Going back in time.

[New East Ireland]

I change my answer! Give the Germans in WW1 impressive enough a tank to beat the entente.

I always love "imperial germany wins" scenarios

Germany was offered the Burstyn tank in 1911 (!) - a design more advanced than anything that came after it until the mid-1920s. Germany even wanted it, unfortunately, none of the manufacturers were willing to build a prototype.

Your problem is less 'Give them a design' and more 'Get the industry to believe in one'.

Actually, it wasn't Germany that wanted to build it, it was Austria-Hungary.

[Nazis in Space]

Germany was offered the Burstyn tank in 1911 (!) - a design more advanced than anything that came after it until the mid-1920s. Germany even wanted it, unfortunately, none of the manufacturers were willing to build a prototype.

Your problem is less 'Give them a design' and more 'Get the industry to believe in one'.

Actually, it wasn't Germany that wanted to build it, it was Austria-Hungary.

Nah. Just an Austrian design. The Austrian ministry of war said 'No, we don't have the money', so Burstyn next offered it to Germany. At this point, sources start to differ, between 'The German ministry of war said no, too' and 'The German ministry of war wanted one, but nobody was willing to build it'.

[Vistamar]

If you could take a piece of modern technology with you back in time, what would it be and for what purpose?

I'd take mood altering chemicals.

Make the proponents or "founders" of intolerant or fundamentalist political or religious movements chill out.

[New East Ireland]

Actually, it wasn't Germany that wanted to build it, it was Austria-Hungary.

Nah. Just an Austrian design. The Austrian ministry of war said 'No, we don't have the money', so Burstyn next offered it to Germany. At this point, sources start to differ, between 'The German ministry of war said no, too' and 'The German ministry of war wanted one, but nobody was willing to build it'.

They both messed up. But at least Germany fought in World War I.

[Bears Armed]

Nah. Just an Austrian design. The Austrian ministry of war said 'No, we don't have the money', so Burstyn next offered it to Germany. At this point, sources start to differ, between 'The German ministry of war said no, too' and 'The German ministry of war wanted one, but nobody was willing to build it'.

They both messed up. But at least Germany fought in World War I.

So did Austria-Hungary: They did pretty well against Serbia, and against Italy... In fact we had to send troops (including one of my own great-uncles, as it happens) to help the Italians stand up to them.

[New East Ireland]

They both messed up. But at least Germany fought in World War I.

So did Austria-Hungary: They did pretty well against Serbia, and against Italy... In fact we had to send troops (including one of my own great-uncles, as it happens) to help the Italians stand up to them.

Yeah, but they fought poorly. Well, poorer than Germany at least. I don't know the extent of Austria-Hungary's achievements in the war.

[Nazis in Space]

Austria-Hungary did poorly against Russia and (Considering the numbers involved) Serbia. It performed admirably against Italy, and considering its incredibly small resources, its performance in the mediterranean (Well, Adriatic) was nothing less than astounding.

[Bears Armed]

Austria-Hungary did poorly against Russia and (Considering the numbers involved) Serbia. It performed admirably against Italy, and considering its incredibly small resources, its performance in the mediterranean (Well, Adriatic) was nothing less than astounding.

Did you know that for part of the war the Allies' forces in the Med actually included a squadron of Japanese destroyers, who were based at Malta?

[Nazis in Space]

Austria-Hungary did poorly against Russia and (Considering the numbers involved) Serbia. It performed admirably against Italy, and considering its incredibly small resources, its performance in the mediterranean (Well, Adriatic) was nothing less than astounding.

Did you know that for part of the war the Allies' forces in the Med actually included a squadron of Japanese destroyers, who were based at Malta?

Yes.

Although it took a hell of a lot of effort to get the japs to commit.

[Romania Mare1]

I'd go back to like the 1900-1800s or so and with the schemes for manufacturing some powerfull weapons (and some partial blueprints for nukes ) and tell them that whoever give me most political and financial power can have them all + acces to poligamy and so on.That's being smart

[Grave_n_idle]

I'd take Sten guns back to the Roman Empire, and avoid a millennium and a half of the civilised world sinking back into barbarism.

*nods*

I approve of this. I should hope you arrive before the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest put Augustus off of expansion?

I actually had a year in mind, since I'd obviously be satisfying my tourist tendencies simultaneously - 47 BC.

So... yes.

[Grave_n_idle]

I think you'd be surprised by the reception you receive. Considering what a clusterfuck the Articles of Confederation had been, I would guess they would take your history book as vindication, rather than a cautionary tale.

We have a completely different understanding of the prevalence of anti-federalist sentiments prior to 1801 and of actual history, it seems.

Yes. I have an understanding, and you are completely different.

*nods*

[Lathuria]

I'd take King Diamond in time to perform "Welcome Home" across all major timeperiods, to any point where major change was taking place.
And I would let the epicness roll.

[Brandenburg-Altmark]

Did you know that for part of the war the Allies' forces in the Med actually included a squadron of Japanese destroyers, who were based at Malta?

Yes.

Although it took a hell of a lot of effort to get the japs to commit.

