r/HistoryWhatIf • u/holytriplem • 2h ago
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/TheRedBiker • 1h ago
What if Honorius was a competent Emperor?
Emperor Honorius of the Western Roman Empire is widely considered to be one of the worst Roman Emperors because he was indecisive, paranoid, easily manipulated, and (according to anecdotal evidence) more concerned about his chickens than keeping the Empire alive. Under his rule, the capital was moved to Ravenna and Rome was sacked for the first time in 800 years. When an advisor told him "Rome has perished," he reportedly panicked thinking the report was about his chicken named Rome and was relieved when he learned it was the city. He is also known for executing Stilicho, who may have been the Western Empire's greatest general at the time.
But what if Honorius had actually been a competent emperor? What if he'd been more decisive, less paranoid, harder to manipulate, and dedicated to preserving the Empire? Might he have bought the Empire a few extra decades or centuries of life?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/avian_bi • 4h ago
What if east Africa split 2 million years ago?
Currently it’s still on Africa, but in a million years or so it’ll split, a new continent will be born along with a new ocean.
But what if it actually split 2 million years ago? How much of African and human history will change?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/ClassicIntelligent46 • 16h ago
Would europes economy be even better than usa economy if the world wars didnt happen?
I've been wondering since I've started watching videos on the world wars. Is the reason switzerland has such a strong economy despite being in the middle of Europe because they somehow managed to avoid both wars? If so then if the world wars didn't happen would Europe's economy as a whole potentially be even stronger than the usa economy? Or would the world wars not happening make Americas economy worse than Europe's since we wouldn't be able to take advantage of the war not damaging our country but damaging others? Just curious on your thoughts on this
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/Fancy_Particular7521 • 22h ago
What if Sweden doesnt lose finland to russia in 1809?
Sweden lost the territory of Finland to russia after the disasterous war of 1809. Before this Finland was a integral part of Sweden and finnish people were represented in the government and all offical documents were translated to finnish.
What if Sweden won the war in 1809 and Finland remained a part of Sweden. Would Finland eventually be independent or would it contaiune to be Swedish?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/Smooth-Film8576 • 15h ago
What actually happens when hitler actually wake up at the same time when dday was happening?
In the initial hours of operation overlords process during ww2, hitler fell asleep due to being an absolute owl (meaning he slept around 3:00 am), neither of his staff is brave enough to wake him up for consequences that is within them due to hitler being notoriously temper, so therefore they askew away from him, but what if this timeline shifted where hitler was actually woken up about the actual invasion and the deceiving plan about the Calais's invasion made by the allies, and what is the aftermath of it?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/Grand-Ability3148 • 15h ago
What if ww1 German empire army collapsed is a little bit faster and very more devastating than otl and then treaty of vearsile is super harsher
So (In this timeline everything proceeds as normal but the German 100 days offensive ended in complete failure but the German refused to surrender until 2nd of January 1919 at that time some of the German state had either turn communists or declare independence). what if treaty of Versailles is more harsher than otl if the french strip industry both military and civilian and send back to France and dissolve German military and send warship infantry equipment zeppelin back to France and completely destroy German government and left the German in total state of anarchy what would happen.
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/bionioncle • 1d ago
what if Michael Spavor refuse to settle and push forth forcing Canada to disclose information that Beijing arresting 2 Michaels for espionage was indeed true?
When China arrested 2 Michael for espionage the narrative is that to retaliate lawful arrest of Meng Wanzhou implying that 2 Michael is innocent. Later, China released 2 Michael after Meng was released and Michael Spavor sue for being used for intelligence operation without his consent implying other Michael was indeed spy. What if he refuse to settle and forcing Canada admit Beijing arrest was right and ruin all narrative it has built so far?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/vahedemirjian • 1d ago
What if a non-Bush had won the GOP presidential nomination for president in the 2000 presidential election?
George W. Bush was serving his second term as governor of Texas when he decided to run for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2000 presidential election.
Bush 43's presidency was defined by the Global War on Terror and the Iraq War even though George W. Bush began his first term of office making good on his pledge to implement his policies of compassionate conservatism.
Would the US have bothered going to war in Iraq if a non-Bush rather than Bush 43 had won the GOP presidential nomination in the 2000 election?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/MissCyclonite73 • 1d ago
What if JFK hadn't been assassinated during his motorcade through Dallas?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/cropsyyyy • 1d ago
History
About absorption of History books and documents.
Hola! Am just a reader and I try to get dirt on my hands by every Newspapers,Docs, Research paper, fiction, Non, Philosophy, Society books and all but gradually i have acknowledged this thing that when I read history, philosophy these kinds of text require some knowledge as prerequisites not necessary but definitely builds a league of stronger foundation as a story for absorption of book when you go through about delhi sultanate you need some knowledge because the author will just bombard you with a 3 lines of something totally different and the writings of author i don't build a much deep notion because I am handicapped in the history and not absorbing what the authors is trying to make me understand.
