Russia (WOIOCG)

Imperial Russian Commonwealth Императорское Русское Содружество Imperatorskoye Russkoye Sodruzhestvo OTE: Russian Federation, Belarus, Crimea, Donbas, Georgia, Baltics
Anthem:  "Великая молитва русского" Velikaya molitva russkogo ("Great Prayer of the Russian")
Capital		Moscow
Official languages		Russian
Government		Constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy
-	Empress	Maria I
-	Chancellor	Alexey Navalny
Legislature		State Duma
-	Upper House	Senate
-	Lower House	Constituent Assembly
Population
-	census	185,000,000
GDP (nominal)		estimate
-	Total	$4.5 trillion
Currency		Ruble

The Imperial Russian Commonwealth (Russian: Российское Содружество, Rossiyskoye Sodruzhestvo) also known as Russia, is a country located in Eastern Europe, Western and Northern Asia. It borders China, Gokturkia, Mongolia in the far east, and Kalmykia, Ukraine, Armenia and Persia to its south in the near east and Poland to the west.

It is the largest nation on Earth, and despite being based off of an East Slavic culture, Russia is a vastly multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation. In addition, while the Romanovs are Russia's current reigning dynasty, it is also governed by other noble families, both Russian and non-Russian and is by-far, considered the world's largest monarchy (by geographical size) and has the second-largest amount of noble houses of any country in the world, second to China, to which it borders to the south along with Persia. Belarus lies to the west, and Ukraine to the south.

In the aftermath of World War I, Russia was rocked by revolutions, that ultimately saw the overthrow of Nicholas II, however his cousin, Cyril I, succeeded him as the Tsar after the White victory over the Reds, and the monarchists in the Russian Civil War, leading to the Russian Empire's resurgence, but as a constitutional monarchy as Cyril I would begin the democratization of the Russian Empire by vesting his powers in elected individuals.

During the Second World War, Russia was attacked by Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy. After the war, it liberated many Slavic countries from German and Axis yoke, forming a pan-Slavic alliance that would later become the Warsaw Pact. During the Cold War, the Russian Empire stood as one of two world superpowers, representing monarchies worldwide, but later expanded its sphere of influence by including non-monarchies in its alliance.

In the 1990s, the country lost Ukraine and Central Asia to independence, but still remains a world superpower and the most powerful nation in Europe. Russian cultural influence still remains strong in the territories of the former Russian Empire, where Russian is still co-official to the local languages (which have been promoted to national status) in five countries that were formerly part of it.

History

Civil War & World War I 1917-1921

During the Russian Civil War, Nicholas II is still slain, however his family survives by sheer luck, feigning death at the hands of the Bolsheviks. In this timeline, the Qing dynasty and the succeeding Republic of China under President Yuan Shikai, becomes the new Eastern power, and agrees to aid the White Russians if they Russians make territorial concessions to China, namely relinquishing control over northern China.

In the ensuing civil war therefore, Chinese and Japanese troops cooperate in helping the White Russians emerge victorious. President Shikhai supported Cyril I as the Head of State, instead of Alexander Kerensky or Alexander Kolchak. General Zhang Zhongchang would lead the Chinese contingent in Russia.

With the British and French troops having pulled out of Russia, Baron Pyotr Wrangel adopts an anti-Western stance in Russia, and he is the one who holds true civil power while Cyril I took only on a partial role in actual politics.

Interwar Period

Russia experienced another golden age of enlightenment that truly kicked off in the 1930s. Additionally, the Russian state started to grow much closer to China and Japan, and at one point, contemplating on forming an Eastern Alliance with the two. Russia moved its means of production into Central Asia, relying less on the oil fields of the Caucasus.

World War II

Russian soldiers of the 3rd South Russia Front, Lviv, 1942

Sadly, World War II still happens as Hitler makes some nonsensical claims about saving Cyril I and Vladimir I from the "Jews and untermensch that surround the two". Russia and Germany too, invade and divide Poland among their spheres of influence, while Finland remains neutral, with Russia never feeling a need to invade Finland.

In 1941, Operation Barbarossa begins with an attack on Poland, followed by attacks from the Baltics. Finland is later pressured to join the Axis war efforts. Thanks to being led by better leaders, as devastating as the German invasion is, never reaches into Tsarytsin (OTE: Stalingrad). The Polish monarchy is restored in Russia.

