Worst case scenario it becomes a colonial war not a total war. Germany was not going to even attempt to invade the US over the incident.
AHC/WI: European Empires invade the US in early 20th century
Worst case scenario it becomes a colonial war not a total war. Germany was not going to even attempt to invade the US over the incident.
Reading this thread reminded me of a video game released in the mid 1990s called Command & Conquer: Red Alert.
The story was based on someone going back in time and assassinating Adolf Hitler to prevent WWII from occurring. Instead a bigger monster was unwittingly unleashed, an aggressive and expansionist Josef Stalin.
The USSR went on to start WWII and wage an aggressive war with the West. If Stalin conquered Europe and had the resources of the USSR and Western Europe at his disposal, it might pose a bigger threat to the USA than any of the European powers (barring possibly Britain in the 19th century) ever could. His totalitarian and brutal ways could organise the resources of a nation for total warfare in the same fashion that his Five Year Plans painfully transformed the USSR from an agrarian nation to an industrial giant.
Communists also had the benefit of being able to subvert and organise populations within enemy nations to support them, since their cause was universalist rather than the traditional form of colonialism.
Anyway, it is doubtful that the USSR could conquer Western Europe in the first place to use as a springboard for an invasion of North America.
But it is still a fascinating scenario (and 1950's Western world nightmare) whether a Stalinist USSR + Soviet controlled Western Europe + Communists within the USA could conquer the USA.
The story was based on someone going back in time and assassinating Adolf Hitler to prevent WWII from occurring. Instead a bigger monster was unwittingly unleashed, an aggressive and expansionist Josef Stalin.
The USSR went on to start WWII and wage an aggressive war with the West. If Stalin conquered Europe and had the resources of the USSR and Western Europe at his disposal, it might pose a bigger threat to the USA than any of the European powers (barring possibly Britain in the 19th century) ever could. His totalitarian and brutal ways could organise the resources of a nation for total warfare in the same fashion that his Five Year Plans painfully transformed the USSR from an agrarian nation to an industrial giant.
Communists also had the benefit of being able to subvert and organise populations within enemy nations to support them, since their cause was universalist rather than the traditional form of colonialism.
Anyway, it is doubtful that the USSR could conquer Western Europe in the first place to use as a springboard for an invasion of North America.
But it is still a fascinating scenario (and 1950's Western world nightmare) whether a Stalinist USSR + Soviet controlled Western Europe + Communists within the USA could conquer the USA.
Riain
Banned
Any pretext would have to be close to the USA for an invasion to occur, maybe something from the Mexican revolution.
TFSmith121
Banned
What does this even mean?
The Mexican Revolution leads to a German-American conflict, which leads to an attempted German invasion of the U.S.?
In what universe do these words even make sense...
Mexico doesn't have the infrastructure to serve as a base to invade the US.
Besides, the President would just build a wall and have Mexico pay for it. 
Of course a country that is in the middle of a revolution or that just came out of a revolution is just perfect for basing out of to invade a Great Power!
TFSmith121
Banned
Of course a country that is in the middle of a revolution or that just came out of a revolution is just perfect for basing out of to invade a Great Power!
Yeah, it's like someone thinks Risk is the basis for geopolitics...
Best,
Excuse me, all you nay-sayers.
I spent the weekend exhaustively researching this and I now present you the first chapter in this very historical new timeline:
Secret European Doom Fortress [Brussels] early 1913
As the Russian and Japanese Emperors finished their joint report of what they had done on their weekend retreat to the Lake District together and the scrapbook they had made together to mark their friendship was passed around Kaiser Wilhelm II smiled. He was glad that he had instituted the buddy programme that had helped both men get over the brutal war they had fought a few years earlier. There was, of course, a more important fish to fry.
‘So, let us move onto the main item on the agenda for this meeting’ he announced, stroking the large globe that sat next to him at the head of the table. Before him, along the long mahogany table, sat the assembled monarchs who made up the League of Evil Kings and Emperors. ‘Our invasion plans for the United States. Do we have progress reports?’
The British monarch shuffled the papers in front of him. ‘Well, old chaps, I’ve spent the last year converting all passenger liners and other large vessels into troop ships to carry our vast armies to the Americas. There was of course some opposition from companies, sailors, and of course sane people, but after several rounds of summary executions the rest have stepped back into line’.
The applause around the table was broken by the Emperor of France. ‘But do the Americans not suspect anything? Are they not frequent travellers to Europe by those cruise lines?’ asked Napoleon IV who had managed to overthrow the Third Republic to join the League because…reasons.
‘No, they all think we are on a joint picnic’ interjected the King of Spain to a rich round of evil laughter.
‘Any other reports?’ Wilhelm continued after the guffaws died down.
‘Yes’ said one of the Scandinavian Monarchs. Wilhelm sighed. He thought it was Norway, but the three had never worked out who was their nominal leader and spent most meetings fighting over the one chair at the table. Currently they seemed to have reached an uneasy stalemate and were sitting in each other’s laps. ‘We have pickled over eighty thousand tons of herring’ Norway [or maybe Sweden] reported.
‘Excellent’ said a young Mr Burns, present by dint of his unspeakable evil nature and the utter absurdity of the whole situation.
Wilhelm slapped the table decisively. ‘We will need those supplies for our long marches into the interior of America’. Relieved faces around the table told him he had been right to insist they stop calling these columns ‘death marches’ after the last meeting. He turned to Austria-Hungary. ‘Have you sorted out your issues, friend?’ he asked pointedly.
The aged Emperor smiled serenely, puffing out his Buddha-belly. ‘Ahh yes. I have managed to supress the complex tangle of ethnicities and religions in my country my insisting all my armies learn Esperanto. Which, incidentally, we should all be speaking now to avoid further communication issues during the invasion’.
