AH Challenge - the latest POD that leads to a single world state by 2000 AD

The title says it all; what is the latest POD you could imagine that could lead to a World State by 2000 AD. This state can be of any kind, an Empire subjugating all, a Confederation of member states, a unitary or Federal democracy...

Fantasize away!

EDIT: Posted in the pre 1900 forum because I'd imagine most PODs will be there... but feel free with plausible post 1900 PODs too if you can imagine any.
 
Okay, I'll toss this out as a provocatory statement.

Aren't we almost there already?

A global economic system, with a series of international controls. The fact that international law actually exists. Almost every nation in the world at least pays lip service to the same norms and values (democracy, rule of law, equal rights for women, etc).
 
10,000 BC.

I can't see a single cohesive One-State World forming at any one time, honestly. Have a POD too far back, and by the time whatever country bent on world conquest discovers the proper technologies necessary to reach all the corners of the globe, competing countries/empires will have most likely managed to shore up enough resources to defend themselves from outright annexation.

Have a POD too recent, and nationalism, rebellion, terrorism, etc. will make any prospective global empire splinter at least a little.

This is all assuming whatever power eventually tries to have a go at global domination doesn't eventually suffer from a split of the realm between heirs, civil war, military coup, revolution, bad luck at the casino, etc.
 
WW3 in 1983 perhaps?

I take it you posit a Soviet victory - which is not at all implausible, but a Soviet total victory, ie conquest or destruction of the United States AND China seems a bit far-fetched. I mean, invading across the Atlantic (or even through Alaska) seems right out of the question and a nuclear first strike would surely had led to MAD.

Even so, a Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the World seems like the most plausible World State by 2000 AD scenario.
 
Probably a thousand years ago or so.

Have the world end up being comprised of less than 50 countries that are ideologically close enough to not be trying to wipe each other off the the face of the Earth but different enough that they do go to war on occasion, ave some vent happen that causes them to form into a few blocs and then have them start to integrate and over time they'll become a kind of global federation.
 
Fantasize away!


A couple quick thoughts. Firstly you might have one dominant religion come out ahead. Perhaps the early Christian church doesn't shun away from sending missionaries out into Asia and you have China converted, followed by Japan and eventually India. That probably makes it really hard for Islam to get a beginning and Africa would eventually be brought into the faith as well. That's not going to stop nations and peoples from fighting and dividing but perhaps the unity of faith would begin to pull more and more nations into unity, eventually encompassing the globe. I'm not sure how you keep some type or version of the protestant movement from happening but if the Church heirarchy is forced to face such widespread diversity of souls early on then maybe it's more open to change and escapes little nasties like the 30 years war and such. The popes or leadership are forced into some compromises that hold together the church's leadership position long enough to see unity. Similarly, perhaps the all too stated Muslim conquest. Europe is overrun and converted, followed quickly by Russia most of Africa. Eventually missionary efforts succeed in large parts of East Asia and India and over time the Hindu populations and finally the Chinese are overwhelmed by a combination of global Islamic economics, military might, political pressure, and outright .... 'convert or taste steel' methods. That's my two possible religious global states.

A violent and crusading USA after WW2 might do the trick but it's ASB for the most part. If the US dictates democracies into the European peace deals of post-war Europe, forces and celebrates de-colonialism in Africa and the Middle East (thus winning the populations over), somehow intervenes and keeps China from going Red, then wins in whatever showdown happens with the Soviets ... then ... yeah never mind ... :p A global socialist revolution is more plausible.
 
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