"Non-historical PODs"?

Velkas

I was looking through the wiki, and I found this article, which grabbed my interest:

Description Most PoDs focus on events as they happened (the more spectacular the event, the more people tend to think about alternative outcomes). But there are quite a few times where history could have taken completely different turns more or less “out of the blue”. Wars could have started much earlier or later, technologies could have developed completely differently, and so on. Most wars and other developments started from rather minor events. Such events could have happened at any time.

PoDs


  • Earlier WWI due to Morocco crisis, against Russia in 1905, or at any other time.

  • WWII started not by Germany (in Europe), but by another country - Germany trying to unite with Austria in 1934 and Italy intervening, Britain trying to stop communist Russia from liberating her colonies, and so on.

  • A Later American Civil War, usualy by giving more concessions to the South.

  • A Earlier American Civil War, some “sparking points” are often the South Carolina Nullification Crisis of 1832, or the Compromise of 1850 falling though.
Click to expand...
So, my question is, what other such PODs can you think of?

Very vague question, I know, but I just want to see what everyone can come up with (or what's already been used in timelines).
 

Elfwine

I'm not sure I'd say any of those are out of the blue, but for "minor" PODs:

The famous Special Order 191 scenario. There are several ways that could be derailed.

Changing to someone at birth - Wilhelm II not being deformed by botched doctoring, for instance.

Changes to someone before birth. Edward VI born a female. Elizabeth I born a male. Etc.

Death in accidents - The White Ship disaster involving William Aedlin, say.
 

Dathi THorfinnsson

Elfwine said:
I'm not sure I'd say any of those are out of the blue, but for "minor" PODs:

The famous Special Order 191 scenario. There are several ways that could be derailed.

Changing to someone at birth - Wilhelm II not being deformed by botched doctoring, for instance.

Changes to someone before birth. Edward VI born a female. Elizabeth I born a male. Etc.

Death in accidents - The White Ship disaster involving William Aedlin, say.
Click to expand...
More to what I see as the point of the OP, you could have e.g. Edward II of England be competent (like his dad and son), or have a different Louis of France have the skills of L XIV. Or an HRE Emperor that no one's ever heard of centralize and unify the HRE.
 

Velkas

All interesting ideas, but I was thinking more of such events as wars and revolutions being set off by different chains of events, and thus occurring very differently: taking place at a different time, leading to greater success to one of the sides involved, or even a war occurring where it didn't in OTL. Any ideas of such occurrences?
 

Dilys95

Banned
avatar2.jpg
I'm not sure I'd say any of those are out of the blue, but for "minor" PODs:
 

willbell

The thing about out of the blue is that it is hard to see where they can happen, an example might be a revolution in the Roman Empire after the death of "Christ".
 

Nicksplace27

Theodore Gladstone said:
Perhaps someone trips on a carpet? Of course, no one knows how that could change anything.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Look To The West!

Also, aren't these the most common PODs? Small changes which have a huge impact soon after they happen?

On the other hand there are quite a few TLs which have big butterflies pretty far after the POD. Lands of Red and Gold and The Bloody Man come to mind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top