AHC: Central powers monarchies survive as long as possible

Basically what the title says: make the monarchies of the Central powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire) survive as long as possible, with extra points for them surviving to the present day. They don't have to win World War I, in fact double extra points if the monarchies survive despite losing the war.
 
What sort of POD would be allowed? Obviously the easiest way would be to prevent the first world war, which greatly weakened the monarchies.
If you only allow PODs after the outbreak of the first world war the key would be to make the war as short as possible. Say the two russian armies invading east prussia work together and and defeat the one german army leading to the fall of east prussia, leading to a panicked reaction recalling troops from the western front. Under these circumstances the war would be rather short and would not weaken the societies to such an extent and the peace terms would be more lenient too.
 
Best solution is keeping WW1 so short as possible and perhaps not so harsh embargo against Germany.

Austro-Hungarian empire not be saveable with any after 1900 POD but Austrian monarchy can survive. Ottomans are then more difficult. But perhaps Turkey can keep its monarchy.

Bulgarian monarchy then survived to 1946 in OTL.
 
Pretty much for the German monarchy to survive you have to either keep Romanov Russia in the war, or keep the US out. Wilson historically was the greatest voice in favor of a German Republic. RE Austria, would it count if Austria became a state within Germany? If the Ottos lose the war, though, a surviving monarchy is impossible. I'd argue it was impossible after Enver did his coup.
 
Id prefer a POD after the start of the war, but one shortly before is also acceptable. As to Austria, that's not true. Up till early 1918 there was no evidence that the Empire would truly collapse the way it did. It was only when Allied backed independence movements began declaring independence that the Empire collapsed. Make these declarations fail or the war end sooner and chances are the Empire could survive on a federal model (something both Franz Ferdinand and Emperor Karl favored).
 

NoMommsen

Donor
Don't let Moltke loose his nerves and keep this one army corps he sent to the east
(can't remember it's name and number, but in any case it came to late to assist in the battle of Tannenberg it was intended for)
and place it between the 1st and the 2nd corps, where the BEF and 5th french army came through, causing the german retreat in 1914.

Maybe another possibility :
Let them skip the original Schlieffenplan (HERESY :D ) and let the germans go with an early Ludendorff plan, he adviced - or at least worked out as a "homework" put to the archives as it WAS rendered heresy by his then superiors - after he assesed roads and railways in Luxemburg, Ardennes and western France : an early idea of "Sichelschnitt" (read it in a biography I can't find atm).

But an early german victory I think is a good bet to keep the "old order" hang around for some time.
 
Basically what the title says: make the monarchies of the Central powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire) survive as long as possible, with extra points for them surviving to the present day. They don't have to win World War I, in fact double extra points if the monarchies survive despite losing the war.

Including the monarchies within Germany ?
 

LordKalvert

Banned
If WWI is short with Imperial Russia at the bargaining table, the survival of the monarchies is rather easy. A victory in Galacia with the Austrian armies trapped and a victory at Tannenbeg, relatively easy to do, would save Bulgaria and the Turks because they simply won't join the war

The Austrians might be done for or the Habsurgs would get to keep a rump state in Vienna

As for Germany- one of two possibilities remain- the Franco-Russians might seek to break up Germany. If this happens, keeping the Kings would be a useful means of preventing a popular nationalist movement. The Kaiser might have to abdicate as Emperor of Germany but he could remain King of Prussia

Or the Russians might like to keep a weakened Kaiser on the Throne so a diminished Germany could serve as a check on France. A Germany strong enough to beat France but no threat to Russia is probably the ideal out come for the Russians.

Basically, the stronger Russian influence at the table the better for the monarchs

In either outcome, there would be no reason the monarchies don't survive to the present day
 
A problem for the Hohenzollerns is that Hindenburg usurped much of the role of the monarch in popular consciousness during the war. Kaiser Bill just wasn't able to stop that, and politically he allowed Hindenburg/Ludendroff to usurp much of his actual political power in the last years of the war.

People knew deep down Wilhelm just wasn't a good a leader.

I think the only way to preserve the Hohenzollerns would be if Wilhelm II either died or abdicated prematurely, elevating Crown Prince Wilhelm to the throne. If Wilhelm III could revive popular support in the monarchy, then the Hohenzollerns stand a good chance at keeping their throne even if Germany becomes a constitutional monarchy.

But he'd need to be popular with the rank and file troops, reclaim the prestige and love that had gone to the Bismarck cult, develop a good relationship with the Reichstag parties, and be seen as a better leader than his father who wasn't to blame for the mistakes in the war. It's a tall order.
 
A problem for the Hohenzollerns is that Hindenburg usurped much of the role of the monarch in popular consciousness during the war. Kaiser Bill just wasn't able to stop that, and politically he allowed Hindenburg/Ludendroff to usurp much of his actual political power in the last years of the war.

People knew deep down Wilhelm just wasn't a good a leader.

I think the only way to preserve the Hohenzollerns would be if Wilhelm II either died or abdicated prematurely, elevating Crown Prince Wilhelm to the throne. If Wilhelm III could revive popular support in the monarchy, then the Hohenzollerns stand a good chance at keeping their throne even if Germany becomes a constitutional monarchy.

But he'd need to be popular with the rank and file troops, reclaim the prestige and love that had gone to the Bismarck cult, develop a good relationship with the Reichstag parties, and be seen as a better leader than his father who wasn't to blame for the mistakes in the war. It's a tall order.

So the ideas are 1. quick German or Russian victory in WWI, 2. Kill Wilhelm II off early, 3. avoid the Hindenburg/Ludendroff dictatorship or 4. a potential German version of Italian fascism, with Hindenburg/Ludendroff as Mussolini and Wilhelm II as Victor Emanuel III.
 
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