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Top 10 Alternate History Timeline Ideas
This is a direct continuation to yesterday's thread. Many of the suggestions were eliminated because there are already excellent timelines on the board about that subject. I don’t like wanks, so most of those ideas were scratched out. I also went ahead and eliminated a few topics that, as far as I can see, would literally require ASB intervention. This still left well over twenty suggestions; narrowing them down to a top ten was difficult enough. And so, I am asking for your help yet again.
A word of warning, just because a timeline wins the poll does not mean it will be the one I write. This is just to help me narrow it down some more. The one I do will probably be in the top three though, or at least top five. One last thing: READ BELOW BEFORE VOTING!
Ming China Continues Exploration This idea popped into my head in AP World History today as I listened to my teacher lecture on the Ming dynasty. What if China had continued its exploration of the early 15th century rather than pull back? Could China prevent the Europeans from gaining a foothold in East Asia? Might they even establish colonies in the Americas? For this to be believable, a motive must be established, possibly requiring a POD predating the first voyage. I have some ideas (get rid of Confucianism as a major force) that could accomplish this.
Thanks to Admiral Matt for reminding me with his “Chinese India” one-liner.
Successful American Third Party I have two political timelines I have worked off and on with. The first, which is in a bit of a more mature stage, focuses on what if the Progressive Party of Robert Lafollette in the election of 1924 had done slightly better and then hung around until the Great Depression, upon which it is catapulted to major party status. This idea would have enough ripples for a plausible alt-world War II and 20th century in general. It is by far the more ambitious of the two projects.
Your second option for an American third party is a little closer to home. What if a botched assassination of Ross Perot in 1992 caused him to do better in the election? In my outline, he still loses, but becomes the first independent candidate to win electoral votes and goes on to establish a much stronger Reform Party that runs Colin Powell in 1996. This would feature an alternate development of the internet and much different War on Terrorism, among other things. The shorter time span allows me to go more in-depth than in the Progressive Party scenario.
Thanks to nerdknight01 for reminding me of those projects. And to Alternatehistorybuff, whose “no Holocaust” suggestion might be incorporated into the first idea (at the very least a limited Holocaust).
Compact Rome This timeline would feature a territorially smaller Roman Republic, as opposed to the sprawling empire of our timeline. My point of divergence is the survival of Viriathus, who would go on to lead the Lusitania to victory in the Numantine Wars and establish an Iberian state. This would butterfly into a more complete disaster at the hands of the Cimbri and Teutons later on.
Thanks to sudfamsci for giving me the idea. Berserker and Xwarq, if I go with this option will try to fit in a surviving Dacian kingdom and Byzantion Empire.
Imperial Chichen Itza 9 Fanged Hummingbird’s suggestion is the only American POD to make the poll. The challenge is to make Chichen Itza, a powerful Mesoamerican city-state predating the Aztecs, the premier Mesoamerican power until European arrival. I haven’t given this one a whole bunch of thought but the idea certainly intrigued me. How do you guys feel about a system resembling the Chinese Mandate of Heaven and the dynastic cycle appearing indigenously in the Americas?
House of Hohenstaufen What if Frederick II was succeeded by a strong, direct male heir? The idea here is to make the Holy Roman Empire into a centralized state. I am thinking of contrasting this with a decentralized France.
Thanks to The Professor for that one.
Union of Prussia and Denmark I’m a bit fuzzy on this idea. European history between Napoleon and World War II is one of my weakest areas of history. On the plus side, installing the Hohenzollerns in Copenhagen would certainly be a learning exercise. I will still need to search for a good POD but color me interested.
Thanks to Whanztastic for proposing this one.
A Land of Kings This one is for all you Monarcho-philes out there. The object is to prevent the signing of the Magna Carter and the establishment of a Constitutional Monarchy in England. Thus, this timeline will keep John Lackland off the throne, possibly by never embarking on the Third Crusade, and allow Richard the Lionheart to plant the seeds for an Absolutist state. I may try to combine this with the House of Hohenstaufen idea for a grand alt-Europe timeline.
To sate the Scottish appetites of people like Elfwine, The British Scotsman, and yourworstnightmare, I would be sure to try and include a good bit on Scotland, though I am unsure what direction I would take the northern land in.
No Hegemony in North America I worked on a similar idea a while ago but thanks to Jajax for both reminding me and giving it a whole new twist. What if the Mexican American War is a pathetic failure for the United States? We’re not talking about a Mexico-wank, they may still turn out just as weak or at least in balance to this timeline’s United States. We would see numerous independent states in the west. However, Manifest Destiny might not be completely extinguished, only diverted southwards to the wealthy Caribbean islands.
The Great Migrations- A Saxon Tale For this timeline’s Saxon population, the Great Migrations of the mid first-millennium do not stop, they simply come to a temporary rest. Eventually, we will see Saxons in America, among other things. The POD I was thinking of was having Harold Hardrada win the English throne after the death of Edward the Confessor. This could lead to Saxon interaction with the Icelandic peoples. Throw in some incentive for the Saxon people to leave and you might see several groups of Saxons travelling west after the old legends of Vinland.
Thanks to Bavarian Raven for this epic idea. As a side note, this has the potential to take more of a narrative form than the other timelines.
Bad Queen Bess Don’t string me up from a tree quite yet. Elizabeth I, the most beloved Monarch, personally didn’t do much of note. What if, through a combination of different childhood experiences, the Queen was more daring while retaining her individualist streak? Could we see a United Kingdom of England and the Netherlands? Regardless, the conceit is to make her a competent ruler who is looked upon negatively by future generations; an opposite to her actual self. Among other things, this timeline might see England’s imperialistic forays much more limited than our time line’s.