A counterfactual can follow known plans and constraints only so far before later choices become invented. At that point, the scenario belongs in a wargame. In the university exercise described here, the alternate-history analysis established the logical starting position and another lecturer guided students as they took the participants' roles. This boundary matters because the date and cause of American entry depend on unpredictable events.
Notable Point · 1:06-2:09
Where counterfactual analysis gives way to wargaming
The counterfactual follows known plans and constraints only as far as they support a reasoned chain of events. Later choices belong in a wargame.