Fascinating What If article?

Throughout history, there have been several turning points where the world could have gone one way or the other.

Below is a fascinating article from the New York Times commemorating the February Revolution (March on our calendar) in Russia in 1917. It entertains the thought of how the world would have changed if this revolution, democratic in nature, unburdened by the strains of World War One, had been given time to mature and take shape instead of being shackled by war, paving the way for the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution.

It is a fascinating what if. If the leaders of the February Revolution had succeeded, a case can be made that there would have been no Soviet Union and possibly the settlements ending the first World War would have been different. That, of course, would have meant no or a different incarnation of World War Two and may be no Cold War. Again, it is fascinating to ponder.

One should also remember that The Russian Revolutions of 1917 is not an isolated case in World History. The French Revolution had a moderate phase that was replaced after the attempted escape by the King and his family by a more radical one. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was more secular in approach until the Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile and helped pave the way for the present theocracy.

The theme from these episodes is that maybe people should be more patient and empower and strengthen the moderate and democratic forces of change before enabling and allowing more radical options to emerge.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/opinion/the-february-revolution-and-kerenskys-missed-opportunity.html?_r=0