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Technology is not just physical equipment. Its a social system capable of using it. Past civilizations would not have known how to use much of this technology, particularly the non-weapons, even if they had it.
In the first several years of SNL, they had a recurring sketch called "What If?" which featured Jane Curtin interviewing historians about the ramifications of imaginary scenarios. The funniest one was "What If Superman's Rocket Had Landed In Nazi Germany Instead Of America?" After some talk, they had a dramtic enactment of one possible scenario....Uberman, disguised as propagandist Klaus Kent. Not only does Uberman win the war single handed for the Nazis, he also uses his xray vision on crotches to detect Jews trying to pass themselves off as Aryans.
When Kirk Douglas was the guest host, they did "What If Spartacus Had The Use Of A Piper Cub?" At the end of that show they told us to be sure and tune in for next week's program..."What If The Early Pioneers Had To Battle Dinosaurs, But Then The Man From Uncle Went Back In Time To Help Them?"
I loved those bits. Remember on one skit they took a viewers letter which posed the question, What if Napoleon had had a B-52?
It depends on who had what. If the Native Americans had AK-47's and RPGs, but we had muskets and GPS they would still be hunting buffalo and farming forest clearings and we'd be living in squalor on European Native Reservations.
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Originally Posted by Grandstander
You didn't think this one through, did you?
In the offered scenario, the Indians have AK-47's, the Europeans are still in the musket age. Now, if they did not manufacture them themselves, from where did the AK 47's come?
China?
Africa?
If China or Africa had AK 47's while Europeans were still in the musket age, then those places would be dominating the planet, including the Europeans and Native Americans.
I do not think that is necessarily just because a country or culture has the power and resources to conquer does not mean they will. The Chinese could have easily dominated the Indian ocean in the 15th century, but they decided that the rest of the world had nothing to offer China and recalled their fleets and armies.
Reminds me of the Harry Turtledove alternative history book "Guns of the South". The CSA got AK 47s (and some RPGs as I remember), thanks to time traveling South Africans, and of course quickly defeated the Union.
If you are a Sid Meyer's Civilization junky you can get situations where through isolation and emphasis on technological development or liberal use of the cheat mode that the civilzation you are playing can be several hundred years more advanced. For example, playing the Aztecs and dispatching Columbus's galleons with a submarine or taking out knights or musketeers with a tank , mechanized artillery or a stealth fighter. Sid's game also has nuclear missiles. The mushroom cloud animation is pretty cool.
I do not think that is necessarily just because a country or culture has the power and resources to conquer does not mean they will. The Chinese could have easily dominated the Indian ocean in the 15th century, but they decided that the rest of the world had nothing to offer China and recalled their fleets and armies.
You are not considering all of the ramifications. If China in the 17th or 18th Centuries had the capability of manufacturing an AK 47, then obviously they would not have been much like the actual China of that era, they would have been an advanced industrial state with completely different attitudes about everything.
Forget GPS...just give Columbus a modern day map! In-flight movies for the Brothers Wright!
He might have been a bit annoyed at how it displayed Italy, which swallowed up his native Genoa.
There is an alternative history written by David Weber of Honor Harrington fame. It has a US town going back in time into the period roughly of the thirty years war. They give out history books to the people of their time, and those rulers naturally start acting to make sure the history that harms them does not occur. The result, as much as the technology, changes history entirely.
If you are a Sid Meyer's Civilization junky you can get situations where through isolation and emphasis on technological development or liberal use of the cheat mode that the civilzation you are playing can be several hundred years more advanced. For example, playing the Aztecs and dispatching Columbus's galleons with a submarine or taking out knights or musketeers with a tank , mechanized artillery or a stealth fighter. Sid's game also has nuclear missiles. The mushroom cloud animation is pretty cool.
Yeah I played various versions of the game tons of times. You don't need the cheats - just study the tech trees carfully. One of my main stategies is to develop tanks first, then just roll over your enemies, some of which still have horse cavalry.
He might have been a bit annoyed at how it displayed Italy, which swallowed up his native Genoa.
There is an alternative history written by David Weber of Honor Harrington fame. It has a US town going back in time into the period roughly of the thirty years war. They give out history books to the people of their time, and those rulers naturally start acting to make sure the history that harms them does not occur. The result, as much as the technology, changes history entirely.
That sounds very interesting! Books bring changes that are more lasting than tanks, I think.... puts meat on the bones of the old cliches..."forewarned is ..... and "the pen is mightier.....!!
You are not considering all of the ramifications. If China in the 17th or 18th Centuries had the capability of manufacturing an AK 47, then obviously they would not have been much like the actual China of that era, they would have been an advanced industrial state with completely different attitudes about everything.
I do not think it would have mattered in terms of expansion as per my point. Just because a nation has the ability to expand, conquer and govern other areas does not mean it will want to. As I said in the 15th century China had the ability to set up permanent bases in places like the Malay peninsula, but chose not to because they did not think it was worth their time.
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that the civilzation you are playing can be several hundred years more advanced. For example, playing the Aztecs and dispatching Columbus's galleons with a submarine or taking out knights or musketeers with a tank , mechanized artillery or a stealth fighter. 
Sid's game also has nuclear missiles. The mushroom cloud animation is pretty cool.
