We Didn't Start the Fire

Welcome to We Didn't Start the Fire, a timeline where everything is just that little different. Similar in setup to Differently and What a Wonderful World, and named after the historical recap sung by a certain American singer, We Didn't Start the Fire explores a world where dozens of different, interlocking PODs shape a world that is quite divergent, and mixes alternate history with conworldbuilding.

The list of PODs[]

Prehistory (Up until c. 4000 BC)[]

Currently none

Ancient History (c. 4000 BC – AD 717)[]

Disclaimer: I include Late Antiquity and the transitional period from Antiquity into the Middle Ages (generally considered to end, alongside Classical Byzantium, upon the ascension of Leo III the Syrian in 717, who broke with some of the last remaining Latin traditions) under the Antiquity banner.

Ptolemaic Egypt survives thanks to more competent leadership and the better exploitation of the Red Sea-Indian Ocean trade, contributing greatly to the kingdom's finances.
The Armenian Apostolic Church doesn't split from Constantinople in 554.
Thanks to Roman emperor Maurice not interfering in the conflict, Bahram Chobin defeats Khosrow II in the battle for the Persian throne, butterflying away the Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 and the Muslim conquest of Persia, and installing a new Mihranid dynasty in Persia.
The Muslims fail to conquer Mesopotamia. They still succeed in conquering Syria, the Maghreb and Iberian Peninsula, though the Caliphate's control over these regions will turn out to be temporary.

Middle Ages (717 – 1492)[]

Islam starts spreading across India and Mainland Southeast Asia through peaceful conversions, as a result of trade with and missionaries from the Arabian Peninsula.
Byzantine-supported revolts lead to wars of independence in Syria, Egypt and the Maghreb. Assyria, Egypt and Carthage are re-established as independent Christian kingdoms.
The Vikings remain in Vinland, which develops into a sustainable place to live and eventually kingdom by the end of the 12th century.
Brian Boru survives the Battle of Clontarf and goes on to unify Ireland, turning it into a mighty state.
The Icelandic Commonwealth doesn't sign the Old Covenant.
Srivijaya centralizes and survives until the present day.
The Almohads successfully conquer Morocco. However, Almoravid king Tashfin ibn Ali survives, rather than dying in an accident; he flees to Iberia and keeps the Almoravid dynasty alive there. After suffering initial territorial losses to the Christians, the Almoravid rump state eventually stabilizes, and begins to absorb quite some Romance influence.
The Christian kingdoms of northern Iberia unite in a confederacy, with an Imperator totius Hispaniae being elected from its constituent kingdoms every so often through a system not unlike the Holy Roman Empire. Portugal leaves the union in 1516 due to conflicting colonial ambitions, but eventually rejoins under a special statute that lets it maintain its own colonies.
Prince Juan, the only son of the Catholic Monarchs, survives to adulthood. The Habsburgs never take power in Spain. The union between Castile and Aragon eventually dissolves in the 1600's.

Early Modern History (1492 – 1789)[]

The Hispanians (Spaniards) acquire the Moluccas, as originally intended, and hence leave the Philippines alone.
As the Habsburgs don't take power in Spain, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor divides his empire differently: his son, Philip, receives the Nederlands (OTL Netherlands), whereas his brother Ferdinand receives Austria (and later Hungary, after Louis II dies fighting the Romans).
Islam arrives at and rapidly spreads through Japan thanks to traders from Luzon and Andalusia, and later becomes the majority religion in Ethiopia as well.
Sweden keeps the Swedish Gold Coast.
The Darien scheme is never launched, preventing Scotland from bankrupting itself and hence ratifying the Act of Union. Scotland hence refuses the Act of Union and places its own king on the throne.
After the Seven Years' War, England holds on to Guadeloupe and Martinique and returns Canada to France, as they originally considered. The Americans are outraged due to this threat to their security. They rise up in rebellion, so the Revolution still happens — and still bankrupts France.

Late Modern Period (1789 – 1945)[]

Louis XVI and his royalists, as well as other enemies of the revolutionaries, flee to Canada after the French Revolution and proclaim its independence from the revolutionary French Republic - a war of independence takes place alongside the Revolutionary Wars in Europe.
Paul I of Russia isn't assassinated in 1801, allowing him to liberalize and modernize Russia.
Sweden is able to win the Finnish War and keep Finland.
Napoleon accepts the Frankfurt proposals, remaining as Emperor of France and reducing France's borders to the natural borders - the Congress of Vienna still takes place to discuss the position of Europe after Napoleon.
Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, unites Italy in the Congress of Vienna. In return, he renounces his and his descendants' right to the Austrian throne.
Poland-Lithuania is restored in the Congress of Vienna under a personal union with Saxony.
- This union is later dissolved after Saxony joins the German Empire, letting a new, native dynasty take power.
Malta rebels against the English and establishes a grand duchy.
A rebellion begins in Argentina, resulting in a three-year long war.
The Taiping Rebellion succeeds.
Alexandru Ioan Cuza remains seated as the ruler of Rumania (the name for OTL Romania in this ATL, since the name spelling is kept), and his dynasty survives to the present day.
After the Austro-Prussian War, the Austrian Empire collapses, resulting in an independent Hungary, Slovakia and Illyria. Austria survives as a shadow of its former self.
In the Franco-Prussian War, Germany annexes not only Alsace-Lorraine, but also the Rhineland (which is part of France in this ATL since it was considered part of its natural borders)
Finland becomes independent in 1905.
After World War I, Germany is partitioned among north (monarchy) and south (communist republic). South Germany becomes the Soviet Union of this world and spreads Marxism-Liebknechtism throughout the world in the 20th century.
Italy joins World War I on the side of the Central Powers, but loses, and becomes a fascist dictatorship in the 1920s.
Adolf Hitler doesn't leave Austria, forming his own political party and eventually gaining power in the 1930s, starting World War II.

Contemporary History (1945 – present)[]

The Kingdom of Austria is divided into occupation zones, and after failed negotiations between the United States and South Germany for reunification, it is officially divided between the Kingdom of Austria (West Austria) and the Democratic People's Republic of Austria (East Austria).
A cold war emerges between the United States and South Germany (both victors of World War II), as the two countries fight for political influence in the world – between capitalism and communism, and fight proxy-wars.