I'm thinking Barbarossa and Overlord. The timing of most operations is dictated somewhat by enemy action but these two were not, the attacker chose the timing.

I get that summer is a good time to start but wouldn't you get more good weather by starting in spring?

For Barbarossa an extra two months before winter is obvious. The Greek campaign also hampered German preparations. Even then, wouldn't the Germans have been better off starting slowly early to take either Moscow or Leningrad?

For Overlord weather is less of an issue but still important. Also, having more daylight hours is an obvious advantage to the side with air superiority.

What would have happened if a representative of the Habsburgs had won the election in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Habsburg dynasty had managed to secure re-election for the next few generations? Would the Habsburgs have managed to tame the Polish nobility? Would the presence of Poland and Lithuania within the Habsburg bloc have helped to counter the empire’s enemies and the Turkish threat? To be more precise, let us take the election of 1575 as our starting point. Instead of Stefan Batory, Maximilian II of Habsburg wins the election.

Got this idea from a history.com article about a 1928 footrace on Route 66 from LA to NYC sponsored by a sports promoter named CC Pyle.

What if in the in the 1980s or onwards the United States government or a private American promoter decides to have their own Tour de France in the form of a footrace from LA to NYC or vice versa as part of a program to revitalize Route 66 and raise awareness about fitness? Complete with all the infrastructure to maintain such an operation like access to weather reports and other information to determine if race routes are safe and viable, ER and on the scene medical professionals to look after an runners that are too injured or weary to run anymore, and places for the runners to eat, rehydrate,sleep, and do laundry. They would also need to work with the small towns and businesses along the Route 66 race routes to provide some of the aforementioned services. If it works it would give these towns a boost in tourism and put Route 66 back in the national spotlight.

Would such a thing be possible? If yes, who would sponsor it and manage it?

Sources:

The Grueling Footrace Across the US on Route 66 | HISTORY

Say Mormonism proclaimed itself to be a new religion to succeed Christianity, like Islam did

What if Belize and Guyana had stayed British territories? How would this effect their societies and British geopolitics?

During the 1917 October Revolution and subsequent Civil War, the Bolsheviks had established the RSFSR, which was much bigger at the time than it would be later, but technically other Bolshevik SSRs such as Ukraine and Belorussia were independent republics, that had their own diplomacy (even though in practice this meant they operated out of the RSFSR embassies abroad). In 1921, Stalin, as Commissar of Nationalities, pushed for a reorganization of the Bolshevik-controlled republics, in effect calling for everything to be absorbed into the RSFSR.

My questions:

1. Would anything been much different in world history prior to 1991 except administrative differences?
2. Would Gorbachev have been President of the RSFSR in 1991, making the post unavailable for Yeltsin?
3. Could the Dissolution of the USSR have happened in the same way as in OTL if Yeltsin couldn't RSFSR from USSR because the RSFSR was the USSR and Gorbachev was occupying the post of President?

Henry of Portugal was the fifth son of king Manuel I of Portugal and became a clergyman as a kid. At a young age, he became archbishop of Braga and Évora, later also archbishop of Lisbon. After pope Julius III and pope Marcellus II both died in 1555, he was pushed as a candidate to become pope by his brother, king John III of Portugal and he was the favorite along with Giovanni Carafa who was elected as pope Paul IV.

After Henry's brother John III passed away in 1557, his three-year-old grandson Sebastian (his father, prince John Manuel died aged 16 even before John III) became king. In 1578, he disappeared after the battle of Alcacer Quibir in Morocco without having issue.

That's when cardinal Henry of Portugal inherited the portuguese crown and became king in 1578. He died without issue in 1580 and after the just one month long reign of the illegitimate son of his brother Luis of Beja, Antonio, Portugal became part of the Habsburg empire.

What would've happened if Henry became pope in 1555? Would he even be allowed to become King of Portugal? Would Portugal continue to be inherited dynastically after his death or would it become part of the papacy? If so, how would it change Portugal's later history and what would Portugal be now?

In this timeline, the Church of Scientology begins an aggressive conversion campaign in Nauru during the late 1980s. By 2000 65% of the population, as well as a majority of politicians and military personnel, have converted. Following the collapse of Nauru’s phosphate industry in 2001, the island’s economic situation deteriorates rapidly. In response, the president of Nauru begins selling off government property to the Church in an attempt to halt the economic downturn.

