Alternative history

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Oleg Volk

Looking at alt.history genre, I wonder if anyone has ever done the 1973 Arab-Israeli War as the bifurcation point. It is plausible that Israel would have gone down fighting, as the reserves of territory were quite thin at one point. Slightly more energetic Soviet aid to the Arab allies ahead of the US air lift of supplies might have pushed them over. Presuming that Israel failed to use nukes at that point, how would the Middle East look under Arab hegemony?

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8 Responses to Alternative history

  1. RandyGC says:
    April 11, 2016 at 6:55 pm

    Probably a lot like Syria today, but perhaps without the extremist religious elements (but quite possibly with).

    Folks in that part of the world been fighting it out with each other throughout history, and arbitrary lines drawn on a map by the British and French that ignored historic tribal boundaries hasn’t helped.

  2. Christopher says:
    April 11, 2016 at 8:28 pm

    Without the evil Jews it would be a virtual paradise, just like Yemen, Iraq and Syria. Other non-Arab utopian examples might be Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    There would still be plenty of corruption, general disfunction and religious violence.

  3. Kristophr says:
    April 11, 2016 at 9:08 pm

    If they had nukes, they would have used them.

    • Sean says:
      April 11, 2016 at 10:35 pm

      Yes. No chance that if their backs were to the wall(or sea, really), that Israel wouldn’t have used a few nukes. Then the US and Soviets would have gotten involved. Nixon wasn’t sane, or competent, enough to not screw that situation up. Everyone dodged a bullet on that one.

  4. LarryArnold says:
    April 12, 2016 at 1:27 am

    how would the Middle East look under Arab hegemony?

    “Arab hegemony” is impossible.

    The main problem in the ME is that there aren’t any “Arabs.” Everyone is a “Palestinian” or the equivalent, or a “Sunni” or the equivalent. If the Israelis suddenly decided that enough was enough and all moved elsewhere, abandoning the area, there would be a day of celebration with everyone shooting their AK-47s in the air. But about the time the last bullet landed they would be at war with each other.

    Even in civilized Europe old nationalistic rivalries are making the future of the EU a chancy bet.

    • Alex Lund says:
      April 12, 2016 at 8:59 am

      The ordinary citizens were not asked about the course Europe took. If they had stopped before introducing the Euro then it could have worked.

      But as Mr Juncker once said, they do something and if nobody objects then they continue.

      And if someone objects, like the Irish with a vote a few years back, then the vote is repeated until the result comes up that Bruxelles desires.

      So, yes, if I had a button to destroy the EU and all the politicians who support this, I would have pushed the button a very long time ago.

      I want my Deutsche Mark back, and I think that the EU needs to be destroyed. EU delenda est.

  5. Ray says:
    April 12, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    Ah! “If only!” Is not for me. I have never been one for “what if” or “doom porn” I think that the worst trials for the Jewish People lay ahead. Not behind, and certainly not in “what if”. BUT: We do not know what is coming until it gets here, and my life is so much more settled without “what might have been”. I like my peaceful life. I know that peace is temporary and may be taken at any moment. So I enjoy it while I can.

    • LarryArnold says:
      April 13, 2016 at 10:50 pm

      But the “If only…” is constantly being played in politics. “If only guns were banned.” “If only the Jews weren’t there.” “If only we got rid of corporations.”

      Well written alt-history can counter those arguments by showing logical outcomes that aren’t as fanciful. See Turtledove’s The Last Article which postulates Gandhi facing Nazis instead of the British.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Article

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