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Let's say, with post-1900 PODs, both Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire survive until present day. How they look like, what are their governments, etc, are still opened up to debate, but their territories are roughly in similar extent with their territories in 1914 (larger or more territories, maybe yes, but certainly not less).

They survived the WWI since it ended in a quick/early Central Powers victory. Here is my proposed scenario:

1914
August 7
: British Expeditionary Force arrives in France.
August 14 - August 24: Using swift movements and maneuver, French Third and Fifth Armies, as well as the majority of BEF are successfully encircled and subsequently destroyed by the Germans. The Race to the Sea begins.
August 16 - August 19: Battle of Cer. The Austro-Hungarians defeat the Serbs, and continue to advance toward Belgrad.
August 17: The Russian army enters East Prussia.
August 20 - September 5: German counterattacks in East Prussia are major successes. The Russians are retreating eastward with heavy casualties.
August 23: Japan declares war on Germany and Austria-Hungary.
August 25 - September 11: Battle of the Yser. German forces secure the coastline of Belgium.
August 28: British and Japanese forces capture the German-controlled port of Tsingtao in China.
August 30 - September 20: Battle of the Ypres ends the Race to the Sea. The British and the French are prevented from reaching Calais and Dunkirk.
September 1: Austro-Hungarian troops enter and occupy Belgrad.
September 5 - September 12: Major German victory at Battle of the Marne. The Germans continue their march toward Paris.
September 7 - September 14: Battle of the Masurian Lakes. The Russian army are forced to completely withdraws from German soil, yet with another heavy casualties.
September 8: The Austro-Hungarians successfully encircle and subsequently destroy Russian Fifth Army at Galicia.
September 10: The Ottomans, eager to take advantage from continued Russian military defeats, declares war on Russia.
September 13: Italy declares war on France, hoping to gain Nice, Savoy, Corsica, and Tunisia.
September 15 - September 29: The Ottomans win some major victories in the Caucasus, albeit with heavy casualties.
September 25: Fall of Paris to German Army. French governments flee to Bordeaux.
October 1 - October 10: Both Germans and Austro-Hungarians continue their march through Russian territories.
October 20: Realizing that the situation is hopeless, the French governments ask for an armistice to the CP. Russia follows the suit immediately afterwards. The British, seeing their two major allies in the continent have already surrendered, reluctantly ask for armistice as well.
October 30: The Peace Conference begins.

Again, what happened in the aftermath of this WWI, or whether it will be a WWII or not, is still opened up to debate.

Now, do you think their survival is a better fate for Balkans and Middle East?
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