[Alternate History] Ethnography of Eastern Europe Without Slavs

[Peterski]

Until about the year 500 Proto-Slavic population was squeezed within the Pripyat River Valley until BOOM!, they suddenly and rapidly expanded all over Europe by ca. 600 AD:



One of the most impressive expansions in the history of humanity. It is still a mystery how they managed to accomplish that, becoming the dominant ethnicity of East Europe.

But what if in the 300s or 400s a devastating plague wiped out most of the Proto-Slavs and they could never recover from it. In this scenario the Proto-Slavs are gone before they can expand and capitalize on the power vacuum left by the invasions of the Huns, and migrate across much of Central Europe and Eastern Europe. But the Huns are still there.

In this scenario who would have most likely taken their place over the long-term as the dominant ethno-linguistic group in Eastern, East-Central and South-Eastern Europe?

Poll has been added.

[Tallefjant]

another thread for same stuff?

[Peterski]

another thread for same stuff?

The old one is deleted.

By the way - a similar discussion can also be created about Western Europe, but with a "no Rome" scenario, instead of "no Slavs".

For example, without Rome it is doubtful whether Germanic tribes would have ever managed to conquer so much of Celtic territories.

Celts were so weak mainly because they had been devastated by Rome (and those conquered by Rome, e.g. Britons, forgot how to fight).

Check this ethnographic map of Western Europe before the Roman expansion as a basis for possible alternate history discussion:

https://i.redd.it/y3akpsjso6gz.jpg

Spoiler!

[Bosniensis]

Who are Slavs?

That's a name for a 6th century A.D. Tribe especially related to Balkans.

When you explain me who are Slavs then I might answer the question.

Literally nobody called himself "Slav" in Eastern Europe until very recently (few hundred years ago).

[Peterski]

Who are Slavs?

That's a name for a 6th century A.D. Tribe especially related to Balkans.

When you explain me who are Slavs then I might answer the question.

Literally nobody called himself "Slav" in Eastern Europe until very recently (few hundred years ago).

Slavs are all the Europeans who speak a Slavic language as their native language: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_languages

You can count as Slavs also people who have ancestors who lived in historical times and spoke Slavic as their native language. For example Slavic-Americans.

In the absence of Slavic languages which language family(ies) would be dominant in Eastern, East-Central, South-Eastern Europe?

[Bosniensis]

Slavs are all the Europeans who speak a Slavic language as their native language: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_languages

In the absence of Slavic languages which language family(ies) would be dominant in Eastern, East-Central, South-Eastern Europe?

Well, it would be Slavic languages for no other European language existed when Slavic was spoken on Balkans.

Is it a problem if I say so?

Herodotus said that Thracians are the oldest European people who predate everyone.

hundreds of everyday Thracian words are use ONLY in Slavic languages.

It is universal agreement that Thracians and Illyrians spoke Proto-Balto-Slavic language.

We spread that language to Eastern Europe from Balkans, if someone is bothered by that, well I am sorry.

[Peterski]

We spread that language to Eastern Europe from Balkans, if someone is bothered by that, well I am sorry.

So what if you never did that, in such case what languages would Eastern Europeans speak today?

[Bosniensis]

So what if you never did that, in such case what languages would Eastern Europeans speak today?

Well Turkish and Germanic.

Those two languages we destroyed in Eastern Europe.

I don't want to sound dramatic or pompous but Russians, Ukrainians, Poles and Belarus are Slavic in that % they are Balkan people through Y-DNA (I2) and (J2)

So in Poland it's 30-40% those two combined I suppose

[HungryLion]

Well Turkish and Germanic.

Those two languages we destroyed in Eastern Europe.

I don't want to sound dramatic or pompous but Russians, Ukrainians, Poles and Belarus are Slavic in that % they are Balkan people through Y-DNA (I2) and (J2)

So in Poland it's 30-40% those two combined I suppose

So, proto Slavs are I2a?

[HungryLion]

Lol I can't take this serious..I mean u put Albanins among anicent people? When they shows up first time? In 11 ceountry.. my god..You can put all local tribes than .