I’ve drawing the same correlation.
We’re Austro-Hungary
Europe is Imperial Russia - the only regime more inept then Austro-Hungary.
These I can’t decide - Who the ‘up-and-coming’ powers are.
Perhaps
Russia is either pre-WWI USA or Imperial Germany.
China is either pre-WWI USA or Imperial Germany.
I bounce back and forth on those analogies.
For me China is Imperial Germany.
Incredibly rapid growth over past few decades - check.
Expansionist mode - wants their place in the sun/empire - check.
Notion of the “superior race” - OK sure Hitler takes this “next level” but even in 1914 the Prussian elites really saw themselves as a “cut above” as do the Chinese.
Army as a disproportionate force in the society - double check.
Russia checks some of these boxes - somewhat or not at all - but China really checks them.