors into capturing Constantinople on 18 September 896, whereupon she proclaimed herself Roman emperor. The following year, Maria being a woman led to an East-West schism, and she later went on to invade and annex Serbia and Croatia, which already existed at the time.

In 905, Maria launched a crusade against the Abbasid Empire. As the Abbasids were disintegrating and Bulgaria had the support of the Samanids, Armenians and Khazars, the war ended in a victory by 913, and the Bulgarian annexation of the entire fertile crescent. Maria died on 10 September 914, and was buried in a mausoleum.

The Bulgarian Empire was ruled by four dynasties: Bulgar (896–1001), Ouranos (1000–1131), Komnenos (1131–1493) and Palaiologos (1493–1608), and Manzikert happening in 1118 butterflies away the crusades. In 1608, after two centuries of decline, the Safavid Empire led by Abbas the Great conquered Constantinople, which became the Safavid capital.

Sweden won the great northern war in 1717. As such, Russia only emerged as a key European power after the Swedish defeat in the Seven Years' War, and is less autocratic than IOTL.

In 1802, the Count of Artois overthrew the Revolutionary Directory, proclaiming himself King Charles X. After winning a coalition war in 1811, Charles established France as the strongest power in Europe, but another war broke out in 1825, which after five years, resulted in a French defeat. The period until 1917 was mostly one of peace.

That year, Enver Pasha assassinated the Bulgarian³ heir to the throne in Constantinople, leading Central Powers Bulgaria to invade Entente Turkey. World War I ended in 1922, with a German victory, followed by republican revolutions in Mughal India and Qing China, fascist coups in Italy and Russia (led by Ivan Ilyin), and a communist revolution in France.

In 1941, the French Socialist Republic invaded German puppet Belgium, triggering the Second World War pitting France, the US, UK and Japan against Germany, Italy, China and India. In December 1946, the United States dropped two nukes in Germany, followed by a cold war between France and the US, the latter being backed by Russia and Japan and the former by communist India.

After 1972, there was an Indo-French split, followed by the liberation of China, Korea and Indochina from Japan. The Cold War ended in 2001, when France removed references to communism from its constitution, and the United States invaded Afghanistan and Somalia after 9/11 (carried out by the EIJ instead of Al-Qaeda).

The 2010s saw the Arab Spring, the rise of Al-Shabaab, and independence of Equatoria, or South Sudan from Egypt. China and India pose an increasing threat to United States dominance.

Footnotes

• ¹ = An OC, although Boris did have a wife named Maria.
• ² = The rebellion was instigated by Maria committing adultery with her lover Mihai Gavrilov.
• ³ = In 1871, Bulgaria was restored as part of the Greek Plan following a Russo-Persian war.

This is from my Emerald Girdle setting, an alt history scenario where the Quaternary-Holocene extinctions don't occur, sea levels are slightly lower, Doggerland (called Belardia) and Beringia (name still undecided) still exist and three subcontinents exist in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific. I've written other posts about them already on here, so feel free to take a look for more context. This is the first time I've posted anything resembling a timeline. Even then, it's more of a checklist of important events that happen in the setting and how some differ when compared to our own. Some of the changes are down to the different climate, existing historical factors or just my own preferences, but I've tried to wrangle them in a way that makes sense.

Note: parts of the history of Wakanui are influenced by Cody Bonds' video on what would happen if Mu was a real continent.

Because of the existence of Beringia, Atlantis and Wakanui, Old World diseases enter the Americas much earlier, inoculating most of the indigenous populations against them and affecting future interactions between the Americas and Eurasia. This extends to the trade and transfer of technology, meaning indigenous Americans gain access to Eurasian metallurgy far quicker.

Neanderthals and Denisovans survive in certain parts of Europe and Asia, known by different names depending on the region. Here, they continue to interact with their human neighbours, with some even forming mixed communities, though interactions are not always peaceful. Though slower to adapt to new technology, they make use of traded, found or looted metal items where they can.

Due to the presence of the Belardians, a nomadic horseback culture of Paleo-European descent with some Indo-European cultural, linguistic and genetic contributions, in Central and Western Europe, Roman expansion is limited in these regions. Additionally, the aid of the Belardians allows Vercingetorix to make a better stand against Caesar. At the end of the Gallic Wars, the two sign a compact, recognising the independence of the new Gallic Kingdom under Vercingetorix while Caesar later negotiates military aid from both the Gauls and the Belardians. Nonetheless, the Romans do manage to secure outposts along the banks of the Rhine, Danube and other river systems, though the Belardians remain a constant threat. Attempts at conquest in Prydain and Germania are both quashed however, the former by High Queen Boudicca and the latter by King Arminius. Through these outposts, Roman ideas and technology nonetheless influence Western Europe. Additionally, their holdings in Spain bring them into contact with the Atlanteans and from there, expeditions are sent out to Avallen and Ireland, though neither are very long lasting.

