A common trope on these forums is the emergence of a communist France following a German victory in the First World War. In addition, sometimes, such as in the popular Kaiserreich, a French successor state emerges from the French colonies, particularly Algeria. How likely would this be to happen in reality, and what would this state look like?
Communist France after German WWI Victory: French Africa Successor State?
- Thread starter MichiganNationalist1837
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- colonies communist france france ww1 wwi
By the time the Communists kicked the KMT to Taiwan the Island already had a significant Chinese population.
Why I'm bringing this out of nowhere? Because it's an equivalent, unlike Taiwan said French Government in exile wouldn't have the populational base to sustain a government, pretty much the opposite.
Why I'm bringing this out of nowhere? Because it's an equivalent, unlike Taiwan said French Government in exile wouldn't have the populational base to sustain a government, pretty much the opposite.
Deleted member 97083
Well, Central Powers victory threads are pretty much a constant.
What about Corsica? A French government could live on there. In addition, there was a not insignificant number of French whites in Algeria.
What do you think would happen to the colonies, if not held by the French in exile? I imagine some would have their own internal communist revolutions and affiliate with communist France, but they might be invaded. Secondly, were there significant independence movements in, say, French West Africa or French Guiana that could have actually succeeded, or would these colonies be taken by the British or someone else.
If post-WWI (just how recognisable this is, to achieve a Communist France which isn't strangled in the crib by all of its neighbours, is quite another kettle of fish), then no chance in hell they become independent. Either they're administered as part of the formally-recognised French remnant in Corsica (and probably de facto German-, Italian- or British-run), or the other great powers occupy them outright.
Is a victorious Germany going to allow a Communist France--a state that would be preaching revolution to the workers of the world, including Germany? I doubt it, for the same reasons I doubt that the Bolsheviks could survive a German victory; see https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...n-a-cp-victory-scenario.411058/#post-14323600
There is an analogy with 1871, when if it seemed the Commune was winning, Prussia might well have intervened. https://books.google.com/books?id=7mTJAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT143
There is an analogy with 1871, when if it seemed the Commune was winning, Prussia might well have intervened. https://books.google.com/books?id=7mTJAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT143
They wouldn't be "too busy" to the point of tolerating Communist states on both sides of them. Even OTL, Ludendorff had everything ready to stomp the Bolsheviks as soon as he'd won in the West. It would have been ditto for France - quite a bit of which would presumably have been already under German occupation had France lost the war.
And after all, if Germany is indeed having a "food crisis" (doubtful once they've won the war) presumably the more Germans who are stationed abroad (and requisitioning food locally) the better.
Riain
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I don't see this list being realistic in a CP victory. Germany won't need to be rebuilt, worn stuff will need to be replaced but there is no massive combat damage. Mitteleuorpa didn't cause Russia massive problems in 1914, why will it cause so many problems for Germany? Why would Germany be fighting Britain in the Middle East? Sure they had a Brigade in Palestine but that was beaten by the British Army by 1917-18 and even more troops would hardly be too taxing. The food crisis is real enough but putting soldiers back onto farms then production will improve.
France and Britain won't make peace at the same time, chances are that when the French Revolution happens, Britain is still blockading Germany. For the Russia parallels, maybe the French government collapses and is unable to accept German terms, so when the revolutionaries take over they recognize German dominion of the former French colonies, some annexations along the French-German border, reparations, and disarmament... all in exchange for recognition of the new French government.
You say this like Britain wouldn't also be horrified at the prospect of a Communist France. France isn't isolated enough like Russia to survive as a communist state in this period, not when every single one of its neighbors would be hostile to such a regime.
North African Arabs could launch an uprising a la Arab revolt, I think Italy/Spain/ British will suppress it if they have the power however and it will probably be quite easy to do so.
Colonial troops in sub Saharan French Africa will be able to suppress unrest fairly easily, there was little national consciousness among the Africans at that time and most enforcement was done by local elites anyway.
To have French colonial possesions in Africa collapse would only be possible if the other European powers were too devastated to stop it.
Probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions of French exiles would like to move to Algeria and they would at least for a time be able to maintain their position on top.
Colonial troops in sub Saharan French Africa will be able to suppress unrest fairly easily, there was little national consciousness among the Africans at that time and most enforcement was done by local elites anyway.
To have French colonial possesions in Africa collapse would only be possible if the other European powers were too devastated to stop it.
Probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions of French exiles would like to move to Algeria and they would at least for a time be able to maintain their position on top.