AHC: Worse Versaille?

[The_Last_Plantagenet]

How could the Treaty of Versaille be made worse? Completely disunited Germany? Stuff like that? And also what would be needed to make it be so much more worse?

 

[Iserlohn]

Well, one big problem is what defines "worse"? Some stuff which might humiliate Germany further, like ceding East Prussia to Poland, could increase the chances for peace.

But here are is a list of a few options which I could see as additional punishments imposed by the Entente post-war without diving Germany outright:
- East Prussia and Danzig get ceded directly to Poland
- the Saar area gets immediately annexed by France
- the creation of a separate Rhineland state (distinct from Prussia)
- additional minor annexations of lands by Belgium
- restoring the parts of Luxembourg lost to Prussia in 1815 to Luxembourg
- further reparations and/or military restriction

 

[Alexander the Average]

Whilst this might be pushing it a bit, but what about giving Schleswig-Holstein and the Kiel Canal to Denmark? Sure it was mostly German by this point, but that didn't stop them elsewhere.

Maybe break off a few of the larger states, such as Bavaria, or even partition Germany on religious grounds, with Catholic regions falling under French influence and Britain getting the Protestant states?

Possibly ASB, but what are the chances of the Entente attempting to establish a Jewish state in Germany (though more realistically it would be in territory claimed by Poland) as an alternative to the Balfour declaration? That would definitely have consequences.

 

[Iserlohn]

Possibly ASB, but what are the chances of the Entente attempting to establish a Jewish state in Germany (though more realistically it would be in territory claimed by Poland) as an alternative to the Balfour declaration? That would definitely have consequences.

Why..? The Jews in Germany were quite happy at the time and Zionism was primarily an effort by Jews originally from the Pale of Settlement, as well as British intellectuals. Though having a genuine Medinat Weimar would be hilarious and it'd fit nicely in-between a North and South German state.

 

[LordKalvert]

You could cancel the indemnity, allow the Germans to rearm and let the Kaiser remain that would ensure a second war in a few years rather than wait twenty. At least you avoid Hitler

 

[Mikestone8]

Whilst this might be pushing it a bit, but what about giving Schleswig-Holstein and the Kiel Canal to Denmark? Sure it was mostly German by this point, but that didn't stop them elsewhere.

The Danes would have refused it. OTL they were careful to accept only those areas of Schleswig which were clearly Danish in population. They were smart enough to know that sooner or later the Entente armies would go away - and Germany would still be right next door! They weren't going to antagonise her more than they could help.

Maybe break off a few of the larger states, such as Bavaria, or even partition Germany on religious grounds, with Catholic regions falling under French influence and Britain getting the Protestant states?

And how is this to be enforced? Remember the Entente didn't even occupy the Rhineland for as long as the ToV entitled them to - they left five years early. And once the occupation troops leave, how many hours do these separate states exist for?

Possibly ASB, but what are the chances of the Entente attempting to establish a Jewish state in Germany (though more realistically it would be in territory claimed by Poland) as an alternative to the Balfour declaration? That would definitely have consequences.

Very ASB.

OTOH, I've occasionally toyed with the idea that the Habsburgs might try something like that after a CP victory - expel the Poles and Ukrainians from Galicia and resettle it with Polish and Ukrainian Jews - a sort of Israel on the Carpathians. The settlers would probably be loyal to Austria for lack of anywhere else to turn. Still not very likely though.

 

[Admiral Beez]

You could cancel the indemnity, allow the Germans to rearm and let the Kaiser remain that would ensure a second war in a few years rather than wait twenty. At least you avoid Hitler

The Kaiser could then claim the war was not lost, but was a draw. Having just seen their sons killed for nothing, the German people may still want to depose WII for his son or someone else.

 

[LordKalvert]

The Kaiser could then claim the war was not lost, but was a draw. Having just seen their sons killed for nothing, the German people may still want to depose WII for his son or someone else.

Given that the Germans felt the war was forced on them, a draw would probably be acceptable. The regime would survive

Given that within five years, German predominance of the continent would be obvious, the regime would ultimately be vindicated. The Kaiser would by marching through the streets of Paris in 1925 at the latest