Favorite Historical What-if's

[jad4400]

Given the rich tapestry history is on Earth, many different events and individuals stand out. My question to the Escapist community: what is your favorite historical what-if scenario? What in history has you curious about its other possible outcomes?

Mine currently is: What if Alexander Hamilton survived his duel with Aaron Burr? Hamilton was a prominent Federalist (one of the early political parties in American history), had been the first Secretary of the Treasury. He had many different economic proposals (such as protectionist tariffs and the creation of a national bank) and was twice a presidential candidate. His life was cut short when he entered a duel with his rival Aaron Burr over a small trivial manner.

 

[arsenicCatnip]

What if Zhuge Liang hadn't died when he did?

What if Hideyoshi Toyotomi hadn't become emperor?

What if Hitler had gone to art school?

 

[Snarky Username]

There's one movie called "CSA: The Confederate States of America" that is based on what happened to America if the South won the Civil War. Funniest thing ever.

 

[Spaghetti]

What if Trotsky had become leader of the Soviet Union and not Stalin?

Trotsky was an entirley different person to Stalin. He had a different personality and had a different view of Communism. Nor did he have Stalin's paranoia. The USSR would have turned out VERY differently. The question is, how would it have turned out?

 

[SonicKoala]

What if the atomic bomb hadn't been invented? One of the primary reasons that war didn't erupt on a large-scale in the post WW2 world was on account of the fear of nuclear weapons. Would we have seen a war between the U.S. and the USSR? Who knows......

 

[Hollock]

what if Nixon had more terms in office, oh wait

Spoiler

watchmen

what if Europe had never colonized anywhere outside of Europe, particularly africa and america.

 

[DreadfulSorry]

what if Nixon had more terms in office, oh wait

Spoiler

watchmen

lol, good one.

OT, What if Crassus hadn't died, unbalancing the triumvirate and allowing Caesar to make his move for power? And what if Caesar had never adopted Octavian, and he had been relegated to the background while the Republic tore itself apart? (Sorry, classics majors think about this kind of thing a lot apparently.)

 

[Lullabye]

what if Adam didn't eat the apple? would chicks be walking around naked?

Aw fuck. ninja'd.

How about, what if slavery never happened? Would we be as advanced now.

 

[mercenator3000]

What if the Big Bang or whatever you believe created Earth never happened?

Beat that!

 

[Quiet Stranger]

I hope Im not ninja'd....what if religion didn't exist at all? Oh wait, peace on earth

 

[Roscoe_A]

What if the Enola Gay never dropped the Atomic bomb

 

[Caligulove]

Haha. If you love Historical What-ifs you should read the short story, "Thus We Frustrate Charlemagne" by R.A. Lafferty.

It's brilliant.
But basically, even if all of these things changed, we would never notice the changes

 

[rockingnic]

I hope Im not ninja'd....what if religion didn't exist at all? Oh wait, peace on earth

How about "what is god really did exist?" jk. Mine would be what if electricity never was discovered? We wouldn't be wasting life tweeting everyone what we just ate.

 

[Hugh Mann]

what if Nixon had more terms in office, oh wait

Spoiler

watchmen

lol, good one.

OT, What if Crassus hadn't died, unbalancing the triumvirate and allowing Caesar to make his move for power? And what if Caesar had never adopted Octavian, and he had been relegated to the background while the Republic tore itself apart? (Sorry, classics majors think about this kind of thing a lot apparently.)

I always was under the impression that Crassus was kinda out of the political game, sure he had money but he always seems to be the kid brother of Caesar and Pompey always trying to be like them. I may be wrong how ever, Caesar and Pompey were more interesting.

anyways brain-gasming aside, if Charles Martel had lost at Tours would the Islamic advance into europe have been stopped, if not the entire ethnic background of europe would have changed

 

[dmase]

What if Alexander the Great had lived out the rest of his life? Would the largest land kingdom just fall apart anyways or would he be able to hold it togethor. I think that with his diplomatic strengths he could have kept the empire under his control and if that had happened Rome would never have become as powerful as it did.

 

[Hugh Mann]

What if the Big Bang or whatever you believe created Earth never happened?

Beat that!

That actually seems like a pretty cut and dried question, there wouldnt be an Earth

 

[RabidusUnus]

What if the dinosaurs never died?

Would there still be sentient life that evolved from that line? Because if we were all sentiant dinosaurs/reptiles that would fucking own.

 

[mercenator3000]

What if the Big Bang or whatever you believe created Earth never happened?

Beat that!

That actually seems like a pretty cut and dried question, there wouldnt be an Earth

Exactly. Therefore nothing else being mentioned here would matter, cause it never would have existed.

 

[Aur0ra145]

What if Admiral Spruance's dive bombers had gotten there first?