Alternate History and Fridge Logic

Say you have an alternate history where some aspects of history has changed or something has changed history, how do you avoid the fridge logic that comes with this type of plot? I know Tropes Are Tools and I know there is Artistic License but as some historian tropers pointed out, there are quite a few things that don't make any sense and some of those works don't have accurate depiction of historical events. How do you avoid the fridge logic that comes with this setting?

Well what exactly has changed?

What if some key historical figures got replaced with some other person? What if the Allies lost WWII? What if the Industrial Revolution never happened?

The first one depends on the time and place. The latter two are important world changing events that their lack of occurring would probably change everything as we know it. Just compare the areas occupied by the Axis when compared to by the Allies for one example what could happen if they had won. Though the manner of the victory would also effect this. Did they two sides end the war in a cease-fire with all them still existing? Or did the Japanese and Germans shake hands on the banks of the Mississippi River after they conquered the world?

For the very last one, look at the development of nations where the Industrial Revolution happened very slowly or not at all for decades like Russia or Japan. Technology may be in stasis, but how does that effect the social changes that came with them that you saw come out of the Western world?

edited 12th Oct '13 11:22:12 AM by Parable