Some early 20th century alternate history questions

[WolfBear]

1. Was it ever feasible for the Central Powers to open a land corridor from the Ottoman Empire to Afghanistan through Persia during World War I?

2. If Russia will get taken over by the Socialist Revolutionaries ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Revolutionary_Party ) rather than the Bolsheviks and will transform itself into a federation of equal republics but one that's much less dictatorial (so, much more democracy), totalitarian, and oppressive (much more free speech, free expression, free assembly, et cetera) than the Bolshevik-led Soviet Union was in real life, is there any realistic chance of any additional countries ever seeking to join this new reformed Russia, possibly as new federal units? Either due to socialist sympathies or due to a desire to improve their country's own economic situation? Especially if this Russia will still offer its constituent parts a right of secession (a real one this time around) if they will ever dislike the current political arrangement there?

3. If a republican, non-Bolshevik/non-Communist Russia wins World War I, is there any chance of it subsequently seeking to expand elsewhere?

@stevep

 

[Agent23]

Probably, the liberal kadet party and the various Slavianophiles were all gun-ho for helping out the Oppressed Slavic Brothers and a richer and more educated peasantry will probably pivot towards nationalism/national pride eventually.

The right of secession will not work and anyone who tries it will be labeled a traitor, but there might be room for more local, autonomy.


Ultimately it might come to 3 things:

1) Ideology, if some form of a more appealing form of Russian national identity based around legalistic and constitutional mumbo-jumbo works then maybe, but I doubt it.

2) Economic prosperity, in the final decades Russia was able to grow at very decent rates.

3) External threats with which to get the masses in line, like the ever present British/German threat.

I think your best bet would be a situation where either Alexander II lives longer and the Loris-Melikov constitutional reforms are enacted, or, you can go the classic route of the Decembrist revolt somehow magically succeeding or some compromise being reached that leads to more reforms and a constitution later.


Your last chance is Nicholas II having a change of heart and giving the Russians a real constitution.

Those are the chances of something milder taking control during WWI IMHO.

 

[WolfBear]

Probably, the liberal kadet party and the various Slavianophiles were all gun-ho for helping out the Oppressed Slavic Brothers and a richer and more educated peasantry will probably pivot towards nationalism/national pride eventually.

The right of secession will not work and anyone who tries it will be labeled a traitor, but there might be room for more local, autonomy.


Ultimately it might come to 3 things:

1) Ideology, if some form of a more appealing form of Russian national identity based around legalistic and constitutional mumbo-jumbo works then maybe, but I doubt it.

2) Economic prosperity, in the final decades Russia was able to grow at very decent rates.

3) External threats with which to get the masses in line, like the ever present British/German threat.

I think your best bet would be a situation where either Alexander II lives longer and the Loris-Melikov constitutional reforms are enacted, or, you can go the classic route of the Decembrist revolt somehow magically succeeding or some compromise being reached that leads to more reforms and a constitution later.


Your last chance is Nicholas II having a change of heart and giving the Russians a real constitution.

Those are the chances of something milder taking control during WWI IMHO.

I fear that any reforms that a longer-lived Alexander II makes will simply be curtailed by his son after his death, especially if he'll still eventually get assassinated, no?