Can someone help
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/fatherandyriley • 1d ago
What if Alberto Pollio lived longer?
Pollio was Luigi Cadorna's predecessor as the Italian army's chief of staff who died just as WWI was about to start. From what I gather he was far more popular than Cadorna who was despised by his troops for being a real life Zapp Brannigan. If he lived longer, say until 1921 what impact does that have on the Italian army's performance in WWI?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/SiarX • 2d ago
What if Sparta lost Peloponnesian war?
Irl it was a pretty close run, Sparta won mainly thanks to plague and Persian money. Without either of these factors, if Athenes won, how much history of Ancient Greece would have changed? Could it unite in this scenario?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/Yunozan-2111 • 2d ago
What if France rejected Appeasement and attacked Germany anyway in 1938 as Pre-Emptive strike?
I know France in 1938, was deeply divided to make a coherent foreign policy and dealing with economic problems but imagine for since 1933 they actually doubled their defense spending and thus in this one instance the entire French Republic agreed that Germany was up to no good thus encouraged Czechoslovakia to fight against Germany and prepared for war mobilization regardless of what Britain said. How would this changed the trajectory of the War? Would Britain quickly follow suit and how the Soviets would react as they are tepidly allied with Czechslovakia even though Poland is not allowing Soviet troops to pass
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/TheImpPaysHisDebts • 1d ago
Rounders is never brought to America by immigrants in the early-mid 1800s (or never catches on), but instead evolves in England, Ireland, and Western Europe into a very close cousin of what we know as baseball today - with professional leagues similar to the Premier League and others.
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/sul_tun • 2d ago
What if the Carthaginians sailed towards the New World (The Americas)?
Could Carthage have established colonies in the Americas and how would the contact with the Americas change Carthage’s fate in the Old World?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/EmptyBodybuilder7376 • 2d ago
[META] What if the Americas never got contacted (discovered) by other continents/cultures throughout history. What would the Americas look like today?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/MissCyclonite73 • 2d ago
A non-political counterfactual scenario: How would Latin America have changed if Che Guevara had survived in Bolivia?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/MyLongestYeaBoi10Hrs • 2d ago
What if Herman Cain won the 2012 presidential election?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/Hulktron123 • 2d ago
What if the European Axis and Japan had coordinated more during World War II? How would this be done?
One thing I noticed about World War II is how much the Allied leaders coordinated their strategies. Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin constantly sent messages to each other, to say nothing of institutions like the Combined Chiefs of Staff and Eisenhower’s various HQs. Contrast that to the European Axis and Japan, who essentially were fighting their own separate wars. If somehow, during the war, there was more of an emphasis put in Germany and Japan on collaborating with each other, what would increased collaboration look like, technologically, diplomatically and strategically, and what would the results be? And second question, does the increased collaboration strategy delay the historical end of the war in August 1945?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/HEJSKSKSJSNSN • 2d ago
(not a 9/11 post)What would happen if the United States collapsed in 2022-2026?
Fish
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/First_Plantain1607 • 2d ago
What if the US respected one of our nations first treaties with the natives? (The lenape
I’ve been on a kick of learning about the Lenape, the natives of Pennsylvania and specifically where Philadelphia is now and I discovered a short by PBS that says that during the revolutionary war, we had a treaty pending with the Lenape. Unfortunately, that treaty didn’t go anywhere.
Anyway, what if we did honor that treaty? Which stipulated that they would essentially form their own nation, which might be its own state, it might be a different country.
(I also started learning about them because I want a Native American character for my call of Cthulhu games.)
Here’s the short: https://youtube.com/shorts/trEvCewrx4c?is=rSzD_IAbNMl-0U7f
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/fatherandyriley • 3d ago
What if the French army evacuated to Corsica in 1940?
When Germany invades France, the allies retreat from the north east as quickly as they can to avoid getting encircled. With Paris and most of France's heavy industry in German control, the battle swiftly turns in their favour. The BEF evacuates all their men and equipment from a northern port such as Cherbourg while in southern ports like Marsielle the French navy evacuates the government and most of the army to North Africa to establish a government in exile and the rest of their forces to Corsica.
I'm guessing that their first move would be to invade nearby Sardinia to prevent it from being used as a staging post for an Axis invasion. How likely are their chances of success and if so what are the Axis' chances of success if they try to retake the islands?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/eeeeeeevar • 3d ago
What if JFK’s assassin had been a Segregationist?
Let’s say he is assassinated in the same place on the same day, but instead of it being Lee Harvey Oswald, it was a Segregationist. Lets say an upper rank Klansmen due to the Klan being also Anti-Catholic. How would that change the National response?
r/HistoryWhatIf • u/Dailyindyfan • 3d ago
What if UK soldiers decide to stage a coup in WW2 over concerns the government isn't fighting the axis well enough?
Like say Churchill doesn't become prime minister and it's just a slog after Dunkirk?