Neutron (Quantum 6)

[Michele]

I think it's a two-party job. There is one party that is a superpower on this world, which stood to gain from the destruction of the Frankish, and an outside player having its own reasons to curb that power. The outsider provided the know-how, the local player carried out the plan.
I don't know who the outsider is; one would need to look into what Frankish policies were a threat for someone out there. As to the local power, it must be the British Empire; not very affected by the explosions, but greatly benefiting from the disappearance of a European hegemonic power.

[Varyon]

It would be interesting if there weren't any sort of proper crosstime organization responsible, but rather a nuclear physicist from a (possibly cinematic) reality with neutron bombs. The fellow ends up in Neutron-1 by accident (perhaps he is a latent psion with involuntary world-jumping, or is involved in an experiment that goes horribly wrong), and is either captured by or is sympathetic to a native government, then proceeds to teach them how to make neutron bombs. An interesting additional twist would be if it were the Frankish Empire who captured him, and he feigned cooperation in order to sabotage their efforts at just the right moment, seizing control of the launch mechanism to cause the disaster of February 6. That would be more difficult to manage if, as is likely given the date, the bombs were dropped by aircraft rather than launched by rockets, of course.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Michele

I think it's a two-party job. There is one party that is a superpower on this world, which stood to gain from the destruction of the Frankish, and an outside player having its own reasons to curb that power. The outsider provided the know-how, the local player carried out the plan.
I don't know who the outsider is; one would need to look into what Frankish policies were a threat for someone out there. As to the local power, it must be the British Empire; not very affected by the explosions, but greatly benefiting from the disappearance of a European hegemonic power.

But this just side steps the key question: who provided the information? Also there is the issue of the Tl. Unless the were at TL7 you are talking a lot of uplift to build a neutron bomb and the ICBM needed to make it effective.

More over it takes two years to advance each science 1 TL. So you are talking 1932 minimum and the is ignoring all the infrastructure need to produce a neutron bomb and an ICBM.

[Michele]

Originally Posted by maximara

But this just side steps the key question: who provided the information?

Well, yes. I don't think we have enough starting information to answer that.

Given the situation and what was happening, a possible guess would be an Earth not yet discovered, where Russia is the hegemonic or sole power, with the necessary scientific knowledge including interdimensional travel, and no qualms at all about brute-force intervention on Earths where the local counterpart (the local Russia) is faring badly. That would be a big headache.

[Apollonian]

Originally Posted by Michele

Well, yes. I don't think we have enough starting information to answer that.

Given the situation and what was happening, a possible guess would be an Earth not yet discovered, where Russia is the hegemonic or sole power, with the necessary scientific knowledge including interdimensional travel, and no qualms at all about brute-force intervention on Earths where the local counterpart (the local Russia) is faring badly. That would be a big headache.

Tsarist, or Stalinist? Either one would make a really fun fifth wheel to contrast with Reich-5.

[Michele]

Originally Posted by Apollonian

Tsarist, or Stalinist? Either one would make a really fun fifth wheel to contrast with Reich-5.

A truly tsarist Russia probably would have problems reaching the advantage in advanced technology it would need to become the primary or sole power. I gave it a shot (Tsar-1), but the social structure, as some pointed out, seems to be not the best environment for a fast scientific and technological progress.

Stalin was a careful man. This operation seems too blatant and crass for him and/or for some successor of his having his same style. He also was the man of "Socialism in one country".

A Trotskist Soviet Union, OTOH, would come with the nice detail that Trotsky did believe in the all-out exportation of the revolution, and until he became a hunted man, he could be rather bold.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Michele

A truly tsarist Russia probably would have problems reaching the advantage in advanced technology it would need to become the primary or sole power. I gave it a shot (Tsar-1), but the social structure, as some pointed out, seems to be not the best environment for a fast scientific and technological progress.

Stalin was a careful man. This operation seems too blatant and crass for him and/or for some successor of his having his same style. He also was the man of "Socialism in one country".

A Trotskist Soviet Union, OTOH, would come with the nice detail that Trotsky did believe in the all-out exportation of the revolution, and until he became a hunted man, he could be rather bold.

AlternateHistoryHub has a video (What if Stalin Never Came to Power?) going into what a Trotskist Soviet Union likely would be like.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by maximara

But this just side steps the key question: who provided the information? Also there is the issue of the Tl. Unless the were at TL7 you are talking a lot of uplift to build a neutron bomb and the ICBM needed to make it effective.

.

For the "European War" scenario an intermediate or even short-range ballistic missile would be adequate. No need to go inter Continental.

Actually, for the surprise decapitation strike described smuggling things in railroad cars might do if it weren't for the "airburst" part of the description.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Actually, for the surprise decapitation strike described smuggling things in railroad cars might do if it weren't for the "airburst" part of the description.

Keeping in mind July 4 is currently just around the corner (and hearing several "mortar" fireworks going off as I write this), I have to wonder if it might be possible to have the bombs be launched straight up into the air for the most epic fireworks in history. This is markedly more problematic for the attacks on the Frankish army, of course. For those, you pretty much have to have rockets, bombers, or something akin to projectors/conveyors (if performed directly by outtimers, or internal time travelers or whatever), at which point you might as well have the attacks on the cities use the same means.