Biggest "You Blew it!" moments in History (Pre-1900)

[Silver01]

Considering how much land the Sasanian armies conquered despite all their issues, I don't think it's that farfetched for them to occupy all of Anatolia (and basically restore the Achaemenid Empire in the process) and then guard it from Byzantine counterattacks. That could be achieved by having Heraclius be overthrown in 610 or, alternatively, having him lose his nerve and flee to Carthage as some think he almost did. If the war ends in, say, 620 (eight years earlier than OTL), the empire would have more breathing space before the Arabs arrive in force.

Considering that Khosrau was 58 when he was murdered, I don't think he would live much longer than OTL. Knowing him, however, he'd probably still find a way to screw something up before he kicked the bucket.


Should Wikipedia be correct, Kavad may not take the throne ITTL since Khosrow's preferred heir (and thus most likely successor) was Mardanshah. The article doesn't say anything about him though.

Khavad I and khosrow I lived to their 70s the genetics so khosrow II could live for another 15 years and even then I think his relationship with shabaraz and others could be horribly strain it wouldn't be the first rebellion against him
As for khavad even if he doesn't get to power he might very well start a civil war due to the rising factionalism of the sassanids generals that could very well happen in the alternative timeline due to khosrow II paranoia

 

[Bbone91]

The assassination of Alexander II in 1881. You had a genuinely reform-minded Tsar trying to draghis country kicking and screaming intothe modern age, and you then kill him because you’re not happy with the pace of reforms, ensuring his more dogmatic son takes over,likely ensuring the end of the Tsar.

 

[Nmale]

U.S. declaring the war of 1812 without almost any preparation whatsoever. We’re lucky we got off so easy...

 

[redjirachi]

U.S. declaring the war of 1812 without almost any preparation whatsoever. We’re lucky we got off so easy...

And they call James Madison a good president

The Gunpowder plot conspiracists giving a warning to likeminded allies in advance. Look, I know you want to be a bro but you really shouldn't give anyone a tip-off to what you're doing.

Ivan the Terrible killing his son in a drunken row is certainly an OOF moment

 

[Inquisition]

The Gunpowder plot conspiracists giving a warning to likeminded allies in advance. Look, I know you want to be a bro but you really shoul

The Gunpowder Plot was basically a lesson in how not to plan an assassination/coup. It makes me chuckle a little when one remembers that Fawkes’s alias during the plot was John Johnson, which is bad enough, but they rented the undercroft for the plot under their real names.

 

[VVD0D95]

The assassination of Alexander II in 1881. You had a genuinely reform-minded Tsar trying to draghis country kicking and screaming intothe modern age, and you then kill him because you’re not happy with the pace of reforms, ensuring his more dogmatic son takes over,likely ensuring the end of the Tsar.

Reformists are never satisfied, give them an inch and they want a mile.

 

[Sarthak]

Great Northern War: Sweden tossed away its mighty empire in a bungled war against Russia.

To be fair the Russians attacked first.

 

[Sarthak]

Napoleon's takeover of Iberia.
If that's not a greater you blew it moment I don't know what is

 

[Mikestone8]

The Pierce Administration supporting the repeal of the Missouri Compromise in 1854 - and half the Northern Democrats in the HoR for going along.

If only anothr dozen Northern Dems had been prepared to vote no, quite a bit of trouble might have been saved.

 

[SunKing105]

The assassination of Alexander II in 1881. You had a genuinely reform-minded Tsar trying to draghis country kicking and screaming intothe modern age, and you then kill him because you’re not happy with the pace of reforms, ensuring his more dogmatic son takes over,likely ensuring the end of the Tsar.

He was only reform-minded by the standards of Russian Tsars. The Poles would like to have a word with you.

 

[Bbone91]

He was only reform-minded by the standards of Russian Tsars. The Poles would like to have a word with you.

Fair point. Gramted, that is a fairly low bar to hurdle.

 

[Nmale]

The Pierce Administration supporting the repeal of the Missouri Compromise in 1854 - and half the Northern Democrats in the HoR for going along.

If only anothr dozen Northern Dems had been prepared to vote no, quite a bit of trouble might have been saved.

I was also gonna say that, but I think no matter what a civil war would’ve been inevitable. By 1850 the issue wasn’t going away, but no Kansas-Nebraska Act certainly would’ve put off the war a couple of years or so.

 

[sampleswift]

Buchanan not doing anything about the slavery question is a you blew it? (Especially Lecompton, which may have the award of worst presidential response to a domestic crisis)?

 

[Noblesse Oblige]

The assassination of Alexander II in 1881. You had a genuinely reform-minded Tsar trying to draghis country kicking and screaming intothe modern age, and you then kill him because you’re not happy with the pace of reforms, ensuring his more dogmatic son takes over,likely ensuring the end of the Tsar.

Of that I agree, but considering the Assassins in question were looking for the end of the Tsardom anyway, I'm not sure it'd even matter.

 

[Bbone91]

Of that I agree, but considering the Assassins in question were looking for the end of the Tsardom anyway, I'm not sure it'd even matter.

Yeah. It’s a case of not thinking things through.

 

[Mikestone8]

I was also gonna say that, but I think no matter what a civil war would’ve been inevitable. By 1850 the issue wasn’t going away, but no Kansas-Nebraska Act certainly would’ve put off the war a couple of years or so.

How do you get that estimate? It would either be no change at all or a lot more than two years.

No Nebraska Act probably means no Bleeding Kansas, which in turn likely means no Dred Scott decision as we know it. Since there are no other territories where slavery is a serious prospect In 1860 NM and UT had only a few dozen slaves between them, though it had been legal there for a decade. So there's no reason for a free-soil POTUS too be elected any time soon (though a Know-Nothing one might have leanings that way, it wouldn't be his big issue) so I don't see what triggers a secession crisis any time soon.

 

[sampleswift]

Was the sack of Baghdad destroying much of its knowledge a "You Blew It" moment? Seems like it with the volume of knowledge lost.

 

[TRH]

Was the sack of Baghdad destroying much of its knowledge a "You Blew It" moment? Seems like it with the volume of knowledge lost.

The people who did it didn't really value that knowledge, and the consequences were suffered by people other than them, so eh.