However, in spite of being outnumbered by belligerents, Russia's "Central Asian Strategy" seems to have paid off, and helps the Russians successfully fend off the Axis invasion. Although Stavka had no intentions to penetrate into Berlin, but at the convincing of Britain and France, the Russians make that push into Berlin, and plant the tricolor above the Reichstag. Japan likewise in this timeline, never invades Russia. Additionally in the Balkans, the Russians also help liberate Yugoslavia from the Axis, and topple the pro-Axis Parliament in Bulgaria, forming a new Slavic bloc led by Russia.

Cold War 1945-1993

Sputnik-1

During the end of the Second World War, Russia was the leader of what would, become the Warsaw Pact which is twice as powerful and successful in this ATL. The three major world powers were China, Russia and the British Empire, and in 1947, after India became independent, India would in the decades, become the world's secondary superpower. However, it is China and Russia that came out of the initial end of World War II as the world's top two superpowers.

Flag of Russia from 1945 to 1992

Russia stood as the undisputed major power of Europe, not just Eastern Europe, the independence of India pretty much marked the collapse of the British Empire. Without the involvement of the United States and the collapse of the British Empire, there was nobody to oppose Russia in Europe.

Russia during the Cold War (green), and light green were countries under its influence

Russia became one of the top-three science and technology capitals of the world, with the other two being China and India. It became the world's second-operator of WMDs, and sent the world's second artificial satellite into outer space, Sputnik-1. Roscosmos became one of the world's most powerful space agencies, based in Baikonour in Central Asia, via its Imperiya space missions. The Russian space program cooperated with both the Indian and Chinese space programs.

One of the largest issue however - was the ethnic discrimination against non-Russians, and Russia's overseas ambitions would come to cost its economy.

In the 1980s, the strain of maintaining a large overseas presence took a toll on the Russian economy, thanks to the country's geography crisis. Additionally, a large number of protests began to occur, led by Boris Yeltsin.

In 1989, Russia's chancellor, Mikhail Gorbachev ordered the massive withdrawal of Russia's forces from the majority of its overseas bases.

Temporary Collapse of the Russian Empire

In 1990, Russia had withdrawn from the world military stage. But it was too little, too late, and a large number of international political factions and separatist movements began to spring in up across the country.

Boris Yeltsin emerged as the most powerful of these factions, as his supporters. The Romanovs, having anticipated this, fled to Saint Petersburg, as Yeltsin's followers took over key government buildings in Moscow, and raised the white-blue flag atop the Kremlin.

Russian Republic 1991-2001

Flag of the Russian Republic

In 1991, Boris Yeltsin was declared the President of the Russian Republic. During the 1990s, Russia underwent the same internal political strifes as the OTL Soviet Union, and various independence movements sprung up in Kalmykia, Central Asia, Ukraine and the Baltics. In 1991, the leaders of Russia, Kalmykia, Ukraine and Central Asia signed what would result in the independence of the latter three, known as the Almaty Accords, and thus in 1991, the white-yellow-black tricolor was taken down atop the Kremlin.

The events of the 1990s in the Russian Republic mirror that of the Soviet Union timeline. Life inside Russia in the 1990s bore a semblance of Weimar Republic, except less worse. Its military was affected the worst, defensing spendings fell from $413.33 OTL USD to $35.3 billion and Russia's overseas involvement was limited to peace-keeping operations.

Yeltsin opposed the independence of the Baltics and of Chechnya, and his presidency embarked in historical revisionism - naming Alexander Kerensky as the Father of the Nation, and whitewashing the Tsarist history of Russia.

In 1999, Boris Yeltsin was ousted from the Kremlin and replaced by Wassily Felgenhauer as the President of the Russian Republic. Felgnehauer restored the flag to the red-white-blue tricolor. Felgenhauer was a monarchist, and had plans to bring back the Romanovs as the constitutional figurehead monarchs of the country.

In the year 2000, Wassily Felgenhauer ended the Russo-Western Europe Cooperation, and pulled Russia into China's sphere of orbit and continue the hostilities against the western powers. With its existing strategic partnership with India, and new alliance with China, Russia's economy took a major period of recovery acting as a mediator between the top two superpowers.

