What determines history? Is it the natural result of leaders’ decisions and longer demographic, social and economic trends? World events could have turned out very differently than they did. What would have happened if the UK had signed an armistice with Hitler in the spring of 1940? What if the United States had decided not to intervene in the World Wars? What if the Ming Dynasty had not decided to turn inward in the 1420s? What if the Greeks had been conquered by the Persians in 480 BC? In the words of the immortal Hugh Trevor Roper, “History is not merely what happened; it is what happened in the context of what might have happened.”
On Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Music Hall, Dr. Kirtland Mead will outline the key ‘what if’s’ of Western history (many more likely at the time than what actually happened), and speculate about how our world would be different if they had occurred. He will also identify that short list of leaders who stood at key inflection points of history and really did determine important outcomes. Dr. Mead is an international management consultant, researcher and executive educator, who has lectured before for the Sippican Historical Society and Elizabeth Taber Library on a variety of international historical topics.
The presentation, which is sponsored by the Sippican Historical Society, is offered free of charge, though donations are gratefully accepted. No reservations are necessary. The Marion Music Hall is located at 164 Front Street. Ample parking is available across the street at Island Wharf. For more information, please call the SHS at 508-748-1116.