r/GustavosAltUniverses

When George W. Bush launched the War on Terror in September 2001, Batista declared his support for the United States, and deployed 6,000 Omani troops to Afghanistan, where they remained until being withdrawn in 2010. The FPLO opposed this deployment, calling for these soldiers to be sent to fight the Trucial Coast insurgency instead.

Batista would later express his agreement with US plans to invade Iraq. Oman's sizable Muslim minority (which comprised 31% of the population in 2001) was outraged by Batista's "Zionist" foreign policy, giving the FPLO a larger than usual chance of winning the 2002 election.

The FPLO nominated Dubai Mayor Amadeu Conceição for President. Conceição, who had pioneered the "Dubai model" of participative democracy and nonsectarianism, promised to withdraw all Omani troops from international missions, raise taxes on the wealthy, and introduce direct democracy mechanisms such as referendums.

FNLO spin doctors soon looked for dirt in Conceição's record, and found out he had used taxpayer money to build a pool in his property. "Piscinagate", as it became known, was relentlessly brought up by Batista's campaign, which highlighted his supposed honesty and integrity (although it was equally questionable).

Conceição denied any irregularity and accused the FNLO of lying about his record, but the attacks worked, reducing his support with swing voters considerably. Furthermore, the FNLO continued to buy votes with jobs in the oil sector and a bloated civil service.

All of this turned the tide of the campaign, allowing Batista to be reelected for a third term. Batista's third inauguration was held on 25 July 2002. That day, he suffered an assassination attempt from an Islamic fundamentalist, but suffered only minor injuries.

This assassination attempt was used by the FNLO as an excuse to pass Patriot Act-style legislation restricting certain civil liberties. The law has never been repealed.

During the first 6 years of the Omani Civil War, the FNLO had several advantages going on for it, namely support from the United States, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and widespread popularity among Omanis, most of whom were conservative Catholics opposed to communism. Furthermore, FNLO leader Cipriano Batista was very charismatic and made skillful use of the aid the West gave him.

When Mao Zedong died in 1976, China switched sides in the civil war from backing the FPLO's Democratic Republic of Oman to supporting the FNLO's Republic of Oman. This gave the FNLO a much-needed boost; by 1978, it had 280,000 troops versus 250,000 for the FPLO, in addition to an effective intelligence service.

In October 1978, FNLO forces launched a siege of Muscat, heavily shelling the city before Francisco Amorim's troops entered it. Six months later, however, the FNLO suffered a considerable blow when the Shah of Iran was overthrown and the new Iranian government terminated its support for the FNLO.

Saudi Arabia, China and the United States continued to provide Batista with large amounts of aid, but the FNLO offensive undeniably lost steam, allowing the FPLO to recover two-thirds of central Oman by 1985. That year, Honório Rodrigues's Omani People's Army, heavily supplied by the USSR and South Yemen, launched a full-scale offensive against the FNLO "fascists".

The tide of the war appeared to be shifting in favour of the FPLO, but the Fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 demoralized the communists and allowed the FNLO to resume its offensive. Consequently, on 16 March 1990, the two factions began peace negotiations in neutral Jordan.

These negotiations resulted in the signature of the Amman Peace Accords on 19 March 1992. A presidential campaign immediately began, pitching Cipriano Batista against FPLO Cristóvão Teixeira; the former was eventually elected due to his popularity with Omani Catholics.

By 2016, Russian President Umar Dzhabrailov from the liberal Democratic Party was term-limited. Foreign minister Ella Pamfilova defeated left-wing populist Nikolay Platoshkin on the Democratic primaries, campaigning on continuing and expanding Dzhabrailov's policies.

Right-wing populist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky won the Republican nomination on a nationalist platform. Zhirinovsky promised to "Make Russia Great Again" by building a wall on the border with Afghanistan, renegotiating free trade deals, and adopting a less interventionist foreign policy.

Zhirinovsky adopted a polarizing, politically incorrect political style that won over many voters who didn't have higher education. The United States under President Dick Cheney interfered in support of Zhirinovsky, but there's no evidence his campaign cooperated with the Russians.

