AHC: WWI ends status quo ante bellum

After all the blood and treasure sacrificed it would be difficult for the status quo to prevail. The civilian population would wonder what the point was especially after being fed so much propaganda
 
Given the correlation of forces; Germany better than Russia, Russia better than AH and/or Britain good politically and strategically, Germany good operationally and tactically etc. etc. etc. I doubt it would be possible because these difference will lead to a 'result' of some sort of another.
 
Given the correlation of forces; Germany better than Russia, Russia better than AH and/or Britain good politically and strategically, Germany good operationally and tactically etc. etc. etc. I doubt it would be possible because these difference will lead to a 'result' of some sort of another.


This is always the toughie in any "compromise peace" scenario. Basically, if the Germans just have to give back all their conquests w/o getting anything in return, they'll see that as defeat - and indeed it would require military defeat to make them do it.

OTOH, if the Entente has to let them keep any major part of those conquests, or else "buy them back" with indemnities and/or colonial concessions, that will look like defeat to their public. Either way, you get a political explosion in the camp that sees itself as defeated.
 
If it's a late war status quo peace, even if the Germans have to give up all of their conquests they have done a massive amount of damage to the entente, Russia is going to fall apart and be a mess for a few decades and France has taken a serious beating, a strategic victory although the population may not see it that way.
Assuming AH has fallen apart Germany will get to pick up their german land.
France is furious and screwed
Belgium is furious and screwed
Russian empire is dead
Habsburg empire is dead
Italy is furious
Germany and Britain are both Furious bit less screwed compared to the other major allies

Ottomans are actually probably happy, they keep all their land and Russia has been removed as a threat.
 
If it's a late war status quo peace, even if the Germans have to give up all of their conquests they have done a massive amount of damage to the entente, Russia is going to fall apart and be a mess for a few decades and France has taken a serious beating, a strategic victory although the population may not see it that way.
Assuming AH has fallen apart Germany will get to pick up their german land.
France is furious and screwed
Belgium is furious and screwed
Russian empire is dead
Habsburg empire is dead
Italy is furious
Germany and Britain are both Furious bit less screwed compared to the other major allies

Ottomans are actually probably happy, they keep all their land and Russia has been removed as a threat.
The UK might be able to spin this outcome as "we helped liberate Belgium and helped our French Allies drive out their invaders.."

Not a great outcome but not really a defeat for the UK either especially if the naval blockade and contributions of the BEF can be spun as having played a major role in achieving these aims.
 
If it's somehow sufficiently late that the US has entered, then you'd get an enormous backlash against Wilson and the Democrats: worse than 1920, I'd say. If the US hasn't gotten involved, then the Democrats become the party of isolationism, never missing a chance to say "I told you so". Either way, the US becomes even more isolationist than IOTL, opting to take a...renewed, shall we say, interest in affairs to the south in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America.
 
The UK might be able to spin this outcome as "we helped liberate Belgium and helped our French Allies drive out their invaders.."

Not a great outcome but not really a defeat for the UK either especially if the naval blockade and contributions of the BEF can be spun as having played a major role in achieving these aims.
The biggest issue they'll have is the amount of money that will be seen as having been wasted in the war but yeah they'll get out of it relatively unscathed.
 
The biggest issue they'll have is the amount of money that will be seen as having been wasted in the war but yeah they'll get out of it relatively unscathed.
Yes but the UK could argue that they up held their National Honour by going to war for Belgium (and to a lesser extent France) and continuing to fight until a reasonable outcome was achieved.


If those two countries are restored to their pre war boundaries I could see a war weary government in the UK deciding that peace might not be such a bad deal. I do agree there would likely be some push back.
 
If it's a late war status quo peace, even if the Germans have to give up all of their conquests they have done a massive amount of damage to the entente, Russia is going to fall apart and be a mess for a few decades and France has taken a serious beating, a strategic victory although the population may not see it that way.
Assuming AH has fallen apart Germany will get to pick up their german land.
France is furious and screwed
Belgium is furious and screwed
Russian empire is dead
Habsburg empire is dead
Italy is furious
Germany and Britain are both Furious bit less screwed compared to the other major allies

Ottomans are actually probably happy, they keep all their land and Russia has been removed as a threat.

I see Poland, and others staying a nation. No way they would let the Russians in, and the Russians won't be able to do that for years.
 
Yes but the UK could argue that they up held their National Honour by going to war for Belgium (and to a lesser extent France) and continuing to fight until a reasonable outcome was achieved.


If those two countries are restored to their pre war boundaries I could see a war weary government in the UK deciding that peace might not be such a bad deal. I do agree there would likely be some push back.
I agree
I see Poland, and others staying a nation. No way they would let the Russians in, and the Russians won't be able to do that for years.
No one would be willing to go to war to give the Russians Poland back so even if "Mitteleuropa" fails to come about the Germans will get something nearly as good out of it anyway, countries like Lithuania are going to look to the Germans for protection from from countries like Russia and Poland, regardless of what happens I imagine the Russians will eventually get Belarus and Ukraine back, or at least parts of them.
Poland will be very paralysed compared to otl as any kind of posturing directed at Germany or German friendly states will be the equivalent of hanging itself.
Russia Probably won't be taking Poland back, especially if they go red as per otl the Germans will not be inclined to put up with communists that close to their borders.
 
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