AHC: Help Create my alternate WW1 alliances

Maybe in the case of Belgium but I've had another poster tell me that in this situation it would side with the CPs just b/c Belgium would figure France couldn't protect it easily enough.
I doubt that the Belgians would capitulate so easily seeing how in OTL in both world wars they were willing to endure long years of total or partial occupation of their homeland rather then bow down to the invaders
what colonial disputes could Portugal have with Britian that make it decide to side with the Allies after 1900. I figure things would have been settled after Britian refused to endorse Portugals "Pink Map" during the Berlin Congo Conference.
It's the pink map affair that embittered the Portuguese.
Of course, this would also depend on how the war is going. They would probably be inclined to join the winning side, whichever that is, to gain a part of the spoils.
 
I doubt that the Belgians would capitulate so easily seeing how in OTL in both world wars they were willing to endure long years of total or partial occupation of their homeland rather then bow down to the invaders

It's the pink map affair that embittered the Portuguese.
Of course, this would also depend on how the war is going. They would probably be inclined to join the winning side, whichever that is, to gain a part of the spoils.
So the Allies need victories before Portugal might side with them then? Also I could make the affair over the 1890 British Ultimatum more serious in order to drive Portugal to the Allies.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Recently I've intrigued myself with the concept of having an alternate WW1 in which the major super powers are allied with eachother as follows

-Britian, Germany, Italy, Ottoman Empire
-France, Russia, USA

Help me create a series of events that lead to these alliances and them waring with eachother. Not necesarily in that order.

Also I will allow pre-1900 PODs even though this is the post-1900 board. I posted it hear b/c I figured it would get more views form people that could help me.

You might want a brief UK/Germany v. USA war/dispute. Something like these two intervening to make the USA give Spain back PR and maybe Cuba. Or a Venezuela crisis where the UK and Germany team up on the USA. This gets the USA hostile to the UK/Germany, the USA to seek allies, and improve the UK Germany relationship.

Now what happened to Austria-Hungary?
 
You might want a brief UK/Germany v. USA war/dispute. Something like these two intervening to make the USA give Spain back PR and maybe Cuba. Or a Venezuela crisis where the UK and Germany team up on the USA. This gets the USA hostile to the UK/Germany, the USA to seek allies, and improve the UK Germany relationship.

Now what happened to Austria-Hungary?
Which Venezuela crisis did you have in mind? Also I mentioned earlier that I left out other countries in my OP so that other posters could suggest which way they would fall in this alliance set up.

Also if I left out the Ottomans from this initial set up which way would they more likely fall? Would they prefer to join the CP or Allies?
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Which Venezuela crisis did you have in mind? Also I mentioned earlier that I left out other countries in my OP so that other posters could suggest which way they would fall in this alliance set up.

Also if I left out the Ottomans from this initial set up which way would they more likely fall? Would they prefer to join the CP or Allies?

I don't have the date, but I think it was TR or Taft. Germany really wanted to take some islands for debt the Venezuelans owed, and make it a navy base. Have the UK support the Germans in exchange for something the UK wants such as German fleet limited to 50% of UK fleet combined with a publicly humiliated USA president, and you have most of the alliance work done. USA had traditionally good relations with France and Russia, so it is a nice fit.

You will have to move around some of the lesser powers if you want a long war, but that is also doable. A-H may move to the Russian side, or neutral,or maybe they are having internal crisis, or maybe it splits into two countries. A-H falling apart makes a nice way to start the war.

Look Venezuela history, and it should show up pretty easy.
 
A-H may move to the Russian side, or neutral,or maybe they are having internal crisis, or maybe it splits into two countries. A-H falling apart makes a nice way to start the war.
About AH, I can see the following (admittedly contrived) back story: the Hapsburgs try something like the Bosnian annexation of OTL but it blows up in their face very badly. Russia and Turkey gang up on AH and dismantle it. The Germans want to help AH but due to some improbably bad diplomacy they can't get any other great power to support them. Later, the British feel bad about allowing the collapse of AH because it disrupted the balance of power, so they side with Germany and both of them side with Turkey against Russia which is seen as the bigger threat, and this sets the stage for the alternate ww1.
 