On 8 October 2016, a video was leaked where Zhirinovsky boasted about sexually assaulting women, but, later that month, Pamfilova's emails were released by the FSB. In the end, Zhirinovsky was elected despite losing the popular vote to Pamfilova.

The point of divergence began with the early death of The Dowager Cixi in 1865 from an infection. The Tongzhi Emperor turned to reformist advisors like Prince Gong. Together, they focused on reforming the Qing Dynasty by blending Western knowledge with traditional Confucian values.

Key reforms included modernizing the military with Western techniques, improving government efficiency to reduce corruption, and implementing industrialization to enhance infrastructure. Education reforms encouraged the study of Western languages and sciences. These efforts resulted in a stronger military and a booming economy.

By the time the 20th century came, the Qing Dynasty managed to democratize the country to such a degree that the Qing Dynasty is left in a situation that power is balanced between the Emperor and the Grand Council (which later became the Parliament). Eventually, the Xuantong Emperor, under the regency of Zaifeng, adopt a constitution that would turned the Qing Dynasty into a Constitutional Monarchy in 1912.

Xuantong Emperor (1908-1967)

Under the new constitution, The Emperor of the Qing Dynasty acted as the Head of State, Commander in Chief, Protector of the Constitution and a symbol of national unity. The Emperor’s main duties mainly involve attending domestic ceremonies and performing state functions.

The Xuantong Emperor’s early reign was marked by him being educated by western-educated tutors to prepare for his role as a constitutional emperor. 1st Qing Prime Minister, Kang Youwei, regularly spent time with The Xuantong Emperor. In his later memoirs, The Xuantong Emperor’s describes Kang as "the only person who can control me, Kang is the only one who said no when nobody else dare would, he’s one of my most important mentor."

When he finally turned 18, he is prepared to rule. Many described him The Xuantong Emperor as reserved and intelligent but socially awkward. As Emperor, he works to create the Updated Manchu Dictionary which added new Manchu words alongside fixing grammars. He works to collect historical artifacts like oracle bones, bamboo and wooden slips, and Dunhuang manuscripts, all of which are invaluable materials for understanding ancient China. His marriage of Wanrong became a major event in the Qing Dynasty. Wanrong became a fashion icon and an advocate for women’s rights.

When the Second Sino-Japanese War began, because the Qing Dynasty recovered early (thanks to Prime Minister Cai E abandoned the gold standard leading to currency devaluation and active fiscal spendings), more people have faith in the Qing Dynasty. The Qing military is more unified in resisting the Japanese. The Xuantong Emperor visited bombed cities and toured hospitals to help boost morale for Qing soldiers through broadcasted wartime addresses. The All For China speech was declared, emphasizing national unity and anti-imperial nationalism.

In his later reign, the Xuantong Emperor sponsored many projects supports artifact restoration, genealogy services, preservation of imperial archives such as traditional music and clothing. Wanrong was assassinated by an ultranationalist in 1960 who despised her influence, believing the old way are dying. The Xuantong Emperor remains unmarried and mostly withdrew from public eyes. His withdrawal from public’s eyes for his last 7 years cause a deep detachment from the Qing monarchy to the people.

The Xuantong Emperor passed away in 1967, Pujie succeeded him as the Tianyou Emperor.

Tianyou Emperor (1967-1994)

When the Tianyou Emperor was coronated, many Chinese were unsure on whether the newly coronated Emperor be just as invisible as the Xuantong Emperor. The Tianyou Emperor announced that, in his speech, that he would dedicate his reign into serving the people and that he hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in their nation regardless of what challenges to come.

The Tianyou Emperor’s reign was marked by his dedication to creating diplomatic ties with other nations. The Tianyou Emperor became the first Qing Emperor to visit the State of Japan and the United Republic of Korea to repair tense relations between the Qing and Japan/Korea. The Tianyou Emperor continue his brother’s legacy such as restore Qing archives and continuing the updated Manchu dictionary. He starts to build relationships with Chinese through the Grand Tour, aiming to foster unity amongst Qing Dynasty.

