Russian Empire

In essence, the Empire wouldn't have existed anyway, as it had outlived its usefulness as a system in Russia. Perhaps something like the "United States of Russia" would have emerged – with its own government in each "state-country," a common army, and one president. Or, perhaps something similar to the British Empire – a constitutional monarchy, autonomy for its constituent parts, etc. In any case, the advantages would be: – Reduced vulnerability to external enemies (Marshals would be in their positions, not in camps). – Relative order in the country (if there had been no civil war. Otherwise – terror, terror, terror. And a rebellion after a few years). – No economic and human losses from a civil war (and that's a lot...). – The concept of a "symbol" or "national idea" that doesn't imply conquest and/or imposing ideology on other countries. And the disadvantages: – Rigidity and unwieldiness of the system, rampant bureaucracy. – Based on point 1, the cultivation of a "gray citizen." – The possibility (if A.M. is maintained) of under-the-table intrigues that are not beneficial to the state. – Conflict among other peoples besides the Russians, if the "master-servant" relationship is maintained. In general, if there had been no civil war, Russia would have gained more than it lost. And the world map would have evolved to its current state not in the 1990s, but sometime in the 1970s or 1980s. Or, if "Great Russian chauvinism" had been preserved, around the 1940s or 1945. Little would have changed, but World War II would have been easier – there probably wouldn't have been internal sabotage in the form of a "hunt for enemies of the nation." Something for Major Vikhry to ponder – I wonder what it would have been like if Makhno had won, at least on the territory of Ukraine... But in general, it's an interesting question...