@Edent@cstross That brought to mind a 1992 writing by Alan Macfarlane that I read years ago “Some thoughts on Japan and England after reading Ishiguro’s novel, Remains of the Day”. It draws some parallels between Japan and England.
Random alternate history idea: the Dogger Bank incident escallates into a full-on shooting war between the Russian Baltic Fleet and the Royal Navy. Russia loses (hard)—that much is obvious.
Less obvious: the voyage of the damned never happens so the difficulty of coaling a fleet on the high seas isn't highlighted so the RN doesn't go bullish on Persian and ME oil circa 1906-18. (Also, WW1 is very different.)
Biggest difference: 20th century oil politics as we know it Doesn't Happen.
I think that a Dogger Bank War would keep the Brits out of the Entante. Might even pull the French into the war, thanks to the alliance system.
And while they are distracted, the Austro-Hungarian Empire sees it's chance in the Balkans, which will a reluctant German Empire into the mess as well.
@MeiLin@Edent Conceivably there'd be a different Russian revolution (not even an overthrow of Tsardom, if Nicholas II abdicated in favour of Michael, who reformed his way into a constitutional monarchy), no deep split between the European social democrat parties on national lines, no fascism if Italy doesn't get suckered into a Europe-wide war), and eventually Emperor Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary follows through and reforms the A-H empire into a federation.
@Edent The Japanese successfully invading something outside the Japanese islands only happened after the Britishification/Americanisation in the 19th century. So it’s mainly the Japanese upper class wanting to emulate the British Empire.
@ahltorp@Edent TBF, the Japanese got taught how to do a 19th century imperialism by the Russian Empire in 1905/06. (And the Russians, for their part, learned that picking Japan as the target for a "short, victorious war" for domestic political purposes was a REALLY stupid self-own. (And that's the war that taught the Royal Navy that Oil Is The Future, and gave us the subsequent century-long clusterfuck in the Middle East: the gift that keeps on giving!))
@Lassielmr yes, because famously the Scottish were never a part of the East India Company. And the Welsh hate cats. And there certainly aren't any class divisions in NI...
I'm saying the elite are right bastards..and the rest of the world assume I am to because if.
The English working classes never invaded another country, we never slaughtered wildlife for the fun of it, We never had slaves or exploited anyone... We were used as canon fodder for their stupid wars and imperialism
Have you ever thought why we had so few black slave in Brittan? the bastards didnt need them they exploited the white working man and woman instead
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