Even if they won't be happy about signing them off they have to. They can't fight a continued war with Japan halfway around the world, especially not with a battered and demoralized fleet. It didn't work out well for the Russians, and I don't think it would work well for the Germans either.
Bandits and Generals - The 20th Century and Beyond
- Thread starter General Mosh
- Start date
The Great War Part Three: The Aisne and Somme Offensives
On 14 May 1918 the Germans launched the Aisne offensive, aimed at quickly crossing the Aisne river and getting to and over the Marne. It was hoped that the offensive would draw Allied troops from the north to reinforce the south and relieve the pressure on Operations Michael and Georgette. The offensive opened with a massive artillery bombardment which included a poison gas drop. Taken completely by surprise, the Allied troops were quickly shattered and thrown back by the German infantry, who reached the Aisne in a matter of hours. Reims and Soissons quickly fell to the Germans and they soon reached and crossed the Vesle. By 20 May the Germans in the offensive had reached the Marne river and began advancing west towards Paris. They were finally halted just before they took Meaux, only around thirty miles from the French capital.
German troops in Northern France
The offensive succeeded in its goal and allied reinforcements were rushed to the south to stem the German tide. This was particularly damaging to the French, as they had already been forced to commit nearly their entire reserve to halt the German troops near Continy. That led to the French being forced to further weaken their forces in the north to ensure that they could hold the Germans in the south. It was becoming clear now that the allies were horribly short on manpower, and the Germans were determined to exploit it before their own manpower shortages caught up to them. They still had an advantage from all their troops coming out of the east, but it wasn't going to last forever, and there was still the chance, however small, that the US would join the war.
Just as the French rush reinforcements to the south the Germans begin yet another offensive in the north, continuing Operation Michael. The German line is only some 15 miles from Abbeville, the last major obstacle between it and the coast, which is only 12 miles from the town. The main German forces are aimed at a renewed offensive pushing up the Somme river towards its mouth in the English channel. The offensive is a success, the Allies no longer having any significant reserves to commit to the area. The British forces are rolled back towards Abbeville, and the city falls on 2 June 1918. From Abbeville German forces advance northwards towards Boulogne, widening the gap between the BEF and the French army. The BEF forces are now for all intents and purposes out of the war, stuck defending the channel ports from attacks coming from several directions.
On 20 June the final German offensive begins, aimed at surrounding and capturing Paris. The French army is at this point a demoralized and undermanned force, suffering severe supply shortages and running every time it comes in contact with the enemy. When French generals attempt a counterattack several French divisions mutiny, and the French worry about a repeat of the mutinies in 1917. Meanwhile, the Germans in Continy advance on Pontoise and Chantilly while those outside Meaux attempt to take the town and advance to the Seine, effectively cutting off Paris from any reinforcement. The French forces crumble in the face of determined German assaults and by 10 July Paris has been cut off and subjected to bombardment and the French army has been reduced to nothing more than a panicked mob. On 12 July the French government asks for an armistice, surrendering Paris to the German army. Britain follows suit on 14 July, removing the BEF from France and signing an armistice. The Great War in the west is all but over.
Carnage during the Aisne offensive
Thank you!
Begins? I'd say it just happened!
Thank you! I'll be posting an update sometime within the next couple days.
yourworstnightmare
Banned
Are you going to cover the inevitable conflict between the Reichtag and the Junkers post WW1, and whether there will be a Civilian government or not?
One of the things I have to do is a bit of research on the Imperial German government and that will certainly be covered, probably getting an update or two of its own.
Thank you! And it had to be done
It'll probably go up today or tomorrow, I would've put it up yesterday but I went skiing instead.
Hope it goes up today. You really left me hanging when you posted the last one.
The Great War Part Four: The Treaty of Paris
It wasn't until 20 July that Italy signed an armistice, and 1 August when the Japanese did. Following that, the rest of the allied powers made armistices, although in some cases it felt like a betrayal by the main allied powers of France and Britain had caused all of this. This feeling was especially prominent in Greece and Italy, and it would be exasperated by the harsh peace terms that both countries would be subjected to. The last armistice was signed by Andorra on 22 August 1918, and negotiations for a peace treaty began in Paris on 3 September. Paris had taken visible shell damage earlier in the year, including damage to the Arc de Triomphe (which one shell had hit, taking a bite out of the top), and many in the city were still struggling to feed themselves and their families, as much of northern France's infrastructure was completely destroyed in the fighting.The negotiations began with each side presenting equally ridiculous claims and proposals. This was quickly changed however as negotiations continued, and the belligerent nations soon began to reach agreements on important subjects. The major points of contention were Africa, Belgium, and concessions from France. Throughout the negotiations France did its best to put up a strong front, but it was clear that they were the weakest of the major powers, their country had taken the brunt of the fighting, and insurrection bubbled just under the surface. After a long and hard negotiation, a treaty was finally signed on 4 April 1919, officially ending the Great War with all of its misery and suffering.
