A generation is a good rule of thumb, tho there are situations where changes will come about much faster. War has a high learning curve for a society. I think there is a problem in trying to establish 'plausible' since that would up to the author of the TL. Obviously flying horses and...
After the POD I think the author pretty much has free reign over the TL that he/she creates. We shouldn't ask people to write dissertations or to have read a particular book. The TLs that run on 'handwavium' can usually be the more entertaining. We aren't seeking to educate, we are all...
Frankly, you would be far better off posting an ATL of your own creation rather than positing a question that will have this thread quickly devolve into arguments. You will find in alternative history that there are frequently no such things as alternative history on certain topics. Much like...
I agree with you. Honestly we are all more frustrated authors than historians. I don't necessarily believe that a Confederate victory would make a dystopian, no more so than a Union victory has created a utopian world. I do like to consider some ATLs as exercises in examining the differences...
Slaves didn't have any part in decisions before the secession, neither did women or Indians. Self-determination was done by those that could and did make the decisions at the time.
Does Springtime list 'Coles/Ericsson' turrets as a choice? Since both are obsolete and technological deadends by the 1880s and it would be incorrect to equate modern turrets with those of Coles and of Ericsson.
No effect. Aside from the technical issues, the next major problem would be communications. Rutland sighted the Germans, but I'm not aware how far up the chain of command his observation was passed, except that it never got to the most important person, Jellicoe.
There was an early war...