This is an alternate history where Columbus never "discovers" America, making its existence unknown to the Old World for quite some time.
Africa[]
You'll be surprised at how late the New World is found. But seriously, why would they go over there? If it's just a blank ocean to them, there's no reason to explore it.
1600s[]
Without a promise for gold in a New World, explorers turn to Africa for colonization. Imperialism always ends badly...
Columbus's Failure[]
Columbus's ships get caught in a hurricane and everybody on board dies. Need this section say more?
Colonization of Africa[]
Africa is devoured much more quickly by European nations, due to the lack of an America. Asia is also directly affected.
Blue - Britain Red - Spain Black - Native Orange - French Green - Portugal Purple - Other
This is a map of Africa by 1660. Britain and Spain get caught in a war in the South tip of Africa. They also have wars for 'the Gold Coast'. Spain is the obvious victor, claiming much of Africa in the end. Britain is spared only a few areas between, being British Africa, The North Sahara, and Thomasland, named after 'Thomas the Conqueror', a great explorer for Britain. Portugal and The Ottoman Empire had a war, and Portugal won, gaining Egyptian parts of the Empire's land. Also, Portugal and France had a War, titled the Great Frenchuguese War. It resulted in a massive loss for both countries, but overall a tie. Spain took advantage of this and conquered much Portuguese land.
The European countries impose tax laws and all sorts of other things to use their new territories to the fullest extent.
1700s[]
Without an America to set the Freedom Revolution in motion, it is done by New Egypt, one of Portugal's colonies.
New Egypt Revolution[]
New Egypt is a territory of Portugal's. It was where Egypt once was. It's pretty easy to find on the map. The green place where the Nile River (for the most part) is. That place. Either way, it was upset with Portugal for doing all sorts of things to its colonies, like extra taxes and all sorts of other things that don't need to be taken into farther detail. However, the biggest issue was religious freedom; the people living there were not allowed to have the Islam religion. On July 7th, 1731, the New Egypt Revolution begins. New Egypt elected Labid Sleiman as their leader in the revolution.
Portugal was winning the war by a tremendous amount in 1732, with only one victory by the rebels: The battle of Aswan. However, it was a recent victory, which fueled the rebels' spirits. They won two more battles with these high spirits: The battle of Lake Nasser and the Battle of Aan Siafi, which is a city the Portuguese built.
On January 3rd, 1734, rebels left the war with a surprising amount of land. Everything South of Luxor was theirs, according to the treaty of Luxor. Luxor and everything above it belonged to Portugal. However, the rebels did gain a new country, which they named Egypt. Not really original, but it works. Sleiman was killed during the war, so a new 'Elector' was elected, named Fida Mansour. A new Elector was to be elected every five years afterward. Egypt also allied itself with Ethiopia with the Egypt-Ethiopian Agreement of Alignment in 1736.
This is what Egypt looks like afterward.
The New Egypt Revolution, dubbed the Revolutionary War by Egypt, sparked inspiration of revolutions in other colonies, though only one of these other attempts was successful.
The Revolution of the Portuguese Congo.[]
Shame. Both successful revolutions are against Portugal. You see that part on the map? That green part right under that giant red spot. That's the Portuguese Congo. It started to rebel against Portugal in 1737, under Egyptian influence. Or inspiration. Whatever. Either way, they left the war victorious on July 29th, 1738.
The Dominion of Thomasland[]
Those were the only countries to successfully gain freedom by force. Thomasland slowly became a dominion, earning its flag on August 1st, 1740. Detail coming soon.
The Dominion of Mozambique[]
That orange part that's not the Sahara. That's Mozambique, belonging to France. And it became a dominion on September 6th, 1740.
Egyptian-Portuguese War[]
Egyptians began wanting freedom for the rest of Egypt as soon as the Revolutionary War was over. However, Elector Mansour would not pass a treaty of war, knowing that they could be easily defeated. After serving his five-year term, new Elector Baha Maloof pushed for freedom for the rest of Egypt.
