As in Modern times Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) have left at second stage, why would they become a great power in AltHistory?
My idea: Not Latvia or Estonia (or Lithuania) separately, but together. This idea is based what would happen if Baltic tribes were used their real potential. I call this GfB or Good for Balts.
So how we get to Baltic nation.
Development of Balts (6000BC - 500AD)
In real: They [Balts] were expelled by Slavic tribes and forced to group in smaller place to live (6000 BC - 2000 BC Europe tribe movement). Based on this image:
Baltic tribes in 500 AD:
Which means Slavs north movement wasn't as successful as Balts still stand where they were, just in a bit bigger area. So in this time Baltic + Slavic tribes would look like:
Considering this. And also that Balts were living in North and Slavs in South basically. Balts never made expansion. Meanwhile, Slavs did it many times bigger than any other nation. If the activist would be Balts not Slavs. Then..
In reality:
Would become more likely:
Possible ways to expand:
1) In direction of Chudes (In Dirty Green color on map these days Estonians and Finns). Taking into account that in north were enough cold and bitter obstacles Balts would fast compound with local tribes.
2) To other Finnic people tribes. Merging would be fast and Balts would gain domination definitely (As Slavic Russians did).
3) Inside Balto-Slavic tribes. For example Mergin tribes. Some Courland chief with its army (like Mongolians did) merge all Balto-Slavis tribes into ONE Baltic county making it Monarchy.
Making these three statements as reality, we have Balt tribe map looking like:
Language
In reality: 2000 BC Balto-Slavic languages started to splitting up in two main groups: Baltic languages and Slavic languages. In "Good for Balts (GfB)" story we would keep only one - single language for all Balts. Except that around Christus Slavs would split in deep south in few small tribes. Basic Balts would stay together.
Balt language possible look:
- leipa 'tilia' > Lith. líepa, Old Pr. līpa, Latv. liẽpa; PSl. Common Slavic *lipa (OCS lipa, Russ. lipa, Pol. lipa)
- ranka 'hand' > Lith. rankà, Old Pr. rānkan (A sg.), Latv. rùoka; PSl. Common Slavic *rǭkà (OCS rǫka, Russ. ruká, Pol. ręka)
- galwa 'head' > Lith. galvà, Old Pr. galwo, Latv. galva; PSl. Common Slavic *golvà (OCS glava, Russ. golová, Pol. głowa)
Modern age development (1500-1900)
In 16c Balts would expand in some part of America and move into deeper modern day Russia territory. So it would make a federal state of Baltics. And overseas territory in Gulf of Mexico part of America. It makes Baltic Federally to gain richness and expand its fortune.
Europe part of Baltic nation would look like.
Ass Russians wouldn't take the major part of east Europe, than this part of Europe will drasticaly change its look.
In north from Baltic nation is Finland, in east Huns (Mongols) Khanate [brown color] and Georgia [dark bluegreen]. Behind Georgia stands Armenia. In south of Baltic nation is Russia [basic blue], behind it Bulgaria [purple] and Greece [orange]. In west Austro-Hungary [light green] and Germany [dark blue].
There also is shown United duchy of Portugal and Spain [pink], France [wooden green], Switzerland [light, light green], Holland [whiter space], Great Britain [Ocre], Denmark [whiter space], Norway [whiter space].
In next 2/3 century's this map changes in very small directions. Georgia is split into two countries - Georgia and Crimea, Russia take some part of Bulgaria and Greece. Finland adds these days territory to its already huge empire, Norway and Sweden Become as they are now days. Mongols splits into three nations, two are viewable in Europe, third is in Asia.
Great Britain with Germany conquer Holland.
Europe in 1900.
Then follow First world war(GfB), Second world war(GfB).
--Amatio 09:02, November 19, 2009 (UTC)