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While in the popular consciousness the assassination of Abraham Lincoln is framed as the actions of a lone fanatic, in reality John Wilkes Booth was the only successful assassin out of a small group. The plan was to launch a decapitation strike of the United States government: Booth would kill...

Suppose that in the wake of India's successful military takeover of Portugal's colony in Goa 1961, China decides to try the same with Macau at some point in the next few years. How would the actual military situation look, on both a strategic and tactical level? How will Britain react to this...

I feel like "Cuba as the 51st state/ a Confederate state" shows up once in a while in AH but it's usually as an afterthought with little explanation. To your mind, what's the most likely time for Cuba to be admitted into the United States? Something like Hawaii, where it's claimed as a...

If you are not familiar, the "National Crime Syndicate" was a rather sensationalist name given to a loose alliance of Jewish and Italian mobsters in the 50s and 60s. Most organized crime historians agree that while there was some degree of collaboration between gangs based in different cities...

Apologies if the title is confusing, it's a little difficult to put this concisely. Basically, what changes need to be made for wrestling to be a serious, legitimate, respected sport like boxing is IOTL? The match is not choreographed nor is the outcome predetermined, two wrestlers simply meet...

Since my other thread about which alternate Axis Powers led to some really interesting discussion, I thought I might make a version for WWI. What countries could be wrangled into joining up with the Central Powers? This might be a bit of a trickier question due to the tangled web of alliances...

I've been idly kicking around the idea of a larger Axis in WWII, though I don't know if that's necessarily a path to an Axis victory. What countries can be plausibly cajoled or bullied into joining the Axis? I feel like I see Spain and Turkey floated the most, though both are in unenviable...

On the 9th of November, 1989, the border crossing at Bornholmer Straße in Berlin was mobbed by East German citizens. Excitement had grown after announcements of impending easings of passport regulations, which had evolved into rumors of the borders between East and West Germany being opened...

I feel like reversing the outcome of a war is pretty basic AH, but I can't recall seeing this particular question ever floated before. Suppose Spain successfully defends its colonial holdings from the US- I don't pretend to be a military expert so I'm afraid I don't have a specific POD in...

What if rather than the often labyrinthine system of municipal, county, and state police agencies the United States adopted a single federal service for policing? A designated uniformed branch responsible for everything from routine patrol and traffic all the way up to investigating serious...

In broad terms, Las Vegas serves the West Coast and Atlantic City serves the East Coast. What are some possible candidates for a similar resort town for the Midwest and Upper South? With all the trappings of those two cities: legalized gambling, glamorous high-rise hotels, major entertainment...

Over the course of the Cold War, up to 4000 East German military advisors were dispatched to various Soviet aligned countries in Africa, most notably Angola, Mozambique, and Ethiopia. Suppose East Germany, like Cuba, escalates their involvement in Angola or Ethiopia and sends actual combat...

Let's assume Providence mayor Buddy Cianci manages to avoid or cover up the scandals of his career and lives up to the early hopes of the Republicans by becoming governor of Rhode Island and a player on a national level. He is groomed as Reagan's heir and serves as VP in Bush Sr's place...

The Mafia was heavily invested in Cuba in the 50s, a tax haven for their illicit dollars that they were busy building into a tourist paradise. Batista welcomed the business and offered a great deal of support. In a world where the Cuban Revolution falters and Cuba remains a pro-American...

Lyndon Johnson expended a lot of diplomatic capital trying to convince other countries to join anti-communist forces in Vietnam, in an effort to replicate the multinational effort from the Korean conflict and deflect accusations of American imperialism. Despite courting several nations, his Many...

As a fan of unsolved mysteries (though in this case the solution is fairly clear but has been obfuscated by embellishments and omissions in many popular accounts), I've always been intrigued by the failure of the Roanoke colony in modern-day Virginia. One cannot help but wonder what might have...

Pretty simple question, really- what kind of POD might result in tea being drunk more than coffee in this the United States? Especially if drinking tea isn't viewed as effete or eccentric.

From Wikipedia: Further details available here. While I have serious doubts about the veracity of this story, let's assume for a moment there genuinely was a successful plot by the Scalish family to assassinate Dennis Kucinich, capping off a violent gang war against the Irish Mob. This...

Charlton Comics is a major "what could have been" for comics enthusiasts. With top flight talent and an exciting cast of characters (not to mention a strong presence in sci-fi/ horror that the larger lines neglected after the 50s), they seem on paper to have been poised to become a competitor to...

Upon return from exile in Spain in 1996, Simeon II of Bulgaria entered politics and served a stint as Prime Minister. However there were (and still are) some calls to restore the Bulgarian monarchy after it was abolished by the Communist government. With a clear continuity, it is more plausible...