You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
alternatehistory.com
A History of the Great War
The Great War was truly one of the largest, far reaching, and most certainly global conflicts of the 20th century. Though the imperial powers which went to war merely assumed it would be another repeat of previous conflicts such as the Austro-Prussian war, the Crimean War, or the Cuban War, it would prove to be anything but.
Though for one to understand the causes, implications, and mindset that framed the rulers, planners, and peoples who fought in what would become the greatest clash of titans the world has ever seen, one must first look back to the years immediately preceding the war and the way the world found itself balanced on the knife edge.
The World in 1908:
The world was firmly divided into two camps in 1908, the Imperial Entente, and the Triple Coalition. The Imperial Entente was divided into the powers of the French Empire, Austria Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, the Empire of Brazil, the Empire of Mexico, and the Confederate States of America. The Triple Coalition was meanwhile divided into the North German Confederation, the Russian Empire, and the United States of America.
These two armed camps had grown up in the chaotic political maneuvering of the early 19th century. The only great power which influentially, and ominously, stayed absent from this network of alliances was Great Britain, for important reasons of her own. Thus each camp would try and court Britain into joining them in dominating both the North America, European, and South American continents through her influence, and the power of her navy.
Britain though, would remain aloof until the outbreak of hostilities.
Regionally the balance of power could be readily described. In Europe the three powers of France, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire truly dominated both Western and Southern Europe. France had all the Catholic nations under her sway through her Emperor’s policy of exporting Catholicism and supporting Catholic rulers, as well as having a tight lid on the Mediterranean which further cemented her dominance. Austria Hungary and the Ottoman Empire both firmly squeezed the Balkans between them as they sought to prevent the advance of Russian power, as well as to keep a lid on the simmering ethnic tensions that always threatened to boil over and engulf the whole region in flames.
North and Eastern Europe were firmly dominated by German and Russian influence. Russia for her part was the unchallenged master of the east right up to the Austro-Hungarian border. Germany meanwhile helped her dominate the Baltic Sea and ensure a favorable trade network with the Nordic nations while maintaining an uneasy truce with England in the North Sea over trade and expansion.
Despite the fact that these two powers were allies, neither could agree on either ones sphere of influence on Central Europe or the Baltic, it was a question neither chose to dwell too much on in the face of French and Austrian antagonism, but one which always skulked around in the back of their respective leaders heads.
Meanwhile in North America there was little doubt over who held the economic balance of power. The young American Republic had been a rising star, destined to become a beacon of freedom and democracy to dominate both the Caribbean and Atlantic, in time even the Pacific! Or so the proponents of Manifest Destiny had told them. Now though they sat divided and unhappy with a toehold on the Pacific, and their reach into the Caribbean completely cut off. This however had little difference on the sheer economic clout the republic wielded. However its military power was in question. Failing to stop the expansion of either the Confederate States of America, or the Mexican Empire, had seen its military abilities under scrutiny since 1860. Despite this her economic strength made her a vital partner to Germany, simply in order to survive should an unfavorable war break out, and German-American relations thrived on that beautiful trade network or the ‘trans-Atlantic bloodline’ as Bismarck would call it.
However, the enemies of the Republic were many. Mexico had long nursed a vicious grudge against the United States for the dividing up of its territory in the Mexican-American War, and had always sought to rectify that outcome, as had been a stated goal of Maximillian I when he came to power. Though they had expanded some in Central America and seized back some land from the US in the aftermath of the Civil War they still dreamed of the day when they would straddle the Pacific once more.
The Confederate States of America were a proud nation, not incredibly different from their neighbors in Mexico in terms of ambition. Though they had gained a sizable nation at the end of the Civil War (or the War of Northern Aggression in Dixie terms) their leaders still wanted more. Cheated out of their goal for a trans-Pacific nation by the establishment of the Republic of California they instead sought to expand south into the Caribbean and Central America. Though many privately sponsored filibusters would try, the Confederacy never succeeded in expanding beyond Cuba. For this they resigned themselves to dominating their immediate region, even if they had to work with Mexico to do it.
Both nations were French allies, and dominated by French interests to one degree or another. These nations both owed their existence to French arms and money, hence why their respective leaders tended to side with French interests no matter what the issue, even if the public did not necessarily agree.
South America was even simpler to examine than North America. The Empire of Brazil was purely the most powerful nation on the continent, in terms of economy, military, and prestige. The only nation which came in a distant second was her immediate neighbor of Argentina. Each country was backed by a great power (France for Brazil, and Great Britain for Argentina) and each saw themselves as the natural leader on the continent. Argentina resented the continents only monarchy as being the premier power, while the prominent public view in Brazil was that Argentina was an upstart nation with no true influence.
Tensions had of course simmered on and off for decades, most recently culminating in a major naval arms race between the two, with Argentina actually underscoring it by her construction of (at the time) the only military airship on the Continent, the San Martin.
Though these two backed certain other nations on the continent, most European observers were sure it would not come to war without one or the other being assured of European support.
In Asia and the Pacific the tumultuous balance of power was ever shifting based on the fate of China. That millennia old empire was teetering either on the edge of modernism or total stagnancy. Outsiders remained unsure which was which.
Three powers looked hungrily at her as she walked the tightrope of progress and all licked their lips with the thought of carving ever more territory from it. France of course sought to expand her influence in the region, from her colonies in Indo-China to her Pacific islands she had built quite the Empire, and according to that new school of imperialism, why not have more? Russia too eyed the resource rich regions of Manchuria and had begun in earnest to complete the construction of the previously ignored Trans-Siberian railway.
However, each power was careful not to upset the one other Empire in the region, the land of the rising sun, Japan.
Having jumped from essentially a medieval state in 1860 Japan had risen to dominate the region surrounding her islands, and eventually had gone on to outright annex places like Korea, as well as conquering the Spanish held Philippines. Though neither power feared Japan they did fear her ally Britain who had stood by Japan in a number of disputes so the two other powers tread cautiously lest they upset that nations sponsor. Russia grudgingly allowed Japan’s expansion into Korea while France didn’t argue over their seizure of the Philippines. Each power hoped to gain British favor through that move, and each hoped to push the other out of the Pacific all together.
Thus was the world divided between two equally hostile European alliances which had reach or a hand in truly every corner of the globe.
The World in 1908
---
As TL's go this is more of a thought experiment on my part so I wouldn't call it an incredibly 'hard' alternate history. I'm merely running with an idea that I had banging around in my head for some time and now I'm going to see where the butterflies fly to from the point I've set it at.
This is really going to be a 'War TL' with thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of certain nations. I may do a post-war TL describing the after effects of the war but we'll see how well this one goes.