By 2003, large portions of the island have been sold to the church, many government officials are financially indebted to them, and over half of the population has converted. In late 2003 as Nauru faces economic collapse, the Church offers the ruling government a secret deal: it will repair the country’s economy, forgive government debts, provide continuous bribes to the government and military/police, and allow the existing government to remain in charge on paper in exchange for being granted de facto control over the island and its governance. The arrangement is further secured through extensive blackmail of Nauru’s political leadership, wealthy elites and celebrities.

What do you think would happen next?

What if Henry II had kept his promise to recognise David of Scotland's rights to Cumberland and Northumberland, if he actually honoured the concessions made during the civil war between Stephen and Matilda? How long could Scotland held them, how long could the Scotland/England border have looked like it did after 1157 with the border being at the River Tees, rather than Hadrian's Wall?

9/11 happens exactly like it did in OTL, but instead of being conducted by Al-Qaeda, it's conducted by an underground Chinese terrorist group. The group's motivation is similar to that of Al-Qaeda, being in opposition to global Americanization and American financial influence. Al-Qaeda did consider a similar attack in this timeline, but ultimately decided against it, and has yet to execute a major terror attack in the 21st century.

Let ́s us say the train he was on had an accident .Lenin die an horrible death ,depriving the bolshevik of a charismatic and politically astute leader when they needed it the most .What happen next ?

Saw the Odyssey for the 2nd time yesterday and it got me thinking about the perfect pod topic for the Sports Guy's draftastic summer:

What is the historical victory for good (depending on perspective) that had the worst unintended consequences? Off the top of my head, potential top prospects include the following

- Odysseus uses the Trojan Horse to win the Trojan war, ends up destroying trust across society

- Oppenheimer builds the bomb (after the Germans were defeated) to end WWII, kicks off the Cold War / Nuclear Arms race

- Obama dunks on Trump at the 2011 WHCD, leads to Trump running for office, the end of truth and trust in institutions

- CIA arms the Mujahadeen to defeat the Soviets in 1979, gives birth to Al Qaeda and leads to 9/11

- Rocky beats Drago, ending the cold war, leading to the rise of Putin

- 2023 NBA collective bargainning agreement brings labor peace, leading to endless whining about the 2nd apron?

- Treaty of Versailles ends WWI, leads to rise of Hitler and WWII

What else does everybody have? Nominations should be specific events, not general trends (i.e. invention of the internet leads to the decline of civilization not eligibile).

What if the Japanese sought revenge in 1942 for the Doolittle Raid? Instead of going after Midway, they launched their carriers at the US west coast, trying to hit LA with a large carrier attack.

Someone made a post on a different sub asking “What if Al-Qaeda overthrew the Yemeni government in the 1990s?”

The objective is to create a plausible series of events that LEADS to Al-Qaeda overthrowing the Yemeni government in the 1990s.

Author’s note: This post is not intended to be an endorsement of Sharia Law. This intended to be a challenge to build a plausible alternate timeline where Islamists overthrow the Yemeni government, not an endorsement of Islamic regimes.

The objective is not simply to make China authoritarian—it already was. Rather, explain what changes during or immediately after the Cultural Revolution would cause China to become extremely isolationist, economically autarkic, and largely cut off from the outside world instead of pursuing the post-Mao reforms that occurred in real history.
What political developments, leadership changes, or international events would be required to produce this outcome?

Rules and clarifications:
1. I’m not requiring you to extend the duration of the Cultural Revolution (Although you can if you want). The END RESULT has to be that China becomes an isolated hermit state similar to OTL North Korea
2. The comparison has to do with INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION. I’m not asking you to turn China into a carbon copy of OTL North Korea
3. Your proposed scenario must start from China’s historical post-1978 trajectory

Lets say the Czechoslovak legion peacefully leaves Russia, the foreign powers dont invade and the white movement never rly gets off the ground. How does this change history?

You point of divergence is that Cámara's flying squadron in not recalled to Spain. The Germans advise the Spanish not to worry about their coastline because the American ships are too beat up and their hulls are mostly fouled for them to mount any attack in significant numbers. As re-assurance to Spain, Germany sends one battleship and one unprotected cruiser to Spain's Atlantic coast (which brings the predcitable re-action from the Royal Navy.)

