The Great War
The border dispute between Russia and Turkey over the Caucasus Mountains would lead to the Great War erupting in the spring of 1911. Both sides claimed the other had violated the border and opened the first shots. The issue would remain a controversy for decades.
The war reached into all parts of the globe. Though not officially part of the alliances Great Britain and the United States exercised their influence over Latin American Countries with Britain successfully persuading Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Honduras and Peru to join their cause. The United States persuaded Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela to join their side.
Both sides had gained enjoyed early victories and suffered early defeats. The British and Canadians enjoyed victories over the United States in Niagra Falls and in the Great Lakes, however didn't hold up as well to the Americans in the West. Vancouver fell quickly to the Americans, and the USMC took Vancouver Island with little effort. The March to Winnipeg was stopped by British defenses beginning one of the longest and bloodiest battles in the war. Royal Marines fought and won a bloody battle seizing the city of Detroit, while the Royal Navy and US Navy clashed in the Atlantic and Pacific. The Royal Navy usually proved superior to its American counterpart, but the American Navy fought hard and brave becoming the most feared and respected of the Royal Navies enemies.
Britain concentrated most of its forces fighting in Canada against the United States, but had troops in fighting on both fronts in Germany and in Portugal. South Africa fought mostly in Portugal against the Spanish and the Australians and New Zealanders fought mostly against the Americans in Mexico, the Indians fought only against Russia in Persia and Afghanistan.
The first year of the war was highlighted by stalemate, and ended with a Christmas Truce. Fighting resumed on New Years day 1912. Like the prior year 1912 was marked by successes and failures for both sides. The American Atlantic fleet suffered a major defeat at the hands of a British-German coalition fleet opening the door for the Royal Navy and Brazilian Navy to send troops to fight in Portugal. German, British and Turkish troops captured Constantinople from the Russian garrison.
In America the United States gained a huge momentum push on the southern front and had pushed the ANZAC and Mexican defenders to within a few miles of Mexico City. The Mexican Army was in shambles and its Navy lay at bottom of the sea. Panic gripped the capital as it was feared the United States would this time annex the entire country.
The American Army recaptured Detroit and had inched its way to the St Lawrence River in Quebec. The French population reacted in multiple ways to the United States occupation. The French Canadian Nationalist's fought the American's in guerilla warfare, making occupation difficult, while the Quebec Nationalist's were content with America's promise of being granted independence welcomed the American's, a few went as far as to form the Quebec Independence Army to join the Americans in the fight. Small rebellions broke out on both sides of Quebec. The recent turn of success for the Americans in the war won Roosevelt re-election.
The war lingered on in a near perfect stalemate throughout 1913 with only Mexico surrendering in October. It wouldnt be until 1914 when the war would be decided. Portugal and Brazil had wore Spain down causing it to collapse in June 1914, France struggled only to find Portugese and Brazilian troops moving from the Iberian Front to the Western Front to fight alongside Germany.
Italy had battled Austria-Hungary to exhaustion, with the death of Franz Josef in 1914 and the ascension of his son Rudolf, Austria-Hungary and Italy came to terms. A-H allowed Italy to take the Italian speaking areas of the Empire in return for a peace treaty between the two nations. Nearly bankrupt and with a war weary population, Italy agreed. With the Kingdom's major goals met Italy withdrew from the War signing a peace treaty with the Central Powers in Tripoli.
Fearing a coup, Germany occupied Austria-Hungary to keep stability and to keep the Russians spread thin in the east. Finally the knock out blow was dealt to France when British and German troops entered Paris. The capital was temporarily relocated to Orleans.
Turkey meanwhile was struggling with the American supported Arab Revolt and the Russians in the east. Jerusalem, Baghdad and Damascus were now under Arab control, and worse for the Turks, the Kurds had begun a revolt of their own.
The United States with its freed troops from the Southern Front began putting greater pressure on the British in Canada. The war was now fought entirely on Canadian soil with Winnipeg falling on November 2 and London a month later. The Americans began to lay seige on Toronto shortly after Christmas.
The war had taken an awful toll on all nations involved, especially in the national treasury. Britain found it increasingly expensive and difficult to defend Canada, and ferry troops across the Atlantic, especially with the American Navy changing their tactics to deadly submarine warfare. Germany finally underhandedly sent Vladimir Lenin into Russia to incite a revolt. As Russia decended into anarchy Nicholas II was forced to make peace with the Central Powers.
