If you could change history

[Khanas Caravans]

I'd change it so the Nazis won WWII.

..


What.

Oh, you poor little Jew I mean, that would be bad.

[Divair]

Oh, you poor little Jew I mean, that would be bad.

I'm not sure if that's supposed to be some kind of racial comment or a horrible attempt at some kind of messed up joke.

[Khanas Caravans]

Oh, you poor little Jew I mean, that would be bad.

I'm not sure if that's supposed to be some kind of racial comment or a horrible attempt at some kind of messed up joke.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a morally bad person. So yes, I was poking fun at a horrible genocide. But in reality, it isn't a funny topic at all, and I apologize.

[Benuty]

What if an alternate crisis happened causing the Hartford convention to become a secession convention instead causing the New England states to secede over economic issues. John Adam's and several other living remaining founding fathers of New England become important political members. The Us is devastated in the now called " War of American aggression". New York and Philadelphia were ruined by months of artillery and ship fire. Washington D.C became a blood bath with most of it burn''t to the ground the President relocated to Cincinnati. Baltimore however is considered a strategic US victory. Meanwhile Pittsburgh the last battle of the North is taken by the British but not without brutal house to house fighting and the deaths of many. New Orleans is taken by the British army and Andrew Jackson alongside 700 others are killed in a sort of last stand battle. Jackson and the others become martyrs in the eyes of an ever weary American public which force the president to sign the treaty of Cincinnati " A restriction of American territory to its current territory, The US was forbidden to expand, The US was forced to recognize the Republic of New England, the US was forbidden to stay out of European & colonial affairs" this left the American public revanchist and very aggressiveness. Windfield scott later becomes president of the US expanding its territory through backhanded deals with the Spanish & Mexicans gaining Northern Texas and Florida for the US meanwhile intensifying bad relations with the Republic of New England. Meanwhile Cincinnati prospers as the capital of the US leaving many in the south disgruntled over what they feel as a far distanced leadership. No trail of tears has forced southern states to carve out areas for them. Meanwhile Oklahoma not being used for an exodus of native americans has become home of the growing Mormon movement known as the " West Mormons" separate from the "East Mormons" in Illinois, ohio, Missouri, and new York state. The US enters the 1840s with various wars against the northern natives erupts, tensions with New England could result in a war between the states.

Is this plausible?

[Republic of Neighpal]

i have to say:

stop prussia and the south german confederation from uniting into germany in 1871, so that way, the germany's would lose WW1 faster and hitler would've had much more trouble starting WW2.

oh, and have lenin NOT die from whatever in 1924 so that the leninist/stalinist power struggles would've kept soviet russia prepetually broken from power struggle between the communist greats, and thus, kept the nazi's stuck in russia longer while the allies historically took europe piece by piece and while the nazis are stuck in russia, the allies eventually take most of germany in late '46 (japan goes down the historical route), while some nazis take the operation odessa route while others, like hitler, whose practically wasting away (in addition to being addicted to cocaine and meth) flee to koenigsburg (kaliningrad today, in addition to being the historical capital of prussia) and then the allies basically steamroll through east germany while, in russia, stalin or lenin die (you decide) and russia finally rallies and pushes and after the whole shitshow is over in early 1949, most of poland is controlled by the allies while east poland (including warsaw) is under the iron curtain. then let history go as planned from then.

[Kingdom of Cambria]

The questions is this, if you could change something in history what would it be and why? But to make it interesting, and since everything in history would have an effect on later history, how would this change effect the future? (Try to be realistic on the second question)

As a professional historian, this question is an anathema, as it is simply too vast to answer. Sure, we can all speculate on what would have happened if this or that would have turned out differently, but the scary [read: realistic] thing is that there are some many variables that this question is impossible to answer. But, now that I've said that, let's have fun....

I would, as one might expect, change a lot of things in history. However, I think I will list just one as an exercise. The thing that I would change is: the American Revolution. If Great Britain and it's American Colonies would have settled their differences, then the world as we know it would be much better off. The French Revolution would not have happened, so there would have been no Napoleon, no anti-monarchist movements in Europe, the various states of Germany would have never united under Prussia and therefore would never have been a powerful, divisive nation in central Europe, but the states themselves (Hesse, Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, Thuringia, etc.) would be great buffer areas between the major powers of Europe, probably under British protection and ties. Of course, Britain and France would still be at each others' throats, as a Catholic Empire (Spain/France/Austria) would rival with the British Empire and the Russian Empire and diminutively, the Ottoman Empire. But, the British Empire would be even more vast that historically; most of what is North America, Africa, and SE Asia would be British Imperial territory. The balance of power would keep the major powers in line and conflicts would be minor to medium conflicts, like the Crimean War, Colonial Wars, or border disputes. Smaller states, like the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, would be unattached to an Empire but would nevertheless be important players on the international stage as they would represent economic interests and alliances. The Middle East would be a sleepy, sandy nowhere under British protectorate, Africa would have European interests and oversight, mitigating much anguish. Slavery would have ended long ago and racial tensions would be far less present in the 'civilized world'.
Of course, things would not have progressed as far as we have; the world would probably look like a mix between the 1890's and the 1930's. Technology would be slightly different: (electric cars instead of gas) no jet engines yet, medical technology would be less developed, don't even think about space exploration, etc.. However, this would be a small price to pay for a more stable world. There is also the distinct possibility that this scenario would not have done these things, but I think that this is pretty accurate.

