Seleucids look East
The Seleucids were the easternmost of the successor kingdoms of Alexander the Great. Although they controlled territory stretching as far east as modern day Afghanistan, they tended to spend more effort fighting other kingdoms for control of more western lands, such as Syria, Palestine, and parts of Asia Minor.
What if the rulers of the Seleucid dynasty became more interested in expanding their borders to the east rather than the west? Suppose that they were thrown out of Syria and Asia Minor early on, and instead they focused on securing their control of Persia, and pushed further into Central Asia or even down into India?
Anglo-American War of 1807
What if tensions between the US and Britain had reached the boiling point 5 years earlier, in 1807 rather than 1812? Britain might have more troops available, with no forces in Spain, and the US army was even weaker in 1807 than in 1812. Suppose the US is roundly trounced, but the British overplay their hand and demand big chunks of territory from the US, which leads the US to set about building a bigger army and fighting on?
Visigothic Renaissance
What if the Visigoths had a series of able rulers in the later 7th century instead of the weak rulers in OTL. When a Berber-Arab army tries to invade Visigothic lands, they are crushed by a strong and well-organized Visigothic force. In the years to come, two more major invasions will be attempted by the Muslims, and both will meet similar fates to the first one. The Visigoths begin to develop a stronger navy to counter small pirate-style raids on the coast, and the merchants of the Kingdom begin to compete more aggressively for trade in the western Mediterranean. By the year 800, the Kingdom of the Visigoths is stronger and wealthier than it has ever been, and it rivals the battered Byzantine Empire as the leading Christian power. What might happen next?
The Seleucids were the easternmost of the successor kingdoms of Alexander the Great. Although they controlled territory stretching as far east as modern day Afghanistan, they tended to spend more effort fighting other kingdoms for control of more western lands, such as Syria, Palestine, and parts of Asia Minor.
What if the rulers of the Seleucid dynasty became more interested in expanding their borders to the east rather than the west? Suppose that they were thrown out of Syria and Asia Minor early on, and instead they focused on securing their control of Persia, and pushed further into Central Asia or even down into India?
Anglo-American War of 1807
What if tensions between the US and Britain had reached the boiling point 5 years earlier, in 1807 rather than 1812? Britain might have more troops available, with no forces in Spain, and the US army was even weaker in 1807 than in 1812. Suppose the US is roundly trounced, but the British overplay their hand and demand big chunks of territory from the US, which leads the US to set about building a bigger army and fighting on?
Visigothic Renaissance
What if the Visigoths had a series of able rulers in the later 7th century instead of the weak rulers in OTL. When a Berber-Arab army tries to invade Visigothic lands, they are crushed by a strong and well-organized Visigothic force. In the years to come, two more major invasions will be attempted by the Muslims, and both will meet similar fates to the first one. The Visigoths begin to develop a stronger navy to counter small pirate-style raids on the coast, and the merchants of the Kingdom begin to compete more aggressively for trade in the western Mediterranean. By the year 800, the Kingdom of the Visigoths is stronger and wealthier than it has ever been, and it rivals the battered Byzantine Empire as the leading Christian power. What might happen next?