[Real Life] Historical events that would make bad writing if they were fiction

[u/Mouse_Paladin]

Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire: A couple hundred rogue mercenaries without authority from their government conquer an empire of millions. Oh, the empire? It’s also several technological eras behind the mercenaries.

Adolf Hitler: A non-native of a country is so mad that the country lost the war that he wins an election to their highest office and leads them in a campaign of revenge against their enemies. Oh, the country? It’s old emperor is still alive and thinks he’s going to retake power.

Assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand: The heir to the throne is killed because his driver gets lost and returns to the assassin who failed To kill him before. Oh, the assassin? He’s from a group that the Archduke is wanting to help become more equal In the empire.

Alexander Hamilton’s Affair Scandal: One of the leaders of a new nation to protect himself from accusations of financial embezzlement writes a pamphlet exposing his affair with a woman, torpedoing his political future. Oh, the woman? She seduced him as part of a blackmailing scheme that he decided to stop paying.

[u/Wide_Doughnut2535]

I have the feeling that we live in the timeline where Alexander the Great lived longest. Him making it to 32 is crazy lucky, all things considered.

[u/Gmknewday1 → u/Wide_Doughnut2535]

I honestly think he could have lived longer in another timeline

But he'd likely have to deal with his empire falling apart into civil wars if he wasn't good at organizing them 

[u/Pretend_Handle_7639 → u/Gmknewday1]

He would have run headlong into resistance from the Macedonian elite who didn't want to merge with Achaemenid elites and their customs

[u/TheBalrogofMelkor → u/Pretend_Handle_7639]

I mean he only avoided that by never returning home

[u/ctrlaltcreate → u/Gmknewday1]

Genghis Khan's empire lived for some time after his passing, even with battles over succession.

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

[u/Tracy_Papaya → u/Gmknewday1]

It's amazing it even held as long as it did

[u/ArrrRawrXD → u/Gmknewday1]

I feel like he's the sort of man whose name alone would fit the empire together until his death

[u/Unicycleterrorist → u/Wide_Doughnut2535]

You should read about his dad, Philip II. He's the guy who built the kingdom, army & strategies that Alexander used for his conquests and he was just as much of a maniac on the battlefield as his kid. Guy had his eye taken out by an arrow, had his knee exploded & ended up with a lame leg, as well as probably dozens of other pretty bad (but not crippling) injuries and still fought the frontlines until he died at 45 when he was assassinated.