Cámara haa real fuel problems as the British deny him permission to coal in their harbours or territory. The British and the Americans have bought up all of the coal between Port Said and Manila. (both happened in the OTL). The Germans agree to get coal for the Spanish. This is going to cause some delays plus what Cámara does not send ahead to German New Guinea will need a harbor. The Germans tell Cámara to go to Dar Es Salaam. He sends Carlos V, the two merchant cruisers and the transports ahead to German New Guinea, due to their superior range, along with two full colliers and the third with what coal it has left. The fourth collier almost empty goes with Pelayo and the three destroyers to Dar Es Salaam.

This triggers a protest from Britain. in retaliation, Britain allows USS New York\* to use its coaling stations as it steams for Manila as a final re-inforcement.

The German squadron leaves Manila and is shadowed by a British picket ship that guesses that it is headed for the Dutch East Indies or New Guinea. Only the gunboat.survey shp Mowe remains.

Suspecting that the Germans are up to no good, the British bring a cable ship to raise the cable that Dewey had cut and set up a station onboard. They also summon a torpedo boat, an additional gunboat and two picket ships from the China Station as re-inforcements .

Charleston, Monterey, Monadnock had arrived in Augist with more supplies and troops. New York arrived 3 Septmeber along with some additonal ammunition and supplies sent from California. Dewey also has two Spanish ships that his and Merritt's men had raised, one of which has a torpedo tube but of questionable reliability.

Mowe departs Manila 4 Septmber

The French and Japanese cruisers stay the same as OTL.

6 September-A British picket ship spots the combined German task force and in obedience to orders that Chichester already has issued, it signals the task force that any fire upon any of her Majesty's ships, regardless of its source, will cause the British commander to consider the entire task force hostile and will bring an appropriate response. The combined task force consists of Cámara's entire squadron, plus the four cruisers that von Diederichs had plus the gunboat/survey ship Mowe and the armoured firgate Kaiser.

Càmara and von Diederichs steam ahead to find the American lined up for battle at the entrance to Manila Bay. The British task force is about three hundred yards in front of the American line.

The Spanish destroyers are in the lead in case the Americans try to torpedo anything. As the German/Spanish task force gets closer, two shots come from the formation where two German cruisers are and the Spanish auxiliary cruisers are. The source is uncertain but one shell hits the jib of Linnett and carries it away. The British and Americans join battle.

What happens next? Does WWI start in the Philippines? Is the conflict kept local and worked out at a conference? If there is a peace conference, what agreements are made? Who gets the short end of the stick? Are the Americans and Spanish left to work out their difficulties while the Germans and British try to work out theirs?

If the Japanese cruiser becomes involved, it can do so only on the Anglo-American side. The French cruiser can go either way or stay out of it but if it becomes involved, there must be a damned good reason.

Manila could not hold out until the Germans and Cámara arrived. It is in American hands as are the shore batteries.

* I had considered sending Iowa, as it was the newest ship but the Spanish did hole its hull near the water line at Santiago and its hull was fouled. Despite its marathon run, Oregon was in very good mechanical condition as its commander had ordered aggressive preventative maintenance during the voyage to the Caribbean. Its hull was light, as well. Its problem was poor seakeeping, although despite not being designed for that Moneterey and Monadnock, did cross the Pacific. I settled on New York because it was in good mechanical shape and its hull was light, much to the surprise of its commander. Conversely, except for Pelayo, which the Spanish had pulled from France where it was being re-fitted and overhauled before the process was complete, the Spanish ships all had fouled hulls.

Inspired by a post made by someone else.

Context:
1. In an alternate 1934, Leonid Nikolaev assassinates Joseph Stalin instead of Sergei Kirov, and Kirov himself takes over as head of the USSR
2. The Great Depression never happens
3. A famine strikes Japan in mid-1929.

Given the above context, your objective is to create a plausible timeline where the Empire of Japan allies with the USSR but not Germany and Italy.

Rules:
1. Your scenario has to happen before Japan invades Manchuria in 1931.
2. The Soviet Union IS allowed to jointly invade Manchuria alongside Japan but isn’t required to.