Under his reign, he sponsored the creation of the Imperial Restoration Museum which aimed to restore artifacts and the Academy of Chinese Studies which aimed to teach social studies about Chinese Imperial History. He became the first Qing emperor to visit the United States. The Tianyou Emperor oversaw the opening of most of the Forbidden City to tourists.

His biggest achievement is turning the Qing monarchy from a distant entity to playing a more active role in shaping the Qing Dynasty such as Tianyou Emperor’s charities and advocacy for disaster reliefs. The Tianyou Emperor passed away, he was succeeded by Puren as the Renzun Emperor.

Renzun Emperor (1994-2015)

The Renzun Emperor was coronated in 1994, following the death of the Tianyou Emperor. Many had high hopes for the new Emperor. As emperor, he was known for his calm and resolute approach whenever the situation in the Qing Dynasty looked hopeless, becoming a symbol of hope in the eyes of many Qing emperors. He was an advocacy for education reforms and literacy within the Qing Dynasty. He visited both rural areas and industrialized cities to bridge the gap between the two. He oversaw the launch of the official Qing website where he digitalize many of the historical artifacts.

However, his biggest controversy is the Assimilation Question. A controversial question that asked whether to assimilate minorities into Qing Dynasty or not. It remains a tense question amongst people and the parliament with the Royalists supporting it while the Communists rejected it and the Nationalists had mixed response. The Renzun Emperor intention remains silent to not appear political as a constitutional monarch which was criticized by many minorities. Despite that, his reign was relatively peaceful overall. He passed away in 2015.

Prince Yuzhang became Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Does MAGA still exist with the RNC nominating Vivek Ramaswamy instead of Donald Trump?

Assumptions:

• The election fraud hysteria that followed Trump's defeat in 2020 in the OTL doesn't happen.

Upon becoming the PZPR's general secretary in January 1993, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz freed political prisoners, lifted press censorship, legalized opposition parties, and announced elections where Free Poland would be fully allowed to participate. Tadeusz Mazowiecki immediately began campaigning for President on a pro-democracy, pro-capitalism and pro-NATO platform.

The PZPR removed Marxism-Leninism from its program, aiming to become a social democratic party. The party nominated 49 year old Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who campaigned on building a socialist democracy in Poland, for President.

Christian democrat Jan Olszewski founded the Movement for the Republic party, and positioned himself as a conservative candidate critical of the two frontrunners' liberal positions. Independent Stanisław Tymiński campaigned as a left-wing nationalist opposed to economic liberalism and Atlanticism.

At the beginning of the election campaign, Mazowiecki was expected to win in the first round, but as election day approached, he lost many voters to Olszewski and PSL nominee Waldemar Pawlak. Despite this slippage, Mazowiecki still finished first in the first round, receiving the endorsements of all disqualified candidates other than Tymiński (who endorsed Kwaśniewski).

Consequently, Mazowiecki was elected by a landslide in the second round. He won every voivodeship and the vast majority of younger voters, and was congratulated by world leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev (USSR), Helmut Kohl (West Germany) and George HW Bush (America).

Mazowiecki was eventually inaugurated on 10 July 1993. An anti-communist Sejm took office the same day.

In 1936, Ethem Nejat renamed the MESFR to the Turkish Socialist Republic (Türkiye Sosyalist Cumhuriyeti, TSC). That same year, Turkey deployed troops to Spain in support of the Spanish Republicans, establishing itself as a committed opponent of fascism.

When World War II broke out in 1939, Turkey declared neutrality, but it became pro-Allied when Italy joined the war in 1940, thanks to a territorial dispute over the Dodecanese islands. Germany and Italy responded by supporting the Golden Square, an Arab nationalist, pro-Axis movement led by Rashid Ali al-Gaylani.

The Axis invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 led Turkey to stop trading with Germany and Italy in solidarity with its fellow communist country. On 2 July, the Golden Square revolted in Baghdad, capturing its radio station and giving a speech urging the peoples of the Levant to rise up against the "Jewish Bolsheviks".