Return to Constitutional Monarchy 2001-present

In June of 2000, Wassily Felgenhauer announced that he planed to return the constitutional monarchy, though the democratic institutions wouldn't be affected by the change. President Felgenhauer's entire cabinet consisted of monarchists and supporters of the Romanovs, which smoothened the process of returning the Romanovs as the titular Heads of State.

On October 25, 2001, Maria I was again, crowned as the Empress of Russia. In the ensuing Parliamentary election, Wassily Felgenhauer again, won the elections.

Rise back to prominence and economy recovery

Under Chancellor Felgenhauer, Russia's economic, society and military improved as well as its global influence. Additionally, Felgenhauer managed to pave the way for Russia to once-again, start re-gaining an overseas presence, but accepted the fact that China and India were the new superpowers of the world. Unlike Putin however, Felgenhauer doesn't become a tyrant.

However, Russia still recovered thanks to European tourism, and a large number of Europeans migrating to the country, especially from Germany via the Baltics and Moscow. Additionally, the local economy of the Caucasus boomed, thanks to the independence of Central Asia, as Russia came to rely more on the Caucasus for its petrol economy. With Russia having stood the brutal tests of time, such as World War I, Russian Civil War, World War II and the Independence of Kalmykia, Ukraine and Central Asia, the majority of Europeans and even Americans and Western World has come to view Russia as the main go-to.

In 2005, Russia officially joined the Shanghai Pact and became an ally of China, one of three European allies of China (with the other two being Kalmykia and Albania). It is through economic ties with China, India, Ukraine and Persia, via the Silk Road Initiative that Russia's economy began to recover.

Today Russia is considered the third-most powerful nation of the Eastern Hemisphere and the world. It still maintains a global presence, and overseas bases as well, therefore, many analysts still consider it a major global power, but not necessarily a superpower, although it currently tanks 3rd in world rankings.

During the time-frame encompassed by the Syrian Civil War of our timeline, under Chancellor Vladimir Ungern-Sternberg, Russia again started to strengthen its overseas presence, and become labeled as a superpower. Its main areas of overseas activities was the Middle East, Africa as well as Central Asia.

Politics

Russia currently runs on a constitutional monarchy. The Romanovs are currently the ruling dynasty in Russia, where the Empress functions as the Head of State and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Emperor in the case of a male. In the case of gender-neutral, the monarch is styled as the Autocrat of all Russia. Constitutionally however, are vested in several elected offices.

While the monarch is the Head of State, the Chancellor is the Head of Government.

The succession of Autocrat of all Russia unlike in past traditions, is no longer gender-specific, male-line that is. Ultimately, the current Autocrat chooses who will succeed him or her, a tradition taken from the Manchu Aisin Gioro and Qing Dynasty tradition.

Political divisions

Russia is divided into Grand Duchies & Grand Principalities (OT equivalent: Federal District), followed by Principalities & Governorates (OT equivalent: republics), and in the case of Governorates under the rulerships of a nobility, a Principality. The Grand Duchies are all ruled by a Grand Duke, hailing from the male line of the Romanovs, hence Grand Dukes, while Grand Principalities are ruled by non-Romanov nobilities or in the case of the Grand Principality of the Urals, someone from the non-male line of the Romanovs, and Governorates are ruled by a Governor-General as the local Head of State with a Head Minister as the local Head of Government, who is titled as so in official Russian documents.

States under Russian political influence

Currently, Russia wields a mode of considerable political global influence and ever since the 1990s, has made a successful comeback into the superpower stage. In its power rankings, it ranks 3rd. Many of its "allies" are via its alliance with China in the Shanghai-Vostok Alliance.

Allies

Europe

• Ukraine
• Hungary
• Bulgaria
• Czechoslovakia
• Romania
• Greece
• Yugoslavia
• Poland

Asia

• Armenia

Africa

• Djibouti
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia

Americas

• Guayana
• French Guayana
• Suriname

Military

The Russian Armed Forces are the official fighting force. It is currently considered the world's 3rd-most powerful military, with the third-largest air force, ground force, and 4th-largest navy. It also has the largest rocket arsenal. Its yearly defense-spending is $201.4 billion.

