Latest plausible OTL America ASB

OK, what is the latest you can move where an ATL forum would call OTL an "Ameriwank ASB"? Somewhere where America is a fairly decent nation, maybe "first-and-a halfth" level power, but not a world hegemonic superpower.
 
Heck, if humanity turned out to have a real problem with nuclear weapons--like people simply treated them like normal weapons, the United State's destruction would appear inevitable, and other nations would learn to build deep underground, to safety. The United States, relying so heavily on oceans for its defense, failed to adapt to a model of war where "everyone that isn't 120' underground dies", so they're as dead as a dinosaur.

With a PoD of 1961, you could therefore add in a third and fourth world war to entirely beat the hell out of the United States and knock them out of ever being able to claim membership to a first world nation. Just keep glassing American cities and they'll stop getting built.
 
Maybe. Probably result in lots of mushroom clouds and ATL discusions by campfires if at all.
I was thinking pre-1900, that was why I posted it here.
 
Probably the ACW. Once a united U.S.A. became industrialized, it was inevitable that it would become a world power (maybe not the world power, but certainly a world power). During the ACW however, the entire nation could have concievably broken up (a la USSR). In a world in which this had happened, they'd definitely see OTL as ASB.
 
Possible for a WWI with a neutral Britain and Germany executing a Russia first strategy. US does not experience the explosive industrial growth during WWI as the UK takes up the slack.

In the twenties and thirties the UK, Germany and Japan divide China into spheres of influence. Without the civil war and WWII Russia would be economically stronger than OTL. Decolonization may have been delayed until the sixties or seventies.
 
Probably the ACW. Once a united U.S.A. became industrialized, it was inevitable that it would become a world power (maybe not the world power, but certainly a world power). During the ACW however, the entire nation could have concievably broken up (a la USSR). In a world in which this had happened, they'd definitely see OTL as ASB.

I think this is too late. If they lived in a world where the US is broken up, they'd all be imagining what it would be like if the US was still together, and may even think it would be even better than OTL (grass is greener scenario). I'd say before the Mexican American War, is the latest you can really go. Because the Mexican American War is a mini-wank in itself. Once you pass that, America is almost twice as big as it was (and Mexico is 1/3 as big as it was), its dreams of manifest destiny go from delusion to fact, and it's already on its way to industrialization.
 
Is it plausible that America lose the American Mexican War? I read someone here who said American victory was pre-determined. But either keeping Mexico together or at least giving its lost territory to Britain or someone else sounds like a good idea for what I am looking for (I am not well versed on the AMW).
 
I think power is relative, so even the 60s is late enough to put a serious curb on American relative power.

Personally the best scenario is a WW1 where Germany wins and forms a customs and military Union in Central europe, the Soviets go through OTL and Britain and France form a customs and military union at home and throughout their empires. This leaves much of the world stitched-up without US involvement and US as the largest of 4 superpower blocs.

But other stuff can put a cramp on US power; the successful placement of nukes in Cuba or Britain turning away from the US after Suez and remaining a minor world power. These don't stop the US being a superpower, but frustrate the US in a real way.
 
But if the US is a superpower, it would not be an "ASB wank" to make it the world hegemon. I want something where a person would say "no way the USA could be the world's sole superpower". Maybe get it stuck with England and Mexico owning western North America. Or even a French Louisiana?
 
In a truly multipolar world the US couldn't become the sole superpower because of a multiplicity of rivals. The US may have a similar core power level as IOTL but should one of the other superpowers wane the US would still face others with significant power.
 
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