The Atlantean Islands allow for greater interactions between Europe, the Caribbean, Central America and parts of North America. Under influence from the Phoenicians and later Greeks, the Atlanteans set up colonies along the west coast of Europe, attempting to go further, but running into the Belardians as a result. They maintain contact with both the Roman Empire and the later Guanche kingdoms on the Canary Islands, the latter sometimes acting as a proxy for skirmishes between the two realms as both desire control over the Straits of Gibraltar. After the collapse of Western Rome, the Atlantean colonies in Europe are largely absorbed into the local kingdoms, but contact remains, albeit in a somewhat reduced capacity until later centuries.

In this timeline, the divide between the Western and Eastern Roman Empires is contributed to by a religious war between Solisianism and Pauline Christianity. In this timeline, the pope is stationed in Constantinople while the Vatican is home to the High Pontiff and High Priestess of Sol Immortalis and Mariae Virginis specifically. The later split between Orthodox and Catholic among the Paulians causes further religious strife with the Eastern Empire, with the patriarch briefly attempting to establish a stronghold in Egypt, but is unable to hold it due to strong Solisian opposition along with their pagan and Jewish allies. The Orthodox Church eventually found a home in Ethiopia, taking pages from Solisianism in the process and leaving the Catholic Church as the only powerful Paulian church in Europe. The aforementioned war, along with the Migration Period, prompts the Romans to seek aid from the barbarian kingdoms, prompting its eventual collapse from invasions by both the usual suspects (Ostrogoths, Vandals etc) and the Belardians. Speaking of…

The invasion of the Huns into Central Europe prompts the Belardians to unify into a single kingdom, briefly aiding the Romans at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains under Aetius and sending Attila back into Eastern Europe. Under their first king, Edur the Great, Belardia establishes the first post-Roman empire, though it treats its domains more as tributaries than as outright provinces.

Magnus Maximus, in this timeline, is exiled from Rome, though he takes with him three legions. Eventually, they make their way to Prydain where he marries into the House of Boudicca, bringing both Solisianism and the cults of the Roman and Greek gods with him. Southern Prydain thus becomes partially Romanised and the descendants of the marriage between Maximus and the high queen of Prydain into another Roman family, the Aurelii, eventually produces the next family of Prydainian high kings: the Pendraigs (Pendragons).

The Normans, while still active throughout Europe, are unable to conquer Prydain, Avallen or Ireland. However, Norman castellans, mercenaries and landless knights do find employment across Europe, including in those areas.

The Mongols not only invade Europe, but also North America, claiming Beringia and attempting to conquer further south. In the case of Europe, the Mongols capitalise on the enmity between the Christian Byzantine Empire and its Solisian, pagan and Jewish neighbours as well as offering safety to those branded heretics within the empire. Initially warring with Greater Kievan Rus, they quickly change targets when they hear of the riches of Constantinople and although they ravage much of the empire's Thracian territory, they withdraw before taking the capital upon word reaching them of the death of Ogedei. The conquest of North America is also stalled by indigenous alliances such as the Haudenosaunee alongside their neighbours and Plains Nations like the Oceti Sakowin and Cheyenne who match the Mongols’ skill as horse warriors, creating mutual respect and while the Mongols withdraw to Beringia, it opens up further trade between Asia and North America as a result.

Wakanui acts as a tether between East Asia, Oceania and South America. Trade with the Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and Indonesian realms greatly influence the Eastern half of the continent while the western half is more influenced by Mesoamerican and Andean influences. On top of hosting its own unique Polynesian culture, Wakanui also becomes a rallying point for other Polynesian peoples across the Pacific.

Following their conquest by the Mongols, the remnants of the Song dynasty flee to Wakanui where they take shelter in one of the Eastern Kingdoms. This prompts Kublai Khan to send an invasion force, but while he sees some initial success, he suffers defeat when an alliance of the eastern Wakanuians defeats the invading force in battle amidst the arid centre of the continent.

Tetezana becomes a hub of trade between East Africa, Madagascar, Central and South Asia. While indigenous beliefs remain strong among the common folk and traditional chieftains, the local monarchs and urban aristocracy have seem conversions to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Altariq among others. This has created a unique fusion of cultures from all the linked areas while the opening of a trade route by sea creates both competition and occasional hostility with their mainland neighbours.

