How would be the best way to forge an Anglo-German alliance rather than the OTL Anglo-French alliance?
How would be the best way to forge an Anglo-German alliance rather than the OTL Anglo-French alliance?
I don't think this is possible the German empire was not a wishing a status quo but wanted to establish themselve as the main european power by war if neccessary. And France did not have the ressources to threathen the balance of power anymore.
I never did understand before why Britain and France aligned themselves together so much in the past century, when historically they were at each other's throats (with good reason). An Anglo-German alliance seems, for lack of a better word, more appropriate than an Anglo-French one. That's just an opinion though, with no logical basis.
So perhaps have a victorious France in the Franco-Prussian war, which would establish France as the most powerful state in the Continent?Britain's main foreign policy objective has always been the prevention of any single power from establishing dominion over all Europe. This is why they allied with Prussia when France was the most powerful state in Europe and then allied with France when Germany was the most powerful state in Europe. You can pretty much always count on the British to ally with the second-most powerful state in Europe.
So perhaps have a victorious France in the Franco-Prussian war, which would establish France as the most powerful state in the Continent?
Possibly, yes. But I think a more realistic POD would have the French intervene on behalf of the Austrians in 1866.
That would be like a repeat of the 18th century. An British-Prussian Alliance versus a Franco-Austrian one.
Since Britain had always looked upon France as its traditional enemy and rival, I think the English could have accepted gradual Imperial German dominance of western Europe as long as this was not accompanied by the building of a major blue water navy and demands for equality in colonialism. Tied to this, of course, would be the close links between the German and British ruling houses.