Aeolus
The Protestant Wind of 1688 blows the other way, Glorious Revolution fails, James II still king. In 1943 Eastern Europe, a newborn Republican Alliance challenges the Habsburgs and the entire ancien regime.
OK, could the weather patterns of a particular day have saved Jim II, or would the forces arrayed against him have been too much anyway?
Cornwallis
In 1776 Turgot was not forced into retirement, stops French aid to the American Revolutionaries. In 1984 the "monarchic centralism" of the Five Thrones is threatened by the radical Russian Dominate.
OK, could Turgot have convinced the French crown not to support America? Would he have even tried? And even if he had succeeded, would Britain have crushed the Revolution if the Americans did not have the aid of France?
Ming-3
In 1426 a plague kills the Dowager Empress of China, causing the Emperor to move the capitol back to Nanking and continue the explorations started by Zheng He. 450 years later, China rules a tottering global empire.
OK, why did China drop exploration in the 15th Century, like Ireland abandonded Iceland and we seem on the verge of abandonding space? Was this a close decision, or was it something that was foreordained?
Midgard
Vikings burn Constantinople in 860. In 1412 they have colonized most of North America, Russia and northern Europe and are laying the groundwork for a future Industrial Revolution.
OK, could the Vikings have reached Constantinople? If they did. would this have given them enough of a boost to colonize Vinland? I thought their problem with Vinland was the Skraelings, and the fact that they did not have the guns to subjugate them.
Ezcalli
Carthaginians discovered America in 508 BCE. Diseases ravage the New World, but the Amerindians have time to develope resistance, and by the 19th Century the Aztecs are the leading world power in a new Industrial revolution.
OK, I might swallow a more disease resistant Amerindian population in a hundred generations, but would curing that disadvantage be enough? Even if the Amerindians got some technology from the exchange? Of course, the Aztecs would be butterfied away if carthage had discovered America 2000 years before their time, but could ANY Amerind nation have become a world power?
Roma Aeterna
Drusus pacified Germany for Rome in 9 BCE. By the 19th Century, Rome rules the world and is industrializing.
OK, the authors used the pattern of China to come up with a 2000 year spanning Roman Empire, but I don't know if Rome could have developed that way. Even if the Germans were conquered in the last century before Christ, would that be enough to keep Rome going?
Shikaku-mon
Ferdinand and Isabella's son John survived his 1497 accident. In 2027 the world's great powers are France, Brazil, a Christian Japanese Empire ruling most of Asia, and a totalitarian Swedish Empire.
OK, France and Brazil I could see, but could the Jesuits have Chritianized Japan so thoroughly? And would Sweden fall into a dystopic totaliarianism?
Centrum
The White Ship makes port safely in 1120, so William survives and there is no sucession crisis. A global Anglo-French empire arises to span the world, collapse in an apocalyptic world war, and rise again to develop cross-time travel.
OK, I believe in the Butterfly effect, and a surviving royal heir is a pretty big butterfly, but could England have taken over France and forged a global empire? There were a lot of other cultures to subsume to do that, and by 2027 have a world where English is the only living language.
The Protestant Wind of 1688 blows the other way, Glorious Revolution fails, James II still king. In 1943 Eastern Europe, a newborn Republican Alliance challenges the Habsburgs and the entire ancien regime.
OK, could the weather patterns of a particular day have saved Jim II, or would the forces arrayed against him have been too much anyway?
Cornwallis
In 1776 Turgot was not forced into retirement, stops French aid to the American Revolutionaries. In 1984 the "monarchic centralism" of the Five Thrones is threatened by the radical Russian Dominate.
OK, could Turgot have convinced the French crown not to support America? Would he have even tried? And even if he had succeeded, would Britain have crushed the Revolution if the Americans did not have the aid of France?
Ming-3
In 1426 a plague kills the Dowager Empress of China, causing the Emperor to move the capitol back to Nanking and continue the explorations started by Zheng He. 450 years later, China rules a tottering global empire.
OK, why did China drop exploration in the 15th Century, like Ireland abandonded Iceland and we seem on the verge of abandonding space? Was this a close decision, or was it something that was foreordained?
Midgard
Vikings burn Constantinople in 860. In 1412 they have colonized most of North America, Russia and northern Europe and are laying the groundwork for a future Industrial Revolution.
OK, could the Vikings have reached Constantinople? If they did. would this have given them enough of a boost to colonize Vinland? I thought their problem with Vinland was the Skraelings, and the fact that they did not have the guns to subjugate them.
Ezcalli
Carthaginians discovered America in 508 BCE. Diseases ravage the New World, but the Amerindians have time to develope resistance, and by the 19th Century the Aztecs are the leading world power in a new Industrial revolution.
OK, I might swallow a more disease resistant Amerindian population in a hundred generations, but would curing that disadvantage be enough? Even if the Amerindians got some technology from the exchange? Of course, the Aztecs would be butterfied away if carthage had discovered America 2000 years before their time, but could ANY Amerind nation have become a world power?
Roma Aeterna
Drusus pacified Germany for Rome in 9 BCE. By the 19th Century, Rome rules the world and is industrializing.
OK, the authors used the pattern of China to come up with a 2000 year spanning Roman Empire, but I don't know if Rome could have developed that way. Even if the Germans were conquered in the last century before Christ, would that be enough to keep Rome going?
Shikaku-mon
Ferdinand and Isabella's son John survived his 1497 accident. In 2027 the world's great powers are France, Brazil, a Christian Japanese Empire ruling most of Asia, and a totalitarian Swedish Empire.
OK, France and Brazil I could see, but could the Jesuits have Chritianized Japan so thoroughly? And would Sweden fall into a dystopic totaliarianism?
Centrum
The White Ship makes port safely in 1120, so William survives and there is no sucession crisis. A global Anglo-French empire arises to span the world, collapse in an apocalyptic world war, and rise again to develop cross-time travel.
OK, I believe in the Butterfly effect, and a surviving royal heir is a pretty big butterfly, but could England have taken over France and forged a global empire? There were a lot of other cultures to subsume to do that, and by 2027 have a world where English is the only living language.
. While not necessarily impossible, doing so the way they propose in the scenario would be extremely unlikely to result in a single unified Roman Empire. A collection of successor states, yes.