AHC: Reverse the Cold War and the World Wars

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to switch the Cold War and the World Wars. That is- Turn the period from 1914 and 1991 around, so that there is a period of great geopolitical tension marked by alternating periods of brinkmanship and detente from 1914 to 1960, at which point a six year long war takes place from 1960 to 1966, followed by an interwar period, and closing with a four year long war from 1987 to 1991. How does one achieve this? Perhaps the League of Three Emperors stays in place but a less reckless Kaiser and Czar guide their alliance into a detente with the western powers? What effect does this have on technological development. It's often said that World War II led to 20 years worth of technological development in 6 years. Do airplanes, the computer, the atom bomb, etc develop on a slower timetable? What effect does this have on the developing world? Do European nations hang on to their colonies longer? Is this alt-cold war possible without the atom bomb and the doctrine of mutually assured destruction (whether or not it's true, American and Soviet leaders thought it was true).

This thread will self destruct in ten seconds.


Operation_Upshot-Knothole_-_Badger_001.jpg
 
Mind = Blown.

ditto

The greatest stumbling block I can think of is a cold war in the early 1900's. I'm just not sure how you'd get countries to be that opposed to each other for that long without one of them spotting an opportunity and going for the kill. Assuming technology is at the same point there is nothing along the lines of nuclear weapons that dissuades countries from going to war.
 

whitecrow

Banned
Believe it or not, someone started a TL with such a premise. World War starts in 1960s after anti-colonial African rebels blow up a German spacerocket (ment to send 1st German austronaught into space or to the Moon, I don't recall which) in German Africa. Sadly, I don't recall the TL's name. It might actually be dead :(.
 
Top