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Say a relations crises occurs between the U.S. and the U.K. just prior to the Spanish-American War...

After the latter begins in earnest, trigger a conflict between:

U.K., Germany, Austria-Hungary, Spain, and Ottomans on one side

and

U.S., France, Italy, and Russia on the other.

Peripheral powers are optional.

This challenge is inspired by Willhem II's invasion plans and various threads on the U.S. and U.K. on opposite sides of the Great War (in this case UK with the CP and U.S. with Entente), as well as on earlier threads regarding an Anglo-French conflict over the Fashoda Crisis.

Theatre Brainstorming edit:

The war in the Caribbean is nearly won by August when the Fashoda Incident erupts into war. The accidental sinking of an American ship en route to France, followed by the sinking of a Spanish vessel by France leads to tensions, but the American sinking of a British vessel shortly thereafter provokes the UK into pulling support for the US. War is declared when the UK declares support of Spain. While defensive Canadian Forces are mobilizing the RN is steaming to strategic points near the Canadian-US border, in the Caribbean, as well as to naval and shipbuilding yards on the east coast.

Kaiser Willhelm II, hoping to humiliate the US and to take colonies from the Americans and the French declares war on the U.S. and sends ships to New York City and Puerto Rico. France is busy commerce raiding and strengthening ground units on her borders with Spain and Germany, both enemies and both belligerents in the sister war with the US.

Spain can do little more than provide assistance to the Anglo-German navies and the US scrambles to buildup. Focusing its navy less in the Caribbean now and more on the eastern seaboard, and sending its ground forces to Quebec which is easily taken. The Germans land in Puerto Rico, and after a shelling of Manhattan, occupy the island with British support while the British take Albany and Seattle.

Spurred on by the Americans Argentina invades the Falklands while Russia declares war on the UK. Eager to take advantage of an ideal war situation the Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia in kind and Germany and Austria Hungary do the same shortly thereafter. The German invasion of France begins in early 1899 and in spite of British support is slow.

With the RN distracted, the navies of France, the US, and Russia launch an all out war against the Anglo-German navies which reaches stalemate status by summer. In spite of her naval dominance, the UK is fighting on multiple fronts. The US slowly takes more Canadian territory with the help of newly formed Québécois regiments while New York and then Albany are retaken by the Americans thanks in no small part to the volunteer cavalry lead by Col. Theodore Roosevelt. Ireland is in revolt and Russia is making headway in the east while the war in Africa slowly turns in favor of the French.

Eventually the tide is turned and Canada is occupied while American expeditionary forces are sent to Europe to liberate France and punish Spain, Germany, and the UK.

Thoughts?
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