It is divided into the Imperial Ground Army, Imperial Navy, Imperial Air Force, Imperial Rocket Forces, Immperial Commissariat, Imperial Cossacks, Imperial Space Force. It has its own indigenous arms industry and is considered one of the world's most advanced technologically, rivaled only by that of China, India and Japan. It also has the world's largest arms export. In terms of its overseas presence, Russia currently has 15 overseas bases, the world's 3rd-largest amount of overseas bases and pots.

Economy

The Moscow Metro Area, Europe's largest metro area, dubbed "New Moscow"

The Russian economy is considered one of the great global economies, and is the 3rd or 4th largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP, but third in terms of GDP per capita. The country is very rich in resources such oil and precious metals and minerals, as well as having a rich agricultural belt in its southern regions. Russia has the largest GDP in Europe, and is considered Europe's most economically powerful state, and the 2nd or 3rd in Asia after China. Recently, Central Asia (now the Khaganate of Central Asiai) has become an economic breadbasket for Russia. It has Europe's largest economy.

Demographics

Ethnic groups

Currently, ethnic Russians make up the majority of the country, at 70.5%. Despite being based off of an Eastern Slavic culture, Russia has taken a trajectory similar to the former United States, namely in becoming a very multi-ethnic nation fueled by globalism. In reality, much of the self-proclaimed ethnic Russian population also comes from non-Russian or partially non-Russian background, mostly notably German and western European ethnicities. Other East Slavs such as Ukrainians and Belarusians make up large communities in Moscow, Crimea and Saint Petersburg.

Additionally, Jews, particularly Ashkenazi Jews make up a very large population in the country as well, where Russia now has the world's second-largest Jewish population against the United States.

Russia is also home many indigenous ethnic groups, namely in the the Caucasus, Chagatai and the Far East. Saint Petersburg also have huge communities of Baltic Germans and other native Baltic peoples. The Caucasus is home to ethnic Chechens, Avars, Kumyks and others.

Turkic peoples form the second-largest population after ethnic Russians.

Religion

St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, seat of the Russian Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church forms Russia's largest faith, namely the Russian Orthodox Church, comprising 75% of the population. Despite Russia constitutionally being a Russian Orthodox state, it is heavily religiously diverse, starting with the religious diversity within the Russian Orthodox itself into autonomous churches, with the Ukrainian and Georgian churches being the two largest autonomous sections. Additionally, Protestants, specifically Lutherans, inhabit the Baltic Principality. The Russian Orthodox Church is currently governed by the Patriarch of Moscow. While Freedom of Religion is guaranteed, the Russian Orthodox Church is considered the state religion, where the Autocrat and Generalissimo is by law, a Russian Orthodox.

Islam forms Russia's second-largest religion, and is considered a heritage faith in the country, Russia's Muslims are split between Sunni and Shiite. Islam is practiced predominantly in the Caucasus and Central Asia, with large communities in Siberia. Buddhism forms the third-largest, and is mainly practiced in the Russian Far East, namely Siberia and Kalmykia. Within the Turkic-speaking regions, there has also been a growing community of the Tengri Revival (Russian: Возрождение Tенгрианства, Vozrozhdeniye Tengrianstva), influenced by the Native Slavic Religion revival. However, their followers are very low in number.

Native Slavic Religion is the fastest-growing religion in Russia, and is currently the fifth-largest religion, with some 1,302,000 Russians proclaiming in following this religion. The resurgence of native Slavic paganism arose during the rule of Cyril the Reformer, who encouraged the promotion of native Slavic culture, as opposed of the post-Peter the Great culture, which was overtly German and western-influenced.

Russia has the world's second-largest Jewish population, around 3,600,320 and is currently growing. Judaism is the third-largest religion in Russia. As a result of reparations towards the descendants of Russian Jews, a large Jewish back-migration to Russia has occurred ever since the turn of the millennium.

Heritage Faiths

The Russian government currently recognizes "Heritage Faiths" (Веры наследия), religions considered as having helped shape the Imperial Russian state. Currently, the government recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church (...duh...), Native Slavic Religion, Islam, Buddhism, Tengrism and Judaism.