If you like this idea, it is actually not mine, originally. This ideas was the basis of a 1997 book co-authored by Richard Dreyfus and Harry Turtledove, titled "The Two Georges". Great book and one that I recommend to anyone interested in what-if history.

[Ainin]

The Vienna Academy of the Arts would have accepted Hitler.

[Benuty]

The Vienna Academy of the Arts would have accepted Hitler.

We need to go deeper!

[Valentir]

I would make it so that my British Ancestors won the American Revolution. GOD SAVE KING GEORGE III!!!!!!!!!!

[Empire of Narnia]

I thought of an alternate History scenario where the Russian Revolution failed and Rasputin seized power, making many of the advancements Stalin made. I don't know how realistic that is but it's something I dreamed up in class when we were learning about the Russian Revolution.

[Al Horeya]

DEFINITELY save all of the Great Libraries, especially the Library of Alexandria. Then we would have the rest of Livy's Discourses, all of Plato's works, and probably all of Greek Mythology. All of that, along with the knowledge of Greek Fire and Roman Masonry.
I don't know what kind of world it would be in that case, but I'm willing to bet we'd be more scientifically advanced than we are now, and we would definitely be culturally richer.

Also,

...Of course, things would not have progressed as far as we have; the world would probably look like a mix between the 1890's and the 1930's. Technology would be slightly different: (electric cars instead of gas) no jet engines yet, medical technology would be less developed, don't even think about space exploration, etc.. However, this would be a small price to pay for a more stable world...

I politely but resolutely disagree. I definitely prefer the extant world to one with less technology, no matter what the cost in human lives (to a point, of course. As long as I and my friends/family are OK, though, I'll take a more advanced world).

[Freedom of United Trevor]

Stop Barack Obama from becoming president and elect McCain or Romney.

[Stuckenburg]

I would have taught pre-historic people about agriculture so that the civilization could had been started earlier.

[Libertarian California]

Oh, you poor little Jew I mean, that would be bad.

I'm not sure if that's supposed to be some kind of racial comment or a horrible attempt at some kind of messed up joke.

Yeah. That joke was just wrong. Anne Frankly, it wasn't very funny.

[Zweite Alaje]

I would've stopped the whole Age of Imperialism from occuring.

[Mushrenia]

1. Stopping the assassination of Alex II would have probably averted a lot of the catastrophes that Russia has been through in the past century and a half since
2. Stopping Gandhi's assassination so that hindus and muslims didn't go apeshit all over India and Pakistan as early as they did
3. Stop Edison's practical joke on Telsa from happening, thus forging a friendship rather than a rivalry
4. Capping Manat with a whiff of pistolshot prior to his publishings to prevent some of the excessive deaths in the French Revolution
5. Kill Castro while he was fucking around in the US prior to the Cuban Revolt

[Anachronous Rex]

More like Watchmen.

[Libertarian California]

That would be horribly. The civilized people would never civilize the barbarians

But instead of "civllization" there would be no destruction, slavery, or destruction of culture.

Imperialism has existed since the tribal days.


Tribe A: "Hey guys, Tribe B has resources we need"

*Tribe A proceeds to raid and plunder Tribe B".

[Saiwania]

Well- obviously if history went my way, Islam would have never come to exist and China would still be a poor country that follows communist principles.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Hinduism would have stayed in control of all of South Asia, as well as Southeast and East.

Then eventually the world.

[The Grendels]

Make Tesla more famous and well-known than Edison. Because JUSTICE.

Totally this! Make sure Tesla has all the funding and support he needs and advance technology in the West by 50-100 years, especially by keeping Edison from blocking Tesla's genius by influence peddling and dirty tricks. The US could have had radar before WWI if Edison hadn't used his influence to stop Tesla from building it for the military. Edison was the Steve Jobs of his day: stealing everybody's ideas, farming inventors and giving them no credit, and crushing people with better ideas.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla

[Freiheit Reich]

I would have made sure Muhammed's parents were killed in an 'unfortunate accident' before they produced any children.

Millions of people would be living a better life, Indonesia might be an Asian tiger. India might include Pakistan and Bangladesh (meaning 2 less poor nations to worry about and one less potential WW3 hotspot).Less terrorism in the world and women would likely live better lives.

Buddhism and/or Hinduism might still be thriving in south Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh). Christianity and Judaism might be thriving in the Middle East.

Aww..dreams of world peace that can never happen.

[Kemalist]

I'd prevent Ataturk from drinking, so he could live a lot longer and solidify the system he established.

*Shrugs*

Would he have done different to İnönü?

Inonu did good in terms of foreign policy, but he made serious mistakes such as not being able to preserve the Village Institutes, re-open the Imam Hatip schools and switch to the multi-party system too early, before the new educational system beared its fruits and grew a new educated generation.

If Ataturk lived for 10 or 15 years more, Turkey would have had one of the most irreligious societies on the earth today.

[Democratic Koyro]

I would set in motion a series of events that left me, at this point in time, the undisputed life long absolute ruler of all of Europe

[Divair]

Stop Barack Obama from becoming president and elect McCain or Romney.

Why are you so anti-America?