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  1. Aurelian vs Trajan

    Aurelian's reign, though short, was an incredibly important step in the resolution of the Crisis of the Third Century - the political fragmentation of the Empire was reversed, the external threats were deflected, the Empire's political stability was superficially restored. But it was only a...

  2. POD for prolonged Roman Survival

    Get rid of Mohammed and the Arab invasion and the Roman Empire doesn't suffer catastrophic territorial collapse of the 7th century. Retaining control of Egypt, the Near East and North Africa, and having just inflicted a terrible defeat on the Persians, the Empire has at least momentary security...

  3. Europe United: Where would the Capital be?

    Assuming no territorial bias in the government of this empire, the logical place for the capital would be somewhere in the German lands, probably close to the Danube or Rhine to exploit those trade and communication arteries. Vienna or Frankfurt, maybe.

  4. Roman Border on The Wesser River?

    Interesting idea. I guess the main advantages of the Rhine frontier compared to the Weser frontier are 1) the Rhine is more useful logistically since it reaches further inland and can accommodate a greater volume of shipping 2) the Rhine is closer to the important supply lines up the Rhone...

  5. AHC: Humans as genetically diverse as dogs?

    Domesticated dogs have such a diverse array of phenotypes because of artificial selection. Different lines have been consistently bred over many generations to emphasize and maintain certain traits. Unless you have artificial selection going on in human groups that level of diversity isn't...

  6. If the Anglo-Saxons persist, what do they do next?

    History is indeed written by the victors.

  7. AHC: Surviving Sibir

    You need to keep Siberia free of the influence of more populous and organized states. This is going to be very difficult, given that by the time the Khanate of Sibir was founded in the 15th century (the POD) Russia was clearly in the ascendant over the Tatars and the main obstacle to their...

  8. A Western Roman state Survives into the Medieval Ages

    All these posts claiming that the Romans could simply have consolidated their forces into more easily defensible lines are missing the point. By the 4th century the Roman state, particularly in the West where it had less 'Roman' manpower to draw on had come to heavily rely on Germanic barbarians...

  9. If the Anglo-Saxons persist, what do they do next?

    Generally, we can expect the English economy to expand in the same way under the continuing native English kings as it did under the Norman and French kings. This will allow a similar expansion of power into other corners of the British Isles, for which there is a precedent in pre-1066 England...

  10. If the Anglo-Saxons persist, what do they do next?

    Actually, as of 1066 England was relatively wealthy, boasting a well-developed administration with an effective system of taxation. As to the weakness of the forces available to the English, consider the fact that they very nearly repelled two foreign invasions within one year in 1066. From the...

  11. WI: Columbus's voyage is held up 3 days

    Well, the most interesting possibility is that the fateful journey could be made by an explorer sponsored by some other European country, undercutting Spain's potential position in the New World and changing the entire basis of European economic and political climates. That would certainly be a...

  12. DBWI: The Visigoths conquered by the Moors?

    This would depend on how entrenched the Muslim state in Iberia becomes. Visigothia had the resources to fund these expeditions because it had a secure position in the Iberian peninsula. If this theoretical Muslim state manages to extend dominion over the entire peninsula and remain a cohesive...

  13. WI: Columbus's voyage is held up 3 days

    Insignificant. Columbus' voyage wasn't a freak one in a million occurrence, the naval and navigational technology available to Europeans had reached a point where there was no way the New World would remain undiscovered for long, it was just a matter of time. Consider how far afield the...

  14. Maltese Empire?

    The issue is this: although Malta is in a strong strategic position it has a very small population and very few natural resources. Malta could never, for example, field a real navy or army without outside aid, and thus empire building is impossible. Political influence cannot be sustained...

  15. Why didn't the mongols invade India?

    I believe the Khwarezmshahs were Persianate Turks - much like the Seljuks and other contemporary dynasties in Central Asia and Iran.

  16. How To Preserve The Roman Republic

    If Rome is going to have an extensive territory then it absolutely needs a professional standing army, whether established by Marius or another military reformer. Without the ability to station legions for long periods of time in distant frontier regions, the Roman state can't expand...

  17. Can the Ottomans turn into a Colonial Power?

    Unfortunately, I don't know enough about economic activity in the Ottoman Empire to comment on this. I assume, given the amount of trade passing through the empire in the 16th century, that there is a large merchant class overseeing at least some of it. I doubt it had anything close to the...

  18. Can the Ottomans turn into a Colonial Power?

    With hindsight, maybe, but historically plausible scenarios need to take into account the perceptions and motivations of the people taking part in events at the time. The Ottomans had many reasons to engage in this expansion that 500 years later we deem pointless and wasteful: the deflection of...

  19. Can the Ottomans turn into a Colonial Power?

    The simple fact is that the Ottoman Empire has many concerns closer to home that will compete with such efforts. The protracted wars in the Balkans and particularly with Persia, the need to contest the Mediterranean, these are extremely expensive commitments - and more than that, they occupied...

  20. Can the Ottomans turn into a Colonial Power?

    In the 16th century, the Ottoman Empire is blocked from expanding into the Indian Ocean by the Portuguese and other European trading powers - unless the Ottomans abandon critical strategic interests in the heart of their power, the Mediterranean - something I think would be politically...
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