Intriguing maps that reveal alternate histories

There are games devoted to this, best known is probably Europa Universalis IV [1] and the corresponding reddit [2] often shows maps in alternate histories, aptly named "map porn".

There are challenging achievements in the game, such as:

- Become the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire as Spain.

- As Byzantium, restore the old borders (i.e., stop and reverse the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century)

- As France, own Vienna, Berlin and Moscow.

You can picture the maps that this produces. Also, it's a great way to learn about history.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_Universalis_IV

[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/eu4/

Re: Intriguing maps that reveal alternate histories

#6

Post by Someone » Wed, Nov 11, 2020, 8:51 AM UTC

the_only_law wrote: post #2

Shame the images are too low resolution to read well.

Slightly better:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sobel_North_America.... (457 × 429 pixels)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Man_In_The_High_Cast... (Max 1,428 × 638 pixels)

Re: Intriguing maps that reveal alternate histories

#7

Post by lifeisstillgood » Wed, Nov 11, 2020, 9:07 AM UTC

So there is a fairly big and active community about Alternatice histories. AlternateHistory.com is by far the biggest and there are active youtube channels

One of the biggest you tubers recently got outed following a white supremiscit rant - and that is one of the bigger "smells" around the community - histories of "what if the Nazis won and what if the South won US civil war" can spring not from curiosity but yearning.

I personally enjoy WhatIfAltHist as a channel, partly because he is fairly front and centre about his own political (rather centrist and boring) (small p) views.

The big takeaway I have found is that I learn something interesting about our real timeline history and about our real geopolitics - how England supported the creation of Portugal through the middle ages, or the extent Tamerlane changed Europe by killing everyone. And just how contingent the world is.

So yeah it's a fascinating area, tread carefully, I have only dipped my toes in, but it can be very eye opening.

Re: Intriguing maps that reveal alternate histories

#8

Post by feralimal » Wed, Nov 11, 2020, 9:12 AM UTC

On maps, I find it surprising and hilarious that the UN has a flat earth map on its logo!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_Nations

Re: Intriguing maps that reveal alternate histories

#9

Post by Apocryphon » Wed, Nov 11, 2020, 9:17 AM UTC

lifeisstillgood wrote: post #7

So there is a fairly big and active community about Alternatice histories. AlternateHistory.com is by far the biggest and there are active youtube channels One of the biggest you tubers recently got outed following a white supremiscit rant - and that is one of the bigger "smells" around the community - histories of "what if the Nazis won and what if the South won US civil war" can spring not from curiosity but yearni…

Alternate history fosters systemic thinking to understand outcomes and consider how they could have been altered to create other realities. In doing so, it teaches amateur history, sociology, economics, and other subjects through the reverse-engineering of historical events, to different extents of rigor. Along the way you definitely spot interesting overlooked patterns, such as the long-lived ancient Anglo-Portuguese alliance.

It's also the basis for a lot of creative works. DeviantArt not only plays host to a ton of alternate historical maps, but flags and other graphics.

Re: Intriguing maps that reveal alternate histories

#10

Post by arethuza » Wed, Nov 11, 2020, 9:28 AM UTC

lifeisstillgood wrote: post #7

So there is a fairly big and active community about Alternatice histories. AlternateHistory.com is by far the biggest and there are active youtube channels One of the biggest you tubers recently got outed following a white supremiscit rant - and that is one of the bigger "smells" around the community - histories of "what if the Nazis won and what if the South won US civil war" can spring not from curiosity but yearni…

"just how contingent the world is"

I must admit I have a morbid fascination with alternate histories of the Cold War and all the terrible things that almost happened in that period but for the good judgement of people on both sides of that conflict. We were so close on so many occasions to utter oblivion...

[NB I'm in the UK - which would, like most of Europe, come out rather badly had the nukes started flying].