My first real timeline

Which Idea Might be Best?

  • The English Habsburgs

    Votes: 15 48.4%
  • Monarchs and Cannibals

    Votes: 3 9.7%
  • Saint Galileo

    Votes: 8 25.8%
  • The Earthly Empires

    Votes: 6 19.4%
  • French Amérique

    Votes: 9 29.0%
  • The Last Good Pope

    Votes: 8 25.8%

  • Total voters
    31
  • Poll closed .
So I’ve been posting here for about a month so I believe it is time for me to write a TL. I have a few ideas and want to know what you guys think. Like in my “Timeline 191 Might be a Stranger World than what it Seems” thread (see below) I will try to focus more on cultural differences rather than political / military ones. Although political /military will of course be present as they affect each other.
So here are the ideas:

The English Habsburgs –Catherine of Aragon gives a son to Henry VIII. The English Reformation never happens. Henry keeps the title Defender of the Faith and stays a staunch Catholic that persecutes heretics. England and Scotland never merge. Ties with the Habsburgs become ever so stronger to the point that a Habsburg will sit in the English throne. France goes protestant and the colonization of The Americas is entirely different as protestant nations struggle power.

Monarchs and Cannibals – This is an idea I’ve been trying to work on for a few weeks already. Basically both the American and French revolution go haywire, as a result Europe crumbles creating a huge vacuum of power in the world. This allows minor nations, some which were still European, colonies at the time, to grow as they new world powers into the 20th century. A bit ASB and a bit of a wank since medium size nations of today (Brazil, India, Iran, amongst others) will be the world powers and superpowers by the 1970s.

Saint Galileo – Cardinal Bellarmino dies early in his life or is never born or never rises to become influential. As a consequence catholic opposition to the Copernican World System (the heliocentric universe) is not as strong. Galileo Galilei publishes his Dialogue on the two Chief World Systems early and in a somewhat more moderate fashion. Catholic universities stay on the academic avant-garde. The separation of natural philosophy into science and magic never happens. The notion of a scientific God survives to this day.

The Earthly Empires – There is life in our Solar System outside Earth and it is similar to that of Earth (its 100% ASB but that is cool). Venus, Mars, and a full fledge planet where the asteroid belt lies all have plate tectonics, water and life. The Space race of the 20th century quickly becomes the race to dominate the Solar System. I will use analogies to the colonization of the Americas.

French Amérique – France has a completely different attitude in regards to its American colonies leading to a much more successful 7 years war. Even after being able to keep its American colonies France is bankrupted earlier, leading to an early but much more moderate French Revolution, that leaves it as a constitutional monarchy. France and Britain then compete for expansion into Western North America.

The Last Good Pope – Pope Gregory the Great dies early in his life, or is never born, or never becomes influential. As a consequence Christianity takes a completely different turn, as the Eastern / Western schism never occurs and the missionary work in the north is not endorsed. This would be the thinnes spread of all timelines as I would attempt to take it up to the 1500s (around the time of the Reformation) which will happen in a completely dfrent form here.
 
I only voted for the English Hapsburgs because that's the one I'd like to see the most, but they all seem pretty good, for example that St. Galileo idea sounds interesting, now I kind of regret not voting for that as well...
 
I'm torn between the last good pope and the French Amerique; but English Hapsburg sounds awesome. I also like the idea of also focusing on cultural divergences more.
 
Why would France become protestant due to England not Reforming and becoming unified with Scotland?

I voted for French Ameriqué, partly because I recently tried making a map of the period, and also because it seems a very plausible idea. (The more success in the war aspect.)
 
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