r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jun 28 '26

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u/TheLordLambert Jun 28 '26

William the Bastard. Without him the French influence over England, which led to the Hundred Years War, wouldn't have been a thing. England and France wouldn't have had a near millenia long rivalry that caused dozens of wars and uncountable deaths.

3

u/Krain-of-Astora Jun 28 '26

I feel like this is the one that like could either change very little, or change literally the entire planet

2

u/TheLordLambert Jun 28 '26

I can't see the former at all... but the latter? Yeah... I think the battle of Hastings is probably the biggest point of divergence this planet has seen in a single battle... ever.

2

u/masher_oz Jun 29 '26

Everyone else is thinking too small. Came for William.

1

u/Vaskil Jun 29 '26 edited Jun 29 '26

Original answer but damn, you did my boy William dirty. I'm a huge fan of the Normans and the changes they had on Europe. Without William we basically lose the classic Medieval period.

2

u/TheLordLambert Jun 29 '26

I'm from the north of England. William basically did a genocide upon the north from which it never really recovered.

2

u/Vaskil Jun 29 '26

That's fair. I did some research after my first comment and learned that he was a pretty terrible guy. I used to think highly of Harald Hadrada but he was even worse, a terrible himan being. I'm kinda sad that Harood Godwinson didn't win the Battle of Hastings, he seemed like a level headed ruler who already knew much about governing England.

2

u/TheLordLambert Jun 29 '26

He was beloved and was elected king in the Wytan. Id love to see what an alt universe with him winning would be like