The birth, the zenith and the fall of the Draka
Many historians compare the rise of the United States of America and of the Domination of the Draka. There are, indeed, similarities. Both nations started out as British colonies, and became continent-spanning superpowers. Not to mention both nations were born through the same war. There are also many differences, the biggest being (obviously) that the Draka proved to be a paper tiger, while the Americans become Earth's first superpower.
Let's go back to the beginning. In 1783, Britain had lost the Thirteen Colonies, but gained the Cape Colony (from the Dutch). At the time it was a backwater. Britain relocated dozens of thousands of American Loyalists and Hessian mercenaries (with their families) to the colony, hoping to cement its control.
Soon, the new colony prospered, thanks to its key position (for trade and military), and exports of ivory, salt, hides, wood and (more importantly) slaves. Then, gold and diamonds were discovered. More and more colonists either worked in the mining industry, developed their farms, or plantations. And as the Drakan military expanded in quality and quantity, Britain and the BEIC relied more and more on its services (leading adventurous Europeans to enlist).
The colony became more and more populous through immigration and natality. During the French Revolution and Coalition Wars (1792-1815), and the Year Without Summer, combined efforts from the Drakia Company and charities led millions of refugees from Europe to Drakia. There were Émigrés from France and French-occupied countries. There were a lot of ordinary people who simply fled famine, war and repression (especially from Vendée and West Germany).
Then, there were the Gold and Diamond Rushes, and the booming of Drakan economy. People hoped to get a comfortable life with a house and slaves (and often indeed got it).
Drakia became a Dominion in 1840. At this time, the Draka were already autonomous in fact, being far from London, too strong and numerous to control. They were also too rich, strong and useful, so London didn't want to risk them following the example of the USA.
Britain had abolished the slave trade, and then slavery, leading the Draka to adopt "serfdom".
There was a tacit agreement between London and Archona, the Draka being discreet about their serfdom and the British looking the other way. Abolitionists fought it, but the Draka had enough money and connections to beat them at the lobbying game.
The Draka, since the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, had taken over or bought all Dutch, French, Spanish and Portuguese colonies on the coasts of Africa. They had also conquered Egypt during this war.
The interior of Africa was hard to contro because of disease, but they slowly took control of the entire coasts, using any pretext they could (like border raids, piracy, debts, lapse doctrine...) to take over coastal states one after the other. The conquest of the Barbary States, Morocco, Oman-Zanzibar and Abyssinia were the first among many.
Britain was happy to take over Africa (through its dominion). Sure, it was not direct control, but in a way it was better. Costs and day-to-day problems laid at Archona's feet, not London's. Resources and money were flowing, while the British could feel proud of having the largest empire on Earth.
Drakan culture was fashioned by those circumstances. They were constantly in need of new land, resources and slaves, both for themselves and for trade. They saw themselves as an outpost of civilization, as the most faithful British subjects, but were annoyed at the British (who looked down upon their serfdom and customs, and wanted to control them, but were happy to reap benefits...). Being a white slaver minority conquering a hostile, disease-ridden continent, they developed an ideology centered on slavery, white supremacy, Manifest Destiny and Sparta-like militarism.
In the 1860s-1890ss, the advances in medicine finally allowed the Draka to "tame" the interior of Africa. At the same time, they drifted away from Britain. The Draka wanted more autonomy and equality. The British were leery of this too-powerful and too-large Dominion, and more and more disgusted by slavery. However, no British politicians wanted to risk a Draka revolt, or to cut the Draka from the Empire. It would have massively hurt Britain (and her elites) economically, and would have massively reduced their prestige, military and territory. Only communists, anarchists and other radicals openly advocated the dismantlement of the Dominion (which made the idea seem too radical). Moreover, at the end of the 19th century, Britain was more preoccupied by the Great Game (against Russia) and by its rivalry with Germany.
The more Britain was procrastinating, the more the Draka were expanding their demographics, their control of Africa, their military, industry and infrastructure.
Wilhelm I and Bismarck had made Germany the hegemon of continental Europe, beating France, and then creating an alliance with Italy, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. Sweden was also German-friendly. Germany had also the best ground forces of the world. Wilhelm II wanted Germany to rival Britain in terms of industry, navy and colonies (in Asia and Oceania), leading to repeated crises in the Samoa, China and Siam. At the same time, Russian and German/Austrian interests clashed in Balkans.
Britain responded by forming the Triple Entente with France and Russia (and quietly wooing Italy and Japan), leading to World War One.
The Draka didn't care much about their mother-nation in 1914, but jumped on the occasion (pretending to be loyal Imperial subjects). While the Entente was battling Germany and the Habsburg Empire in Poland and the West, the Draka invaded the Ottoman Empire, Persia and Bulgaria.
The Entente strongly objected to this. The Draka responded by declaring officially their independence from Britain, threatened to stop (vital) trade with France, Italy and the UK, and to join Germany's side. They could have, indeed, attacked Russia and India through Persia, or reinforced AH and Germany through the Balkans, so the threat was very real.
The Entente had to relent, and the Draka promised to respect the rights of Ottoman, Persian and Bulgarian subjects (who were not black after all). As reporters who infiltrated Draka territory in the Interwar discovered, those promises were a lie...
In 1918, the Draka entered the Versailles Peace Conference as an independent nation. The first crisis happened when Bulgarian, Turkish, Arab and Zionist representatives were allowed into the conference (to the displeasure of the Draka).
Then, the Draka, in 1919, launched their invasions of Afghanistan, Central Asia and Xinjiang, under the pretext of restoring order and fighting communism. Entente powers were themselves intervening in Russia, so they couldn't oppose this move. Then, it became clear that the Draka were taking control of the new territories, and all talks broke down. The Draka walked out. There were (empty) threats of war and embargo. France and the UK were too exhausted militarily and economically (and too preoccupied with Russia and Germany) to follow through, while the USA re-entered isolationism and Russia (after two civil wars) became the "Hermit Kingdom".
The Domination of the Draka became an isolationist state, with heavy industrialization, military and scientific development, and jingoistic propaganda (other countries didn't have much intelligence on what was happening there).
The Draka now hated and despised the Europeans, Russians and Americans. They saw them as under Jewish control, racially weak (Slavs were "half-Asians", South Italians were "half Arabs", Americans were corrupted by "Negroes and Jews" and so on) and culturally weak. Westerners had balked at Draka atrocities for decades and tried to keep the moral high ground, while doing nothing (because they were greedy cowards). And now, finally, they tried to strangle and encircle the Domination.
The Draka were getting ready to fight mongrel Americans, savage Japanese, decadent Europeans and communist Russians, all at once, to prove that they were the Master Race. They were wrong.