Maloof was elected in 1739, but it took until 1742 for war to successfully start. It was called by the Egyptians "The Second Revolution". For the first battle of the war, Egypt invaded Portuguese Luxor on March 14th outnumbered, but somehow emerged victorious under General 'Irfan Daher, who would be heralded as one of the greatest generals of all time. They are also aided by Ethiopia throughout the war.
The war dragged on for 2 more years before the "Great Pyramid Destroying", in which two of the great pyramids of Giza were destroyed. 33 people also died, but it's really just the pyramids that are remembered. Egypt blamed Portugal, and Portugal blamed Egypt. It coincided with the next election, and many a campaign speech revolved around it. In the end, General Daher won the election, and won the war for Egypt on December 26th, 1747.
Daher served two more terms before retiring in 1759. That's the maximum number of terms. Three.
This is what Egypt looks like afterward.
The Dominion of Madagascar[]
Italy has control of Madagascar. And Madagascar became a dominion in 1751. Yay...
Ottoman Empire VS Egypt[]
Egypt has way too many wars in its early years. Two was already enough.
On February 12th, 1752, The Ottoman Empire declares war on Egypt for 'Owning Territory That is Properly Theirs'. Someone's resentful. They almost declare war on Portugal and Spain as well, but think better of it. This war is called 'The Ottoman War'.
Egypt, led by Daher, completely flattens them and takes all their land. The Jerusalem Treaty of Ankara (I know...) is signed on February 2nd, 1753. Historians are recorded saying 'Daher is on a roll! Maybe someone should think twice before messing with him! Ha!' Okay, so maybe they aren't. Whatever. This is what Egypt looks like afterward.
Tensions in Egypt[]
Egypt had been conquering much land in recent years *cough cough* three wars in a span of less than 15 years *cough cough*, but its ally, Ethiopia, also wanted its native lands back. Land which Egypt just happened to control. Tensions mounted. Ethiopia didn't want to go to war, but Egypt was ready. Even though they shared a treaty of peace between them, which didn't allow one to go to war with the other. This treaty hardly mattered, though. The two were really enemies, restricted by the treaty.
Realizing there wouldn't be a peaceful solution, Ethiopia started building up its army. Egypt claimed the building up of one's army was against the treaty (even though it wasn't, and Egypt had already built up its army quite a bit), and declared war on Ethiopia in 1757, even with the treaty in place. This was called the Egyptian-Ethiopian War.
Two years into the war, Daher retired because he had served the maximum number of terms. The new Elector was a man named Abdul-Latif Ghanem, who pushed for peace between Egypt and Ethiopia. All troops were removed from the war zone in 1760. Egypt had gained a large amount of land throughout the war, though. In exchange for a second, more demanding peace treaty, all lands (including the ones the war was started for in the first place) were returned to Ethiopia. Diplomacy FTW!
However, Ghanem's decision wasn't widely agreed with in Egypt, and a radical named Dhul Fiqar Nassar assassinated him in 1762. The Vice Elector, named Ruwaydah Baba, took position as Elector. She was the first female Elector of Egypt. She tried to absolve the treaty, but it didn't work. The new Elector that stepped up in 1767 (every Elector gets to serve five years, even if they were once Vice Elector and the Elector was assassinated), named Nusrah Najjar went against her wishes and strove to complete the work Ghanem had done with diplomacy.
Najjar ended up serving three terms as well, retiring in 1777. He worked greatly on civilian projects, like building roads and technologies. He was heralded as one of the greatest Electors of all time afterward, though he wasn't too widely liked during his time as Elector, with the "blunder" with Ethiopia and all.
Nacpar Millar[]
Nacpar Millar was Scottish, but the Spanish hired/I don't know him as a conquistador to claim Egypt, a now prosperous nation. Spain just couldn't get enough. Nacpar Millar led the Spanish army into Egypt in 1778, hoping for a victory. This was called the Egyptian-Spanish War. Egypt has too many wars.
Backed by the Ethiopians, the Egyptians successfully drove out the Spanish in 1785. Go Egypt. Wheee...