By the end of the day, all of Baghdad had fallen to the Golden Square, which proclaimed the Iraqi State with al-Gaylani as its head of state. The Axis powers immediately recognized the Iraqi State, which began advancing towards Basra and Mosul, two of the largest cities in the region.

Iraq's advance was slow, but Basra fell to the Iraqis on 12 September, followed six days later by Mosul. Despite controlling all of the major cities in the region, the Golden Square took until December to expel all Turkish troops from the region.

Now that Iraq was under its control, the Golden Square made the annexation of Syria, Lebanon, mandatory Palestine and Transjordan its goal. As such, 300,000 troops commanded by Salah al-Sabbagh invaded Syria, only to be defeated at Raqqa by mid-February.

The Battle of Raqqa was one of the turning points of World War II, as the Golden Square lost much of its army and virtually all of its heavy weapons. A Turkish force under the command of Süleyman Nuri (the "Turkish Zhukov") marched into Iraq but faced effective resistance from the Golden Square (not to mention Iraq's terrain), delaying Turkey's advance by almost one year.

It was only after the Turkish victory at the Battle of Zakho in March 1943 when Nuri's Turkish Second Army began liberating Iraq. Mosul was liberated on 17 April, and the Battle of Baghdad eventually began on 25 July. On 17 August, the Second Army captured Baghdad and executed much of the Golden Square's leadership, crushing the rebellion.

On 1 November 1918, one day before the Armistice of Mudros, a communist revolution broke out in Turkey, with its goal being to overthrow the Ottoman Empire and replace it with a socialist state that would eventually become a communist society. Ethem Nejat was the leader of the revolutionaries.

The revolutionary soldiers, who were primarily Anatolian peasants and disillusioned veterans (many of whom were perpetrators of the late Ottoman genocides), soon captured Anatolia and proclaimed a socialist government ruled by the Turkish Supreme Council (TSC). Separate revolutionary governments were formed in Aras and Kars and soon pledged alliance to the TSC.

Lenin's fledgling Soviet Russia attempted to support the TSC, but the effectiveness of this aid was limited by the distance, and the Allies of World War I soon launched a military intervention to crush the Turkish revolution. The Sublime Porte entrusted Mustafa Kemal Pasha, an anti-communist nationalist, with crushing the TSC.

Kemal's troops soon advanced towards Ankara, scoring several victories but being defeated at the Battle of Ankara (September-October 1919). By that point, most of Anatolia had fallen to the TCP, which took advantage of its recent successes to launch sieges of Bursa and Izmir.

By February 1920, both cities had fallen to the TCP. The Turkish Red Army now had a decent air force, which it used to bomb Constantinople and Allied ships. On 25 June 1920, the Battle of Constantinople broke out, pitting 500,000 communists against 400,000 royalists and 10,000 Allied troops.

Constantinople was devastated by the fighting, and the Communists eventually captured it on 12 October. After taking the city, Nejat abolished the Ottoman Empire and proclaimed the Turkish Socialist Republic (TSR), a secular socialist state which immediately embarked on economic and social reform schemes.

Nejat and former Communist leaders Namik Ismail and Suleyman Nuri soon decided to not just turn Turkey into a communist state, but also to recover territories that were formerly a part of the Ottoman Empire. Consequently, in January 1921, 600,000 Turkish soldiers invaded the Levant and Mesopotamia (Iraq), crushing a Kurdish uprising on the way.

Turkey's invasion of the Levant proved to be the bloodiest chapter of the war, and the one that saw the most atrocities. On 18 November 1921, the Middle Eastern Socialist Federal Republic (MESFR) signed an armistice with Britain, France and Greece, formally ending the civil war.

In the end, Syria and Iraq fell to the Turks, but Palestine and Hejaz were out of reach, and a major population exchange between Turkey and Greece happened. Despite officially being a liberal state, the MESFR soon emerged as a highly centralized dictatorship dominated by Turks and continuing the Turkification policies of the late Ottoman period.