What if no cars?

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

What if the mass produced private automobile had never been invented(presume henry ford uses his mass production technologies on other products) and cars remained a luxury item of the elites? How would our society have developed differently? Does this affect geopolitics at all?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

While Ford gets the credit for combining auto and the assembly line, they would have been combined by someone else if it wasn't Ford, indeed Olds had an assembly line in 1901.  To prevent the era of the mass produced automobile, you need to either have no assembly lines or no automobiles, both of which would have an extremely far reaching impact.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Try no automobiles.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Let's assume no internal combustion engine instead, as it it's hard to imagine no automobiles whatsoever without also getting rid of locomotives.  Steam powered autobuses and trucks do take off, but for personal transport, the electric car becomes the preferred personal vehicle, as the long startup time of the steam engine makes it impractical compared to the electric.  Steam tractors and construction equipment never get supplanted by ICE powered versions.

The first significant change occurs in 1908 when the Wright brothers don't present their flying machine to the world.  A steam engine simply has too low a power to weight ratio to be used for the propulsion of heavier than air aircraft, especially if it doesn't have a Wright propellor.

WW I: Without the efficient and mobile aerial reconnaisance provided by airplanes, the Western Front never bogs down into trench warfare allowing for maneuver warfare to still work.  Also the charge of the taxicabs never happens, as the electric taxis don't have the range to do the task.  German troops enter Paris in late 1914 or early 1915.  With France knocked out of the war, the Italians never join the Allies and Romania joins the Central Powers for the campaign against Russia.  By 1917, the writing is on the war and Russia is knocked out.  Britain has its own problems and reaches an agreement with Germany at about the same time.

During the 1920's and 30's various countries experiment with steam powered armored and cruisers that wil be used in the next war.  However because of the lack of combat experience, the advantages of the FT-17 style design over the rhomboid land battleships don't become apparent, so both designs get built, the former as scout panzers and the latter as battle panzers.

Long distance roads and farm-to-market roads are both retarded in their devolpment as without the public demand caused by ICE propoeled automobiles there is less need  for them.  However as battery powered vehicles devlop in capability, the demand for rural electricification increases, causing the farms electrify sooner so as to provide needed power for them.

With no experience as allies during the Great War, Britain does not abandon the Anglo-Japanese alliance in order to pursue closer relations with the Yankees.  Plus the Americans, with no war debts, are not interested in limiting naval construction, thus scuttling any chance for a Washington Naval Treaty equivalent.

[MaC]

Straha, damn it.  You're now responsible for giving a hard-on to every Green avatar.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Straha, damn it.  You're now responsible for giving a hard-on to every Green avatar.

Trolling is a fine art.