AHC: Make World War 1 last as long as Iran-Iraq War

missouribob

Banned
IDK maybe the United States stays out of the war formally but continues to back the Allied Powers with capital assets? The German government takes Paris earlier on in this ATL but the war doesn't end? The front is basically along Paris with Paris becoming Stalingrad? Somehow Britain/France/Germany don't undergo mutiny/revolution by 1920?
 
what it says on the tin, make Ww1 last 10 years between the two sides.

Extra points if it's still as bloody as in OTL

I think to have it last anywhere near that long, the overall intensity is going to have to dramatically decline. That is, you might have about the same volume of fighting but spread over a longer period of time. This probably implies smaller armies in the field, less aggressive attacks, etc.

IOTL both France and Germany (and a lesser degree England) had mutinies and were close to collapse. There's no way they could maintain that same level for another year, not to mention 5-6.

One possible scenario might be sustained periods of deadlock in France, with neither side willing to mount a major attack, and with smaller actions taking place elsewhere (Gallipoli, Africa, Middle East, etc.). So, you might have a larger portion of the war fought outside Europe-proper.
 

Wallet

Banned
This is kinda crazy, but have Russia not leave the war, but switch sides and joins Germany. Maybe the communists start trouble sooner, and the Kaiser offers a ceasefire and assistance to deal with communists in both nations, for an alliance.

A joint German-Russian army could easily take France but now you have US forces at WWII levels. This could keep the war going.
 
This is kinda crazy, but have Russia not leave the war, but switch sides and joins Germany. Maybe the communists start trouble sooner, and the Kaiser offers a ceasefire and assistance to deal with communists in both nations, for an alliance.

A joint German-Russian army could easily take France but now you have US forces at WWII levels. This could keep the war going.
Why would either side ever agree to that? I was under the impression that Germany and Russia were bitter rivals. Not as bitter as Gremany and France, sure, but enough to make an alliance unlikely at best.
 
Have Germany go east in 1914, without the occupation of NW France for 4 years the war drags on in a desultory fashion for mych longer than otl.
 

B-29_Bomber

Banned
Why would either side ever agree to that? I was under the impression that Germany and Russia were bitter rivals. Not as bitter as Gremany and France, sure, but enough to make an alliance unlikely at best.

Not really. The Kaisar and the Tsar were cousins.

They were at most, no more hate filled than Britain and Russia, and those two were rivals over the Great Game in Central Asia.
 
Not really. The Kaisar and the Tsar were cousins.

They were at most, no more hate filled than Britain and Russia, and those two were rivals over the Great Game in Central Asia.

So was George V, and Carol I was a member of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Blood relation meant little during the war.

Not to mention that Wilhelm II was the least liked member of the family... by a very large margin. He was often not invited to gatherings, and they often spoke poorly of him. It is generally seen that Nicholas treated him as a friend not because he liked him, but because he was concerned about William's volatility and wanted to prevent a crisis that could boil over into war.
 

B-29_Bomber

Banned
So was George V, and Carol I was a member of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Blood relation meant little during the war.

Not to mention that Wilhelm II was the least liked member of the family... by a very large margin. He was often not invited to gatherings, and they often spoke poorly of him. It is generally seen that Nicholas treated him as a friend not because he liked him, but because he was concerned about William's volatility and wanted to prevent a crisis that could boil over into war.

There were also efforts in the decades before the war to create an alliance between Germany and Russia.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
There were also efforts in the decades before the war to create an alliance between Germany and Russia.
Treaty of Björko ... an attempt by Willy and Nikky do do politics aside and against (?) the rest of the bunch of politicians.

Germany and Russia ... lesser a hate-love relation, than a fear-love relation. ... while France was clearly more a hate-hate relation.
Russia seemed just too big a bear to hug.

German attitude towards Russia always oscillated between pro and con, sometimes even both at the same time. ... what counted for "Germany" as a whole (political entity) as well as for the single persons entrusted with shaping its fate.
 
Germany doesn't do USW, USA remains neutral.

Allies have financial problems which dictate they can't go on the offensive in 1917. (less shell, plane and tank production etc.) but can still defend.
Allies abandon Salonika position in 1917 due to financial problems and continued low intensity submarine warfare (Germany could take more liberties in the med where less likely to run into USA ships, Greece remains neutral. But British continue the 1917 offensive in Palestine and Baghdad.

Kerensky government without USA loans does not do Kerensky offensive, without any forthcoming Allied offensives, seeks an armistice with Germany mid summer 1917.

Germany/Austria launch a crushing offensive in Italy September 1917, this gets across the Adige forcing Italy into an Armistice (at current front line, British and French forces evacuate Italy).

Austria and Bulgaria have little to do, Austria contributes a few divisions to the western front but are basically out of the war.

Russia and Italy have limited trade with Germany, important items like cotton, grain, nickel and petroleum from Russia. The occasional merchant sub brings rubber from USA.

France and Britain without commitments in Italy or Greece and without offensives of their own have greater strength and have done more planning for the defense in 1918. Without USA entry, Germany has no pressing reason to launch large offensives against the western front soon. The Germans try nibbling offensives, pick on Ypres and Verdun, forcing their evacuations. But the war settles down into a stalemate with neither side wanting to waste their strength on futile offensives against shortened well defended lines.

Peace talks take place but no agreement is reached. This lingers on sort of like Iran/Iraq until 1924 where peace is made.
 
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