The monarchies of Portugal, Aragon and Castile convert to Paulian Christianity during the 15th century. While they have some success in fighting the Altariq and Muslim nations in Southern Iberia, already weakened from their own wars, they fare poorly against their Solisian, pagan and Jewish neighbours. This prompts expansion into the Americas, headed initially by one Christopher Columbus. However, due to indigenous immunity to Eurasian diseases and the connections that indigenous peoples in the Carribean share with Atlantis, the genocide of the Tainos doesn't occur and Columbus is killed and dismembered on Atuey as a warning to the Spanish. Later expeditions, led by figures such as Cortez, have greater success primarily via taking advantage of local rivalries, including the historical dislike of the Aztecs. However, due to trade with Asia and Atlantis along with the presence of horses in the Americas, the Spanish are met in battle on a far more equal measure, Cortez dying in battle as a result. Nonetheless, the Spanish and Portuguese do manage to establish a presence in the Americas, though on a much smaller scale than in our timeline, and become pariahs in Europe, steadily getting worse as the last of the Byzantine successor states either collapse or are conquered by their traditional rivals or the invading Ottomans.

The assassination of Mugabe

In 1980, Zimbabwe is shaken by a dramatic event: the black prime minister, Robert Mugabe, is assassinated during a rally. The explosion that kills him unleashes chaos in the country.

His collaborators and the army, suspecting a plot orchestrated by white former officers of the Rhodesian army, arrest the former white prime minister Ian Smith and other white politicians and civilians.

Tension explodes in the capital, where the black population attacks white neighborhoods, destroying homes and forcing thousands of whites to flee.

The former White soldiers of the Rhodesian army, who flee with their families to South Africa, swear revenge on the black population of Zimbabwe.

Chaos in the capital

Mugabe's former generals, convinced that the assassination was orchestrated by supporters of Ian Smith, begin a witch hunt against white officers. The situation worsens further when the two main black factions, the Maoist ZANLA and the pro-Soviet ZIPRA, begin to fight for control of the country, causing internal clashes between soldiers and politicians.

The South African intervention

In this climate of chaos, the South African apartheid army intervenes. the South African army has been joined by several hundred former White officers from their Rhodesian army, who want to intervene to overthrow the black socialist government.

Within a few weeks, South African tanks begin to penetrate Zimbabwean territory. Using rapid and decisive warfare tactics, the South African army advances with tanks, armored vehicles and mechanized infantry.

South African forces, equipped with advanced weaponry such as Olifant tanks and Ratel armored vehicles, challenge the Zimbabwean army, which has less sophisticated weapons and a less cohesive military organization.

Zimbabwean generals had desperately tried to unify the black factions of ZANLA and ZIPRA to repel the invader, but internal conflicts make the resistance disorganized and ineffective.

South African air strikes hit strategic targets, destroying Zimbabwe's infrastructure and military bases.

Fighting intensifies in rural areas, where Zimbabwean forces and armed native civilians attempt to slow the South African advance with ambush tactics.

There Is a tough battle between the South African armed forces and the Zimbabwean armed forces, near the capital Harare. Overwhelmed by South African superiority, the Zimbabwean troops were forced to retreat, while some soldiers dispersed across the countryside, continuing the resistance with guerrilla tactics. The battle left behind a devastated landscape, with destroyed vehicles and smoking ruins. Zimbabwe's civilian population, caught in the middle, suffered badly.

The international community watched with concern, as the United Nations desperately searched for a diplomatic solution to stop the spiral of violence.

The South Africans step in

In the capital, Harare, the South African army took control and occupied the key points of the city.

The South African troops, thanks to their technological and organizational superiority, manage to establish strong control over the city.

Ian Smith, the former white prime minister, was shot by Mugabe's generals along with hundreds of white hostages, further increasing tension and violence.

South African forces begin negotiating with leaders of the pro-Soviet ZIPRA faction, led by Joshua Nkomo, and moderate black politicians, including those of Bishop Abel Muzorewa.

Meanwhile, the white Rhodesian militias, having returned to the country following the South African army, begin to shoot numerous civilians and former soldiers of the Zimbabwean army, sparking further tension and violence.

In the countryside of Zimbabwe, there Is a mounting guerilla resistance organised by Former supporters and soldiers of Mugabe. South African soldiers and rhodesian White militias are being ambushed and killed . The South african command has started a policy of scorched earth, burning or bombing methodically any native Village where guerrillas are located.

International reactions

The international community, alarmed by the rapid escalation of the conflict and the violations of human rights, begins to press for a ceasefire. The United Nations calls a series of emergencies, seeking a diplomatic solution to avoid further loss of life and stabilize the region.

The United States and the Soviet Union, despite the Cold War, found common ground in calling for an end to hostilities and promoting peace negotiations.

my first video from a TL where Truman is struck down by an assassin, and Henry Wallace becomes POTUS, but he is outed as a commie and couped by MacArthur. the new military govt vows to strike down what's left of the axis, and then strike down the equally evil commies once and for all