1916 Compromise Peace

There was a USA suggestion that the Germans be given Belgian Congo as part of a compromise peace. Let say that in early February 1916 (pre Verdun) a compromise peace is reached.

a) French, Russian, Belgian, European boundaries are back to pre-war.
b) Germany receives Belgian Congo and all 1914 colonies back.
c) Austria Hungary/Bulgaria remains in occupation of Serbia/Montenegro for one full year, international conference after to resolve issues, final boundaries
d) Italy to occupy Albania for one full year, International conference after.
e) Germany to suspend naval construction for 12 years
f) 1913 Naval construction budget to be used as reparations to France/Belgium for 12 years
g) Turkish boundaries are pre-war.

Is something like this remotely feasible. And would it hold. And what would the future look like.

Germany/Austria maintains her primary war aim of knocking down Serbia a peg.
Germany gets a valuable colonial acquisition.

The Allies who are at a slight military disadvantage in early 1916, return to their pre war boundaries.
France gets some reparations.
Britain gets naval limitations.
 
The Allies who are at a slight military disadvantage in early 1916

Thing is, the Allies didn't see it that way at all.
To them, 1916 was going to be the year that the shell crisis had passed, the tide turned and simultaneous offensives would crush the Germans.
Even bearing in mind that hindsight was not yet available, it's surprising how little the leaders knew of what was going on.
 
I know that A-L was an emotional issue for the French and Germans. Is an option to merge it with Luxemburg and make it an independent neutral country? With this as a buffer state, maybe it would remove the fears of both the French and Germans of the other side using it to launch invasions.
 
I know that A-L was an emotional issue for the French and Germans. Is an option to merge it with Luxemburg and make it an independent neutral country? With this as a buffer state, maybe it would remove the fears of both the French and Germans of the other side using it to launch invasions.
Nope. It was seriously A-L or bust for the French, much, much moreso than it was for Germany.
 
In early 1916 the Germans had not long finished a hugely successful offensive in the East and were sitting on much of northern France. They aren't losing so aren't going to be denying themselves a navy nor paying reparations to the countries they are beating.
 
No. Not any chances that major powers would be willingful to any compromise. France wanted A-L back, Brits wanted crush Germans and they not be allowing Germans getting colonies back. Germans wanted crush France and Russia. Austria-Hungary had crush nad humiliate Serbia. Serbia wanted Greater Serbia/Yugoslavia, at least Bosnia. Russia perhaps would be willingful make peace but not others. You would need ASB that any nation would take any other as clear victory or total defeat.
 
The optimal time to propose a compromise peace would be 1917, and averting the United States joining the war.

Perhaps the same peace conditions could be reached at the beginning of 1917. The POD is the Germans seriously reexamining the submarine campaigns chances of success and without any other war winning strategy seek peace. The Allies seeing their financial limitations also see the need for peace.

(of course the falling out of Russia is unexpected by the Allies, who probably feel even with financial limitations, if they just hold the line, the blockade will win it for them eventually).
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Perhaps the same peace conditions could be reached at the beginning of 1917. The POD is the Germans seriously reexamining the submarine campaigns chances of success and without any other war winning strategy seek peace. The Allies seeing their financial limitations also see the need for peace.

(of course the falling out of Russia is unexpected by the Allies, who probably feel even with financial limitations, if they just hold the line, the blockade will win it for them eventually).

Re-examining submarines strategy would be easy. Stop navy from fudging the numbers. If the U-boats had been sinking ships at the rate claimed in numbers before German GHQ, then Germans would have won the war before USA gets to the front.
 
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