Greece / Byzantium
NOTE: Due to the age of the Byzantine Empire, and the Republic, and the fact that the point where the AltWorld timeline diverged from our timeline is not yet decided, there is lots of information in this article that could easily change or be added upon. The historian disputes are in-universe though.
Byzantium, also called the Byzantines and Greece, officially the Byzantine Republic, is a country in southeastern Europe in the Balkans. It is considered the oldest country in Europe (not counting Persia), as its government is directly linked to the Byzantine Empire, originally part of the ancient Roman Empire. That status, however, is sometimes disputed by historians.
Quick Facts
Official Name: Byzantine Republic
Government Type: Classical republic
Conflicts: Several, including the Holy Roman Invasion of France, Second Colonial Wars (Both Pre-War), and Great War
Alliances: Protector Powers (1817-1820), European Council (1845-Today)
Years Active: End of Classical Period - 1820 (disputed), 1845 - Modern Day
Preceded By: Roman Empire (disputed), Byzantine Empire (disputed), Turkey (1845 union)
Succeeded By: Italy, Ottoman Empire, Roman Empire (1820 - 1845 occupation)
History
The Byzantine Republic began sometime around the 1400s or 1500s, as the country was getting too small to where the citizens demanded the emperor step down and let the people decide things, like in the Roman Republic and the Ancient Athens republic that modern republics are modeled after. Despite this, the Byzantines are not considered to have formed the first of the new republics (Canada, North Russia) but rather the last of the old classical republics (Athens, Rome).
The republic shrank more during the Holy Roman Invasion of France, where they attempted to invade Italy but lost their Italian Peninsula land in the process. One of the wars in the Second Colonial Wars was the Partition of Byzantium, where several countries invaded Byzantium-owned land they deemed to be righteously theirs.
In AltWorld, the role of the Byzantines, now known more of as the Greeks, started with the formation of the Italian Legion. Greece was one of the countries, alongside France, the Ottomans, and Yugoslavia, to form the Protector powers, against Italy's Central powers.
During the Great War, Italy successfully conquered Yugoslavia, and then Greece, leading to a 25-year occupation. Thanks to this, Italy was allowed to form Rome without challenge. The War of Roman Aggression would prove to be Rome's second downfall, however, and the Byzantines gained their independence in 1845, joining with Turkey, formed from the Ottoman Empire.
The Byzantines joined the European Council after the war, admitted as Byzantium rather than Greece.
Byzantines as of 1761
Byzantines/Greece as of 1800
Byzantines after reforming in 1845 and merging with Turkey