Alternate history scenarios can be great fun to discuss - and that's especially true if they could reasonably have happened in the real world. However, there are some scenarios that sound plausible, and often get discussed - but which, on further inspection, turn out to be completely unrealistic. The above video, by Cody of AlternateHistoryHub, lists some of these:
- Alexander conquers Rome - He didn't consider them a threat . Had he survived, he had plans to conquer Arabia, Egypt, and Carthage!
- Rome industrialises - They lacked some important pre-requisites, e.g. understanding how maths, physics and engineering were interconnected; having a good economic theory; and having a decent-sized middle class.
- Hardrada conquers England - Even if he wins Stamford Bridge, he won't be quick enough to defeat William the Conqueror.
- The Ming sail to America - Colonisation was never the goal of the Treasure Voyages: they wanted to impress known civilisations. Even if they made it to the west coast of America, they probably wouldn't have seen worth in it.
- The Aztecs go East - Even if we ignore their immense technological disadvantage (and give them frigates and firearms, because reasons), they didn't really "invade land to conquer it": they cared more about tribute and influence.
- The Trent Affair leads to a Confederate win - Britain was already too anti-slavery, and had too much trade with the Union, to side with the Confederacy. Also, they could (and did) easily replace Southern cotton with Indian and Egyptian cotton.
- Italy joins the Central Powers in WW1 - Italy's economy was too dependent on France, Britain, and the USA - and Austria-Hungary was its historical enemy. (Yes, Italy, Austria-Hungary and Germany had a defensive alliance - but Germany was engaged in a war of aggression!)
- Republicans win the Spanish Civil War - Even if Hitler didn't support the Nationalists, or Franco got shot, the Republicans were too split amongst themselves.
- The Allies invade Japan in WW2 - Even without the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan would have lost so much to the Soviets that they would have been forced to surrender before the invasion ever happened.
- The Man in the High Castle - Even if the Axis won WW2, they had no plans to invade America. And besides, this story was never meant to be a realistic alternate history: it was just dystopian sci-fi .
Of course, if anyone still wants to make threads about any of these scenarios (just for fun), that's completely fine . And if anyone wants to argue that Cody was wrong about any of these scenarios (and some of them actually are plausible), then go right ahead! But otherwise: are there any other alternate history scenarios that sound plausible, but aren't?
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Moonface (in 'Woman runs 49 red lights in ex's car')' Wrote: If only she had ran another 20 lights.
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