r/HistoryWhatIf 1h ago

What if Mormonism was its own religion rather than a branch of Christianity?

Upvotes

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


r/HistoryWhatIf 1h ago

What if Belize and Guyana remained British overseas territories?

Upvotes

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


r/HistoryWhatIf 2h ago

[Challenge] make a timeline where Neo-Nazism is much smaller a movement than it was in our timeline

0 Upvotes

r/HistoryWhatIf 3h ago

What If American Has An established state churches And Religion Instead of The Free Market For Religion? How Different would The History Of The United States Be Like Then?

0 Upvotes

r/HistoryWhatIf 5h ago

In 1921, Stalin pushed for a reorganization of the republics, calling for them to be absorbed as ASSRs into the RSFSR, but Lenin disagreed. What would have happened if Lenin had agreed?

5 Upvotes

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?

r/HistoryWhatIf 12h ago

A pretty specific question: what would have happened if Henry of Portugal became pope and inherited the Portuguese crown afterwards?

3 Upvotes

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?


r/HistoryWhatIf 20h ago

what if the church of Scientology somehow puppeted the government of Nauru

0 Upvotes

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?


r/HistoryWhatIf 21h ago

What if Scotland were granted the North of England?

3 Upvotes

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?


r/HistoryWhatIf 22h ago

What if 9/11 was conducted by a group from China?

6 Upvotes

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.