Europe after the Treaties of Brest-Litovsk and Paris
First, the Allies officially recognized the territorial changes in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and all the Allies promised to recognize any countries established in those regions by the "rightful German government". In the west, territorial changes were relatively minor. Belgium would be restored to pre-war borders, but France would lose some territory. Germany took Luxembourg and much of Lorraine, significantly extending their border with Belgium. Where things in Europe changed the most was in the Balkans, which got a complete makeover by the Treaty of Paris. This can perhaps be attributed to the fact that the only major ally that would have cared significantly about the region was Russia, which was suffering a civil war and had already made a treaty with the Germans. The Austrians outright annexed Serbia, splitting it with the Bulgarians. Austria also took a significant portion of northern Romania while the Bulgarians took Costanta and most of southern Dobruja. Finally, the Bulgarians took parts of western Thrace and Macedonia, while Montenegro went to the Austrians, and the Ottomans got some islands in the Aegean sea and the island of Cyprus. In Italy, Austria took lands up to the Adige River, giving them cities like Venice and Trento.
Africa after the Treaty of Paris
In Asia Germany's pacific colonies were split between the Australians and Japanese. The last territorial changes came in Africa, where the two sides debated long and hard over the Congo area. Eventually it was decided that much of the north Belgian Congo (up to the Congo River) would go to Germany, creating the German Kongo. The Germans would hold onto Kamerun, Togoland, and East Africa. Togoland would gain some territory in return for German Southwest Africa being given to South Africa. In addition, German East Africa would gain some territory to its north in Kenya. Finally, there was the matter of economic reparations. The British would pay 50 million pounds each to the Ottomans and Germans. The French would pay 150 billion Frances (roughly 7.5 billion pounds) to Germans, and finally the Italians would pay 3 billion pounds each to Austria-Hungary and Germany. This would end up crippling both the French and Italian economies, but the Germans did not care. It was the second time in just a few decades they had beaten the French, and the Italians had backstabbed them. The treaty made Germany the most powerful nation on the European continent and the third most powerful on the African (behind France and Britain). With its new found wealth and territory, Germany would come to dominate the politics of the 20th century.
The world after the Treaty of Paris
RamscoopRaider
Donor
Man that's a powder keg waiting to happen, it's a 1918 victory, Austria-Hungary is worn down enough they are on the road to civil war and disintegration soon enough, especially with their territorial gains making things worse, Bulgaria is surrounded by hostile powers, and the Japanese have no more reason to stick with the British and every reason not to
Be interesting to watch the crisis' when Japan starts mucking around in Asia and A-H breaks up
Be interesting to watch the crisis' when Japan starts mucking around in Asia and A-H breaks up
Indeed. Another thing is the revenge the Soviets are gonna want on the Ottomans and Germans...
Germany will certainly face some domestic problems. I'm not sure what I'll be doing with all that Russian territory, but I don't think we'll be seeing them hold onto it by themselves for too long.
Deleted member 67076
Nice timeline, will subscribe. I wonder what will happen to the Ottomans Will they still balkanize?
RamscoopRaider
Donor
Assuming the Germans let the Soviets come to/stay in power in the civil war, they've got the military power and certainly don't want communists nearby Edit: though they are rather exhausted atm
Germany would probably go for semi independent puppet states
Oh yes, Finland became independent in 1917, with German help, shouldn't that be shown?
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The Germans will probably send some minor expeditionary force, but they really are exhausted, especially since they have to worry about administering their new African colonies and territories in the east, and problems that will pop up from war spending and the sheer manpower loss at home, and all of that. I can't see them wanting to commit enough troops to turn the tide. But certainly the Soviets will be the main German enemy in Europe (although admittedly Russia is severely weakened by all that land loss).
Probably. Ukraine is a definite, as well as probably Lithuania and some form of "Baltic States". The only area I'm not sure about is that central Belarus kind of area, I don't know what independent state it'd be made into. Any suggestions?
Damn, I forgot that. I'll add it in the Russian revolution update, which will be the next one or two.