‘Ahh, yes, good point’ added Wilhelm. ‘Make a note of that for next time’ he ordered the Swiss President who the League had evilly forced to become their secretary.
‘Any other business?’ the Kaiser added, stroking his globe lovingly.
‘Uhhh, I am still unsure about the logic of one large armada’ said the Ottoman Sultan in a timid voice. ‘Wouldn’t multiple strikes make more strategic sense?’
‘Oh, you’d like that wouldn’t you?’ snapped the Bulgarian Tsar. ‘Just so you could sneak away and invade Greece again…’
Greece, who had been dozing in the corner, jerked awake the bells on his shoes jingling merrily.
There was an awkward silence in the room as the other members of the League made uneasy eye-contact with the large list of rules posted on the far wall. ‘Subjects not for discussion’ it read and there, at point fourteen, was ‘Balkans’. Sandwiched between point thirteen ‘Morocco’ and point fifteen ‘Africa’.
‘The Rules keep the Peace’ intoned the assembled crowd, a red-faced Bulgaria included.
Wilhelm sighed. It was like herding cats. ‘No, to answer your question my turban-headed friend, we need one massive fleet. We must have a grand shelling of New York from all sides. The image in the press will convince all our peoples that this invasion is a good idea’.
The group applauded.
The Kaiser, leaning towards the globe, lovingly stroked the upper East Coast with his evil withered arm. Did I mention he was super-evil? ‘Soon’ he whispered, as much to himself as the others, and leaned in to lick Maine. ‘Soon. For what issue is Geography when we could have….THE WORLD?’
I spent the weekend exhaustively researching this and I now present you the first chapter in this very historical new timeline:
Secret European Doom Fortress [Brussels] early 1913
As the Russian and Japanese Emperors finished their joint report of what they had done on their weekend retreat to the Lake District together and the scrapbook they had made together to mark their friendship was passed around Kaiser Wilhelm II smiled. He was glad that he had instituted the buddy programme that had helped both men get over the brutal war they had fought a few years earlier. There was, of course, a more important fish to fry.
‘So, let us move onto the main item on the agenda for this meeting’ he announced, stroking the large globe that sat next to him at the head of the table. Before him, along the long mahogany table, sat the assembled monarchs who made up the League of Evil Kings and Emperors. ‘Our invasion plans for the United States. Do we have progress reports?’
The British monarch shuffled the papers in front of him. ‘Well, old chaps, I’ve spent the last year converting all passenger liners and other large vessels into troop ships to carry our vast armies to the Americas. There was of course some opposition from companies, sailors, and of course sane people, but after several rounds of summary executions the rest have stepped back into line’.
The applause around the table was broken by the Emperor of France. ‘But do the Americans not suspect anything? Are they not frequent travellers to Europe by those cruise lines?’ asked Napoleon IV who had managed to overthrow the Third Republic to join the League because…reasons.
‘No, they all think we are on a joint picnic’ interjected the King of Spain to a rich round of evil laughter.
‘Any other reports?’ Wilhelm continued after the guffaws died down.
‘Yes’ said one of the Scandinavian Monarchs. Wilhelm sighed. He thought it was Norway, but the three had never worked out who was their nominal leader and spent most meetings fighting over the one chair at the table. Currently they seemed to have reached an uneasy stalemate and were sitting in each other’s laps. ‘We have pickled over eighty thousand tons of herring’ Norway [or maybe Sweden] reported.
‘Excellent’ said a young Mr Burns, present by dint of his unspeakable evil nature and the utter absurdity of the whole situation.
Wilhelm slapped the table decisively. ‘We will need those supplies for our long marches into the interior of America’. Relieved faces around the table told him he had been right to insist they stop calling these columns ‘death marches’ after the last meeting. He turned to Austria-Hungary. ‘Have you sorted out your issues, friend?’ he asked pointedly.
The aged Emperor smiled serenely, puffing out his Buddha-belly. ‘Ahh yes. I have managed to supress the complex tangle of ethnicities and religions in my country my insisting all my armies learn Esperanto. Which, incidentally, we should all be speaking now to avoid further communication issues during the invasion’.
‘Ahh, yes, good point’ added Wilhelm. ‘Make a note of that for next time’ he ordered the Swiss President who the League had evilly forced to become their secretary.
‘Any other business?’ the Kaiser added, stroking his globe lovingly.
‘Uhhh, I am still unsure about the logic of one large armada’ said the Ottoman Sultan in a timid voice. ‘Wouldn’t multiple strikes make more strategic sense?’
‘Oh, you’d like that wouldn’t you?’ snapped the Bulgarian Tsar. ‘Just so you could sneak away and invade Greece again…’
Greece, who had been dozing in the corner, jerked awake the bells on his shoes jingling merrily.
There was an awkward silence in the room as the other members of the League made uneasy eye-contact with the large list of rules posted on the far wall. ‘Subjects not for discussion’ it read and there, at point fourteen, was ‘Balkans’. Sandwiched between point thirteen ‘Morocco’ and point fifteen ‘Africa’.
‘The Rules keep the Peace’ intoned the assembled crowd, a red-faced Bulgaria included.
Wilhelm sighed. It was like herding cats. ‘No, to answer your question my turban-headed friend, we need one massive fleet. We must have a grand shelling of New York from all sides. The image in the press will convince all our peoples that this invasion is a good idea’.
The group applauded.
The Kaiser, leaning towards the globe, lovingly stroked the upper East Coast with his evil withered arm. Did I mention he was super-evil? ‘Soon’ he whispered, as much to himself as the others, and leaned in to lick Maine. ‘Soon. For what issue is Geography when we could have….THE WORLD?’