Or maybe throw a modern South-, North- or Central American Nation into the mix. That might possibly prevent the worst excesses of OTLs colonialism on top of fighting the diseases. Of course there is the possibility that the modern American nation just oppresses the downtimers so a careful choice is important.
Yeah that closely mirrors my thoughts. Contact between highly advanced uptimers and downtimers always has a pretty high risk of nasty stuff happening. In 8700 BCE there are so few downtimers that the potential for abuse and conflict is quite limited. The uptimers can basically colonize a virgin earth while sloooowly uplifting the downtimers or giving them the room they need. Space and resources are virtually unlimited in this scenario.
Interesting idea. I like the idea of a TL that acts as kind of an "endangered nations" preserve.
Really not that much of an expert for the middle ages so if the 1420s work better I am up for it. I just assumed that the 1400s would be much better developed to handle a sudden influx of people.
Maybe more developed but not developed enough and you'd be dropping the cities into the Lancasterian phase of the hundred years war so that's fun. Paris would dropped into a part of France well controlled by the English and London...London is going to basically eat the British Isles alive trying to feed itself and even that wouldn't be enough.
This ignores one very important factor. None of these cities can feed themselves nor would they be able to find enough food before each city basically collapses and has a mass die off.
That may hold true for smaller costal cities but you're not going to sustain several citizens each with a population of several million on fishing alone, particularly since none of them are going to start with a huge fishing fleet. Honestly in any ISOT that involves a large city being sent to the past by itself without the surrounding region. Anytime before the Industrial Revolution is going to lead to mass death and bad times. Large cities require a lot of food.
Large cities also typically don't have the necessary industries in first world nations. Modern fishing fleets require modern boats and fossile fuels. If you just drop London in the 15th century fishing fleets will be quickly reduced to primitive boats. There are also downtimers that occupy the easing fishing spots.
I think that you underestimate the corrosive effect of starvation. All the cities will quickly splinter into several factions. These factions will fight over ressources rather quick.
The TL is going to be more advanced in alt-2019, no doubt there. The period until stabilization is going to be reaaally ugly though.
I don't know how the situation in other countries is but in Germany the military units you would need for an early intervention are mostly stationed somewhere on the countryside.
I'm sorry but to me that requires a frankly unrealistic amount of competence, civilian understanding and rapid adaptability. Cause you'd basically need the goverments to hit the ground running and develop very complicated plans on the fly moments after a situation they could not have possibly prepared for. Cities aren't meant to survive by themselves and I doubt Paris has plans for this. A small core of the original governments might survive and hold on in the cities but a lot of people are going to flee and a lot of people are going to die.
David Drake and Eric Flint's Belisarius Series?
