alternatehistory.com

Update! From now on for the Great War, I will be doing updates by theatre.
As always feedback and comments are appreciated!

1907 Part 2 - A shattered peace

July: Battle of Moscow: After a brief respite to let supplies catch up to them, the Byellorussians open the Battle of Moscow with a short but fierce artillery bombardment on Soviet lines at Mozhaysk. The Soviets manage to hold for 5 days but end up crumbling under Byellorussian pressure. The Soviets attempt to mount another defence at Kubinka, but are unable to and instead dig in at Odintsovo and the outskirts of Moscow. From the south the Republicans manage to establish bridgeheads over the Oka River at Stupino and Kolomna. The Republicans secure Domodedovo by the end of the month.

July: The first skirmishes between the Chinese Revolutionary and Chinese Republican armies happen as the two sides clash in Southern China. While the Revolutionaries are better equipped, the Republicans have better leaders and training. As such no side gains the upper hand.

August: Battle of Moscow: The Byellorussian and Republican advance slows considerably due to fierce house to house fighting. Losses are high on both sides, as the defending veteran Soviet guards contest every bit of ground. Despite this, both the Byellorussians and the Republicans reach the Moskva River at Ramenki and Brateyevo District respectively.

September: Battle of Moscow: While the Battle for Moscow continues to rage on, the first shots between Byellorussian and Republican forces occur as they clash at Obruchevsky District. Unintentionally, the German 36. Division and the French 1st and 2nd Foreign Regiments fire upon each other in a fierce battle in Vorontsovskiy Park, which results in stalemate and both sides nearly shattered.

September: September Crisis: With news of the clash between French and Germans in Russia, tensions skyrocket in Europe. Media in both France and Germany call for war to be declared. The last straw occurs when Kaiser Wilhelm II speak against the “French menace” and calls for the need to settle the “Russian question” once and for all. On the 29th of September, with no sign of a solution, Germany begins the mobilisation of its armed forces. France, Great Britain and Austria-Hungary quickly follow suit.

October: In accordance with plans drawn up by Field Marshall von Schlieffen, the Germans invade Luxemburg, Belgium and the Netherlands on the 11th of October without a declaration of war. Advancing quickly over Limburg and Belgium, the German army under von Moltke the younger aimed to outflank the French Army in Lorraine and hopefully destroy it.

October: Belgium and the Netherlands declare war on Germany. France, Great Britain, Japan and Austria-Hungary follow up with their own declarations of war a day later.

October: Battle of Liege: The Dutch are unable to hold Limburg and are pushed back over the River Meuse. The main Belgian defence line, centred around Liege, manages to hold the Germans as they lack enough heavy artillery to break through the Liege fortifications. However, German troops flank around the north of Liege from Limburg and cut Liege off from reinforcements. Despite this, Liege only surrenders by the end of October, giving the Western Entente enough time to establish a defensive line running from Charleroi to Eindhoven to the Dutch New Waterline.

October: Battle of Moscow: With the outbreak of war, German and Austro-Hungarian armies begin deploying to the front in Russia against both the Soviets and Republican Armies. However, the outbreak of winter means that no offensives can reasonably occur until the next year. Despite this, the Battle of Moscow continues, with the Soviets completely withdrawing over the Moskva River, leaving the Central Powers and Western-Entente forces to fight over the Southbank.

October: With German General von Mackensen in Republican China as an advisor, the Revolutionary Chinese government covertly joins the Entente and asks the Japanese to invade the Republicans from Manchuria. The Japanese offensive is scheduled for April next year.

October: Great Britain begins a naval blockade of the North Sea in an attempt to starve the Central Powers of resources. With the British having 5 Dreadnoughts built and 7 under construction, the Germans cannot hope to break the blockade (with only 1 Dreadnought built and 4 under construction).

October: France begins occupying German Kamerun while Britain begins occupying Tanganyika, Togoland and Sudwest Africa. Resistance is fairly limited in the German colonies.

November: Battle of Liege: Having taken Liege despite heavy losses, the Germans continue their offensive in an attempt to take Brussels and Antwerp, splitting the Entente from the Dutch. However, the Germans are disorganised and have lost their momentum, while the Entente are heavily dug in, with machine gun emplacements and trenches quickly becoming a common sight along the Western front. The Germans suffer heavy losses for very little gain.

November-December: Japanese and British marines begin occupying German colonial holdings in the Pacific. Troops from British Australia begin a campaign to bring German New Guinea

December: The Western front settles along a line of trenches and fortifications beginning at Utrecht, then to Eindhoven, Charlerois, Sedan, and along the Franco-German border.