Atlantropa, possible?

For those of you who don't know Atlantropa was a plan by German architect Herman Sörgel to dam the Mediterranean at Gibraltar, to create a lot of hydroelectric power, to claim new farmland as the Mediterranean dries out and to irrigate the Sahara desert.

Could one at the very least dam the Mediterranean, given practically unlimited funds and no political opposition given 1940's technology?
 
Atlantropa is a gigantic Project that takes over 200 years to complet !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantropa

First stage
Build two hydroelectric dams at across: the Strait of Gibraltar and Sea of Marmara
(connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, )

Second stage 100 year after begin of Project
The lowering of the Mediterranean is now - 100 meter
build hydroelectric dam on Strait of Sicily
east part of Mediterranean will be -200 meter sealevel after 200 year after project start.

there was also part of Atlantropa to Dam the Congo-basin, forming a Sea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Basin
this sea feed the Lake Chad
after Herman Sörgel those two Sea will give africa Inland navigation

technical Atlantropa is possible with 1920s technolgie

politically Atlantropa is only possible under a Dicatorship !
in Mediterranean contry like from Spain over Italy to Greece
the public consider architect Herman Sörgel as "a Insane Men from Germany"...
 
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ninebucks

Banned
You'd need to have the Mediterranean basin under a single political authority, which is impossible with a post-1900 POD.
 
You'd need to have the Mediterranean basin under a single political authority, which is impossible with a post-1900 POD.
or... ASB's. :D ISOT the Roman Empire to 1900 with knowledge of everything since it was isoted. also knowledge of how everything works and a modern politic, economy, and military
 
ninebucks said:
You'd need to have the Mediterranean basin under a single political authority, which is impossible with a post-1900 POD.

Not necessarily , at least for the first stage

Michel Vans said:
First stage
Build two hydroelectric dams at across: the Strait of Gibraltar and Sea of Marmara(connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, )

Second stage 100 year after begin of Project
The lowering of the Mediterranean is now - 100 meter
build hydroelectric dam on Strait of Sicily
east part of Mediterranean will be -200 meter sealevel after 200 year after project start.

In a PoD where Spain controls the coast from Tanger to Ceuta, it could run a barrage between Tarifa and the Moroccan coast. Locks are put in for passage of ships (thus avoiding clashes with the British and French).

It is doubtful that Spain could raise enough capital for project so shares could be sold in other stock markets. Time it right and they could sell as well as Channel Tunnel shares did on their issue. Also money can be borrowed against the sale of power from the barrage turbines.

Of course it is likely that the profits will be over estimated and costs underestimated and even after a bale out by the Spanish government the Mediterranean Barrage Company will be bankrupt before a single watt is produced.

Still, as long as it is started at a time when euphoria can cap common sense, it could be started.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
I do not think that the Mediterranean nations would take very kindly to having all their sea-borne trade permanently stopped.

On the other hand, think of the archeological discoveries that would be made! How many Roman, Greek, Byzantine, Phoenician and other ships that lie undiscovered throughout the Mediterranean. That would be cool!
 
I'm pretty much a complete ignorant when it comes to navigation, electrification, dams and such, but would it be possibile to create something between a nomal dam and a channel like Suez or Panama, thus saving the Mediterranean - Atlantic sea trade without giving up massive (hypotethical) energy production ??

Maybe the Atlantropa project will be feasible in the future, with stronger links between Europe, Maghreb, Mashrak and Arab countries, through the Euromediterranean Union started at Lisboa ...
 
I'm pretty much a complete ignorant when it comes to navigation, electrification, dams and such, but would it be possibile to create something between a nomal dam and a channel like Suez or Panama, thus saving the Mediterranean - Atlantic sea trade without giving up massive (hypotethical) energy production ??

Maybe the Atlantropa project will be feasible in the future, with stronger links between Europe, Maghreb, Mashrak and Arab countries, through the Euromediterranean Union started at Lisboa ...

the Dams in Atlantropa are combination of hydroelectric dam, channel and lock !
also has the Suez channel at mediterran side also locks.
and i mean this lock http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_(water_transport)
so there is still sea trade possble

or... ASB's. :D ISOT the Roman Empire to 1900 with knowledge of everything since it was isoted. also knowledge of how everything works and a modern politic, economy, and military

If the Roman Empire survives, why not ? :cool:
can work also on analog European Empire like Napoleon empire
in OTL a group of Nazi try to convince Adolf Hitler to build Atlantropa, but Hitler wandet east europe

wat a Atlantropa TL need is one Empire that control Europe & the Mediterranean and has africa as Colony
 
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