Recently I've intrigued myself with the concept of having an alternate WW1 in which the major super powers are allied with eachother as follows

-Britian, Germany, Italy, Ottoman Empire
-France, Russia, USA

What happened to Austria-Hungary? Leaving A-H out is like Hamlet without the Prince. Also Japan, which is a Great Power.

Help me create a series of events that lead to these alliances and them waring with each other. Not necesarily in that order.

What about this lineup?

-Britain, Germany, Italy, Ottoman Empire, Japan

vs

-France, Russia, USA, Austria-Hungary

I could envision the first group as the ruthless-imperialist powers.

Britain savagely represses Ireland, alienating the US, and is aggressive in Latin America, as well. (OTL Venezuela crisis, etc.)

Germany is OTL Germany.

Italy veers Fascist and is bloody-handed in Africa.

Japan anticipates the 1920s-1930s, seizes bits of China, etc, and is armed by Britain as OTL.

Turkey - butchers Slavs in the Balkans and Armenians in the Caucasus, propped up by Germany and the UK.

All these states are authoritarian and ostentatiously monarchist.


On the other side:

France is colonialist - but republican, and relatively egalitarian toward the "natives" - e.g. colonial peoples electing members to the Chamber of Deputies.

Russia - undergoes a revolution in 1906 or so - the ultra-reactionary "camarillla" stages the assassination of the insufficiently compliant Tsar, and get caught. With the throne vacant, liberal elements establish a republic. Traditional Russian-American friendship is cemented.

The US is republican, anti-colonialist (Open Door and Good Neighbor). At odds with Japan in the Pacific, anglophobic (Ireland!), francophilic.

Austria-Hungary - old Franz Joseph dies and Franz Ferdinand establishes a Triune Monarchy with proper representation for Slavic elements, and social-democratic government. (This is perhaps the most ASB, as A-H had massively dysfunctional politics.) Despite remaining a monarchy, A-H aligns with France/Russia/US because it has no colonies.
 

yourworstnightmare

Banned
Donor
How might Frederich have changed the advancement of the German Navy from OTL since Britian saw the growth of Germany's navy as a threat in OTL?
If Germany was aligned with Britain, the British wouldn't consider Germany as much a threat. Also if we can avoid Wilhelm II there would perhaps be no need in Germany to build a navy of the size, if they don't think they had to beat Britain in a war eventually.
 

BlondieBC

Banned

About AH, I can see the following (admittedly contrived) back story: the Hapsburgs try something like the Bosnian annexation of OTL but it blows up in their face very badly. Russia and Turkey gang up on AH and dismantle it. The Germans want to help AH but due to some improbably bad diplomacy they can't get any other great power to support them. Later, the British feel bad about allowing the collapse of AH because it disrupted the balance of power, so they side with Germany and both of them side with Turkey against Russia which is seen as the bigger threat, and this sets the stage for the alternate ww1.

With Willie, improbably bad diplomacy is the exception not the rule. And over a limited issue like Bosnia, I could see Italy, Ottomans and Russia coming to an agreement.

The British would switch for a balance of power issue, if Russia looked too strong. Lets say Russia got a Med port in Saloniki as reward.
 

whitecrow

Banned
This is not very probable, I admit, but still:
The Russo-Japanese war escalates and both Britain and Germany gang up on Russia.
Having Britain enter the Russo-Japanese war is fairly easy IMO. OTL when Russia was sending its Baltic fleet to the Far East to fight the Japanese the Russian navy attacke UK boat, mistaking it for a Japanese vessel. I am told Britain was very close to declaring war after the incident.

Once Britain enter the war Germany could attack Russia out of opportunism.

Edit: ah, yes, the event I'm thinking off is the Dogger Bank Incident - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogger_Bank_incident
 
What was improbable was not Britain and Germany attacking Russia. It was other powers (including the USA) bailing the Russians out.
 
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