War weary and cash strapped, the British and Germans turned to the US. After the Americans took Toronto in March, Parliment came to a decision. It wasn't econimcally feasible, or likely to wrestle Canada away from the United States. On April 12, 1915 Theodore Roosevelt received a messenger representing Germany and Britain wishing for the three powers to meet in Rome to discuss a peace treaty.
The remaining powers met in Rome bringing the bloodiest war in human history to an end. The Big Three, the United States, Great Britain and Germany dominated the conference, with the secondary powers including Sweden and Japan getting the small scraps.
Japan, although by treaty was forced to give the US pacific territories back to Washington gained French Indochina, and the Philippines, as well as the Kamchataka Peninsula of Russia.
Sweden gained control of Finland, Lativa, Estonia and Lithuania (it still controls Norway) making a greater Scandonavia.
The United States annexed Canada, with the exception of Quebec which was granted independence. American annexation came as a dismay to most with the Canadian Liberation Army targeting the American Occupation force and American Settlers. Their goal was nothing short of ousting the United States and establishing a Canadian Republic. Some members of the CLA tried to use peaceful means but more often than not violence was the method preferred by the CLA. The US withdrew from Mexico to its prewar borders in 1917 when it was suggested by top American Generals occupying both Canada and Mexico would be too much of a strain on the Army, and economy.
Germany agreed to create a buffer between itself and Russia by creating the landlocked Kingdom of Poland with a Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen on the throne. It found itself now controlling most of the former French Empire in Africa and French Guiana in South America. It also found itself occupying the Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia (both Russian and Turkish portions).
Britain may have lost Canada but still had the mightiest Empire in the world, New Foundland remained part of the Empire, and had exerted strength over former Russian territory in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uigheristan and Tajikstan were all now part of the British Empire. Britain also gained control of Georgia and Constantinople (think Gibraltar for Constantinople). With Russia in Civil War Britain now stood alone as the most important influence in Perisa.
The Big Three powers worked together in ending the Arab Revolt and the war against the Ottoman Empire. Arabia was divided between the Big Three. The United States controlled Greater Syria (OTL Syria plus Northern Iraq) and the Kurdish Region. Germany and Britain gained the most with Germany taking Western Arabia (OTL western Saudi Arabia), with Britain taking Baghdad (Southern Iraq), Jordan, and Palestine as part of its Empire.
The post war meetings continued with Japan joining the Big Three in the Partition of China into spheres of influence.
Britain and the US began a newfound friendship forming the Anglo-American Cooperation Council which met regularly in Bermuda. The AACC first exercised its influence over Latin America, first to end the war, and second to reform the Central American Federation. The Construction of the Nicaraugua Canal began in 1917 and opened an easy access route from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The war in South America had a much harder toll than Europe or America. By far the most deadly, most countries lost most of their male population and in some cases were beginning to call on females to fight. The AACC again began to mold South America into their liking. Brazil and Argentina which faired better than all other South American nations wasn't touched by the AACC, in fact Argentina annexed Chile after defeating that nation in war. Peru and Bolivia were united as a single nation with its capital in Cuzco. Greater Colombia was reformed nearly a century after it collapsed when Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador were brought together in a Confederation.
The losing nations of the war suffered greatly, after the withdrawal of British and German troops from Paris, France erupted into yet another Revolution, only this time a Communist government would take the place of the monarchy. A Spanish Civil War brought similiar results in 1919. Lenin had successfully incited a rebellion in Russia and overthrew the rule of the Tsar. When offered, Britain agreed to accept the Romanov family, after a short stay in Scotland the family was shipped to Constantinople under the condition the Tsar could not in anyway try to be involved with the cities politics, to do so would mean exile from the British Empire.
The elections of 1916 brought Woodrow Wilson to power over Vice President Taft. Wilson's grand scheme to avoid another disasterous war led to the creation of the League of Nations. The idea was hated by Roosevelt who campaigned against it. Wilson barely managed to get enough votes to join, however the LoN was very weak.
Roosevelt left office to go on a sufari in Africa, he gained the Progressive Party nomination for President in 1920 but failed to oust Woodrow Wilson in the election. He retired from politics in 1921 and died in his sleep in 1923 at Oyster Bay.
