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How would history have been different if the Gunpowder Plot had succeeded?
Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
In honor of the tremendous event that it is, I was wondering what others think would have happened if the Gunpowder Plot had been executed properly?
The complete decapitation of the British government (king and Parliament) by the destruction of the House of Parliament would have left a gaping hole in the rule of Britain. Would it have led to the creation of a pro-Catholic government, as the conspirators intended, or could it have led to a religious war of retaliation?
I want to hear creative and informative opinions on this from historically minded people.
1 Answer
- lwhhowLv 79 years agoFavorite Answer
I don't think it would have changed anything. The problem with blowing up politicians and a king, is there are always more politicians and the king's heir to quickly take their place.
James since taking over 3 years before had made peace with France and Spain. The conspirators as far as I know had therefore no army and no usable foreign help. They had no Catholic candidate for the throne as far as I know. If they had succeeded new members of Parliament would have been eagerly selected and James son 'Charles I' would be king (although only age 5) under a regency of (very angry) Protestants.
It seems like unlike earlier plots against Elizabeth and James (by both Catholics and Protestant nobles) the Gunpowder Plot was just terrorism. It demonstrates it seems the pointlessness of terrorism. It reminds me of the American 9-11...Suppose Osama bin Laden had succeeded more and the 5th plane and the one that never left the grown blew up the US Congress and US President as intended.....New politicians would have tripped over their feet to quickly be the new Congress and the Vice President would have taken over for the dead President...nothing would have changed except the faces. I suspect in 1606 the same type thing would have happened.
