The Treaty of Amiens September 15th 1917
Theobald Bethmann-Hollweg was dead; the Chancellor of the German Reich had died of a suspected heart attack on May 10th 1915. The public believed that this was caused by overwork and the stress caused by the Lusitania sinking. The U.S. had declared war on Germany, but Franz Von Papen the German ambassador to the U.S. had ensured the Kaiser that the U.S. would be able to offer any serious resistance in its present economic and military state. Thus the unrestrained submarine warfare continued per the orders of Hugo Von Pohl the Commander of the High Seas fleet.
3 months later 250,000 tons of Entente shipping had been sunk. 19 months later with an enlarged fleet of 111 submarines 5.3 million tons of shipping had been sunk. Britain on breaking point, being an island nation she relied heavily on imports, imports which weren’t coming. Then in February 1917 Von Falkenhayn, the German Chief of General Staff, unleashed a new plan the Falkenhayn Offensive (this is similar to the Ludendorff Offensive OTL, but the forces include large cavalry divisions). This offensive swept through the Entente Lines, backed by some tanks. But outside the town of Ypres was the worst fighting, British troops were prevented from retreating by a cavalry manoeuvre blocking the main road out of Ypres and were encircled. This resulted in the near-total slaughter of the British troops in the town.
On the 3rd May 1917 Britain surrendered. Asquith informed King George V of the Cabinet’s decision to surrender and then resigned with the rest of his Cabinet. Russia surrendered the following week and the Tsar abdicated and was replaced by his more popular brother Grand Duke Michael following a referendum. France agreed to sign a peace treaty the next day.
Entente and Central Powers dignitaries met in the German occupied town of Amiens for peace negotiations. Under the directions of the level-headed and shrewd Wilhelm Von Bismarck (who survived the peritonitis that killed him IOTL) ,Bethmann-Hollweg’s replacement as Chancellor, Germany offered a not unreasonable (in their view) peace deal:
1. Germany is allowed to annex Luxembourg and the Baltic states (these are the states they ‘annexed’ following the Brest-Litovsk Treaty IOTL).
2. An independent Poland is set up in the along the borders of Congress Poland.
3. Certain regions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are granted autonomy in exchange for the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Venetia, Italian Libya and Malta (Italy had joined the Allies scarcely 2 weeks before the POD and Germany is bitter at this betrayal, furthermore Italy failed to attend the Amiens Conference)
4. Italy is granted ‘control’ of Albania.
5. Germany keeps all her colonies but Shandong and Samoa.
6. No reparations are required from either side.
7. An independent Arab state is formed encompassing Arabia and Ottoman Hejaz. The Ottomans are granted the Dodecanese Islands.
Seeing no other alternative the Entente powers (but Italy) signed the Treaty of Amiens.
Theobald Bethmann-Hollweg was dead; the Chancellor of the German Reich had died of a suspected heart attack on May 10th 1915. The public believed that this was caused by overwork and the stress caused by the Lusitania sinking. The U.S. had declared war on Germany, but Franz Von Papen the German ambassador to the U.S. had ensured the Kaiser that the U.S. would be able to offer any serious resistance in its present economic and military state. Thus the unrestrained submarine warfare continued per the orders of Hugo Von Pohl the Commander of the High Seas fleet.
3 months later 250,000 tons of Entente shipping had been sunk. 19 months later with an enlarged fleet of 111 submarines 5.3 million tons of shipping had been sunk. Britain on breaking point, being an island nation she relied heavily on imports, imports which weren’t coming. Then in February 1917 Von Falkenhayn, the German Chief of General Staff, unleashed a new plan the Falkenhayn Offensive (this is similar to the Ludendorff Offensive OTL, but the forces include large cavalry divisions). This offensive swept through the Entente Lines, backed by some tanks. But outside the town of Ypres was the worst fighting, British troops were prevented from retreating by a cavalry manoeuvre blocking the main road out of Ypres and were encircled. This resulted in the near-total slaughter of the British troops in the town.
On the 3rd May 1917 Britain surrendered. Asquith informed King George V of the Cabinet’s decision to surrender and then resigned with the rest of his Cabinet. Russia surrendered the following week and the Tsar abdicated and was replaced by his more popular brother Grand Duke Michael following a referendum. France agreed to sign a peace treaty the next day.
Entente and Central Powers dignitaries met in the German occupied town of Amiens for peace negotiations. Under the directions of the level-headed and shrewd Wilhelm Von Bismarck (who survived the peritonitis that killed him IOTL) ,Bethmann-Hollweg’s replacement as Chancellor, Germany offered a not unreasonable (in their view) peace deal:
1. Germany is allowed to annex Luxembourg and the Baltic states (these are the states they ‘annexed’ following the Brest-Litovsk Treaty IOTL).
2. An independent Poland is set up in the along the borders of Congress Poland.
3. Certain regions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are granted autonomy in exchange for the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Venetia, Italian Libya and Malta (Italy had joined the Allies scarcely 2 weeks before the POD and Germany is bitter at this betrayal, furthermore Italy failed to attend the Amiens Conference)
4. Italy is granted ‘control’ of Albania.
5. Germany keeps all her colonies but Shandong and Samoa.
6. No reparations are required from either side.
7. An independent Arab state is formed encompassing Arabia and Ottoman Hejaz. The Ottomans are granted the Dodecanese Islands.
Seeing no other alternative the Entente powers (but Italy) signed the Treaty of Amiens.