The japs were much more enthusiastic in joining the intervention in the Russian Civil war, though. What with controlling half of Siberia for about a year before finally agreeing to withdraw, as the last "ally" to do so.

[New Embossia]

I'd take five ICBMs, and fight for the Germans.

I'd hit:
Stalingrad
Leningrad
Moscow
Volgograd
Russian forces trying to invade Eastern Europe.

[Distruzio]

We have a completely different understanding of the prevalence of anti-federalist sentiments prior to 1801 and of actual history, it seems.

Yes. I have an understanding, and you are completely different.

*nods*

Considering I was specifically speaking about the abuses of the constitution and the fact that within a century it becomes a dead letter used to expand the power of the federal gov't, I'd say you haven't a clue about the ratifying generation and their loyalty to the American gov't as it existed before 1801. The very fact that not every state ratified immediately suggests that there were grave hesitations among the population. The fact that secession was mentioned time and again by the North during Jeffersons presidency proves this implication.

The articles had their flaws, but noone among the ratifying generation would have approved the Constitution if they were privy to what it would become, a letter of no authority and a document of despotism.

[Trotskylvania]

Nice.
I was thinking giving them the formula for gunpowder.

I'm a chemist... which maybe is kind of cheating. With a little experimentation to get proportions right, I don't doubt I could concoct gunpowder recipes... just based on what I know of history and chemistry.

Sten guns though... simple to mass produce, little complexity in assembly. A little 20th century know-how, and the 9th Legion are carrying submachine guns.

*nods*

But it's not just that they don't have the tools to make sten guns; the Romans don't have the tools to make the tools to make the tools to make the tools that make the sten gun. The advances in metallurgy, machine tools, standardization, and chemistry required even to make a crude bolt action rifle, let-alone a finicky automatic weapon, just aren't there.

If you want to build the Roman's tech level, you gotta start at the base, and you need to give them the philosophical tools that make the scientific method possible, as well as the complex mathematics, to be able to jump the Romans to that level. And even then, it'd take a century of Hurculean effort, and you'd cause incredible economic disruption in the process.

[Autash]

I'd go back to like the 1900-1800s or so and with the schemes for manufacturing some powerfull weapons (and some partial blueprints for nukes ) and tell them that whoever give me most political and financial power can have them all + acces to poligamy and so on.That's being smart

My Ultra-Vikings will have conquered the planet long before then.

(Assumes of course that we both went back in time.)

[The Nuclear Fist]

I'd go back in time and give Vlad Tepes and Wallachia jet aircraft, semiautomatic weapons, missiles, and artillery. As well as thousands of copies of reading material to teach them how to operate all of these things. . .

. . . I'd give every piece of modern technology and the knowhow to use it to Wallachia. Let Romania be the bastion of prosperity for once. And remove the Turks as a threat. Permanently. Oh, you want us under your authority? Come and get us, motherfucker!

I'd go back in time and shoot myself in the face, just before I do all of that. Which will prevent me from going back in time and shooting myself in the face. Which whill cause me to go back in time and shoot myself in the face. Which will prevent me from going back in time and shooting myself in the face. Which whill cause me to go back in time and shoot myself in the face. Which will prevent me from going back in time and shooting myself in the face. Which whill cause me to go back in time and shoot myself in the face. Ad infinutum.

[Romania Mare1]

Romania Mare1 wrote:I'd go back to like the 1900-1800s or so and with the schemes for manufacturing some powerfull weapons (and some partial blueprints for nukes ) and tell them that whoever give me most political and financial power can have them all + acces to poligamy and so on.That's being smart



My Ultra-Vikings will have conquered the planet long before then.

(Assumes of course that we both went back in time.)

Then i give it to one of the leading Vikings to wipe the others out

[Ramenasia]

I'd go back in time and shoot myself in the face, just before I do all of that. Which will prevent me from going back in time and shooting myself in the face. Which whill cause me to go back in time and shoot myself in the face.

Wait, so why are you shooting yourself in the face just because you were prevented from shooting yourself in the face because you shot yourself in the face?

[The Nuclear Fist]

Wait, so why are you shooting yourself in the face just because you were prevented from shooting yourself in the face because you shot yourself in the face?

No you see, I'd be shooting myself in the face to prevent the situation in which I would be shooting myself in the face, which would cause the situation never the happen, thus causing it to happen, thus causing me to shoot myself in the face to prevent the situation in which I would be shooting myself in the face, which would cause the situation never the happen, thus causing it to happen, thus causing me to shoot myself in the face, etc, ad infinitum.

[Romania Mare1]

I like the idea but wouldn't it be more logical for you to actually continue to exist in that plane,hence the future is modified and you simply live in your current version.I mean why does reality have to undo itself ? To me this paradox seems not to be that well thought

[Octabrinaland]

I'd take an iPod with me, show them the music that is popular today and convince them to come back to our time so that they can kill prevent music like that ever coming back in the charts again.

[Autash]

I'd take an iPod with me, show them the music that is popular today and convince them to come back to our time so that they can kill prevent music like that ever coming back in the charts again.

End result: the word "barbarian" is replaced by "bieberian." Linguists can't figure out the etymology to save their lives.