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So, I'm just seeing how people think whether this could work for a timeline. As, I hope, most of us history buffs on here already know- it isn't a matter of Columbus was a genius for knowing the Earth was round, EVERYONE knew the Earth was round already, the problem was Columbus thought the Earth was smaller than it was. What if Spain, like everyone else, told Columbus he was an idiot and we all know the size of the Earth (because we already did back then) and it isn't possible to sail to China going west because you'll die from starvation, thirst, and scurvy; not from sailing off an edge. So, my thought with this POD is that then you still have Portugal going around Africa and soon enough Portugal is going to have an all-water route to India and the Spice Islands and China with no middle men; plus gold from the Gold Coast and slaves from Angola, and all the other neat stuff from that route. Spain may be tempted, thanks to its holding in Italy and North Africa to decide to outflank the Portuguese by taking Egypt and having access to the Red Sea; the route, even with portage across the Suez Isthmus and not a canal, I believe would be quicker. Is this feasible that Spain may attempt it, and if they do can they succeed in being more successful in the 1500s than the Crusades were 500 years earlier? If you agree it's possible feel free to speculate on how history proceeds from there.
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