AHC: Have WWI end in a white places/status quo antebellum

Your challenge is to have WWI end in as close to a white peace/status quo, with a POD of 1914.

There can be payments and stuff of the sort, but the war must end as neutrally as possible, with no side gaining much of anything.

Bonus points if the Germans keep Brest-Litovsk and Alsace-Lorraine, but still 'lose' the war.
 
The USA never enters the war and a peace deal is brokered sometime in 1918.

But you can forget about having Germany "lose" in your bonus scenario. It's a bit difficult to see Germany as a defeated nation if it has dismantled the Russian Empire (Brest-Litovsk), and beat back the Entente in the West (retaining Alsace-Lorraine).
 

tenthring

Banned
Russia collapses two months earlier then OTL and thus the Germans avoid USW and Zimmerman telegram. White peace is reached in west while Germans retain some gains in east (but not full Brest Litovsk). Also, I hate to break it to you but giving up A/L might be worth it for the eastern gains and peace.
 
It's not so much a war as a series of incidents...

I'm going to play on the words "white places status quo antebellum" here because your other scenario is unrealistic. With a very jealous Joffre at the helm of the French army, Joseph Gallieni does not return to the armed services after his retirement in early 1914. Joffre specifically makes it clear that Gallieni is not to have any role in military affairs despite his experience and record. Without the critical reinforcements in numbers and morale, the German Sixth Army advances on Paris in numbers. Sir French of the BEF pulls his forces out of the line to refit and regroup following heavy casualties, the reinforcement proving decidedly poor in timing and allowing the German forces to advance more quickly than before. Scholars debate for a century whether this was the key, whether the French forces were simply too demoralized, or both. In either case, without Moltke's nervous breakdown there is no 'general retreat' thus he is able to coordinate the offensive and take Paris on September 16, 1914. With the capture of Paris and Moltke still intact, German forces continue to push the French back and remain mobile while Sir French believes the BEF is no longer able to endure as a fighting force. It has lost significant quantities of men and material, he is only saved from a trial for treason by Lord Kitchner who found the salvation of a British army prudent in the face of a possible German invasion attempt by sea (Kitchner is on record as being concerned for this and held troops back from the BEF because of it in OTL 1914, arguably saving the BEF from disaster at the hands of an aggressive Sir French according to some).

France surrenders in early November 1914 with its defensive lines pushed back to a line from Caen to just northeast of Orleans (under siege but not taken) to Mulhouse. French government officials, now stationed in Bordeaux, are made to sign the Treaty of Strasbourg. Surprisingly the demands are few as the war is over quickly, Germany has put its flag in Paris twice in 45 years, and London sees no point in continuing a war when it has few land bases. France is made to pay a severe indemnity, Germany gets basing rights to naval facilities in Brest, Dunkerque, Bordeaux, and Cherbourg. Belgium is acknowleged as a German satellite as is Luxembourg, the latter nominally independent if only to give Germany a second voice on the international stage but maps no longer show it as a separate nation. France renounces all claims to Alsace and Lorraine while acknowledging war guilt and Germany turns it attention to Russia, which wisely backs down after Tannenberg and the surrender of the French. The Kingdom of Poland, as a client state of Russia, is set more free but under the "protection" of Germany instead of Moscow. Nicholas II signs the treaty, causing significant backlash but not enough to dethrone him, the "Red Revolution" is crushed before it can get organized beyond large mobs. Nicholas II survives into his 70s and Imperial Russia still rules today, the Tsar Alexi III having taken the throne in 2011.
 

Perkeo

Banned
Your challenge is to have WWI end in as close to a white peace/status quo, with a POD of 1914.

There can be payments and stuff of the sort, but the war must end as neutrally as possible, with no side gaining much of anything.

Germany somehow decides in the last minute not to attack Belgium. Britain still declares war for some reason (otherwise Germany wins), but that move is so unpolular both domestically and internationally that they end up negotiating with the Germans. France won't continue without Britain, and Russia won't continue without a western front. So all end up accepting status quo ante bellum.

Bonus points if the Germans keep Brest-Litovsk and Alsace-Lorraine, but still 'lose' the war.

That is a contradiction in itself: Brest-Litovsk IS the victory in the east - and not even a small one - and keeping Alsace-Lorraine IS the victory in the west
 
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