the goal for this assignment is for you to present an alternative history, a history of what might have happened in the late 20th century but did not. Your essay needs to:

1) Identify an event or development that you view as being important or meaningful in the late 20th century. Explain why you think it is important or what its long-term consequences were.

2) Propose an alternative timeline. Change the event and evaluate the long-term consequences for the late 20th century if things had worked out differently.

3) Your change has to be within reasonable historical context: Stalin can die earlier or later but he probably never gives up his authority. No orphaned wizards, no time-traveling, no aliens, etc.