Britain joins Russo-Japanese War

[OS fan]

During the RJW, the Baltic fleet of Russia had an incident in the German Sea, near the dogger bank. Mistaking harmless British fishermen for the Japanese navy, they shot them and created an international incident (and foreshadowed their unglorious defeat later).

What if the incident had grown to a full-fledged war? A good part of the British public was crying for revenge.

 

[tonsofun]

If Britain had decided to get it's revenge and declare war on Russia then you'd be looking at an early ww1.

 

[Delta Force]

Would Germany and the other Triple Alliance members sit and watch the French and British tear each other apart or might they pick a side? The British will have a hard time launching a ground offensive in France and Russia via sea and the French and Russians will not have the naval power to bring the war to the UK. Italy is a wildcard since they covet Austro-Hungarian lands, and the Ottomans might be prodded into joining the war to open a new front in Southern Russia.

Then of course you have the United States as yet another wildcard. France the UK both built up massive fleets designed around raiding world commerce, and if those two nations go to war the entire world ocean turns into a war zone. The UK is also certain to blockade a good chunk of Europe in an attempt to starve the French and Russians of trade (and possibly the Germans as well if they choose to join them).

 

[Grimm Reaper]

Why would France enter the war because the Russians somehow convinced themselves that British fishing boats in the North Sea were the Japanese fleet lying in wait? More likely Russia sues for peace soonest and pays the price.

 

[sparky42]

While France and Russia had a treaty I don't see France pushing for action against the British, to be honest I would think that they would push the Russians to step back from a war with the British.

As for a full scale war, the Russians only wanted a short victorious war out of the Russo Japanese war, given the internal issues I can't see Russia wanting to risk another war with the British Empire.

The Triple Alliance would be well of sitting back and letting any conflict happen without becoming involved, the worse the relations between the other European powers the better for them.

 

[sharlin]

The British nearly did take action against the Russians it seems. We had our fleets out en mass, the Russians were shadowed all the way down the channel and beyond.

In reality I think it would have been a naval spat, Britain can't really do anything to the continental powers of France and Russian, we had a small army. Whilst they could not do anything to us because of the Royal Navy.

 

[David S Poepoe]

While France and Russia had a treaty I don't see France pushing for action against the British, to be honest I would think that they would push the Russians to step back from a war with the British.

I think this is it. I believe that Britain and France were already weary of German intentions upon the continent and abroad that they would have done all that was possible not to allow there to become blows between Britain and Russia.

 

[sparky42]

I think this is it. I believe that Britain and France were already weary of German intentions upon the continent and abroad that they would have done all that was possible not to allow there to become blows between Britain and Russia.

Considering France wanted them as Allies and had issues with Germany since 1870 then yes I think they would have argued for the Russians to reconsider any action against the Empire. Besides considering the Russian situation in the Pacific I can't see them making any orders to go to war against the British.

Maybe a naval clash to some degree might have happened if the Commanders decided to push but nothing like WW1

 

[Delta Force]

As the OP assumes that diplomatic solutions have failed, the French may have tried to arrange such a solution but failed. The idea of a "phony war" also is unlikely. If a country does not really want to fight a war in the first place it does not declare war, engage in a few naval or land skirmishes, then call for peace. Declared wars have always tended to be extended brawls, the only "wars" that have resulted in low levels of violence have been battles fought over a specific disputed area.

If France lets the Anglo-Japanese alliance go on to severely defeat the Russians in the war (at the very least we can acknowledge the Russians are not going to get the status quo in such a war) they are put in the situation of being diplomatically isolated or forced into an alliance on the terms of another power like Austria-Hungary. Of course Austria-Hungary was a powerful nation, but it was always forced to defer to the Germans on big policy issues. Does one of the top four most powerful nations on Earth really want to be in the position of having to clear all its decisions with someone else?

 

[sparky42]

As the OP assumes that diplomatic solutions have failed, the French may have tried to arrange such a solution but failed. The idea of a "phony war" also is unlikely. If a country does not really want to fight a war in the first place it does not declare war, engage in a few naval or land skirmishes, then call for peace. Declared wars have always tended to be extended brawls, the only "wars" that have resulted in low levels of violence have been battles fought over a specific disputed area.

If France lets the Anglo-Japanese alliance go on to severely defeat the Russians in the war (at the very least we can acknowledge the Russians are not going to get the status quo in such a war) they are put in the situation of being diplomatically isolated or forced into an alliance on the terms of another power like Austria-Hungary. Of course Austria-Hungary was a powerful nation, but it was always forced to defer to the Germans on big policy issues. Does one of the top four most powerful nations on Earth really want to be in the position of having to clear all its decisions with someone else?

How would Russia and the British Empire escalate beyond naval conflict? The UK wouldn't want a land war at this stage, certainly not over a naval skirmish, Russia was facing the debacle of having Japan holding their own in the Pacific.

France would never join with the A-H or even by a degree of separation Germany, they would be far more likely to look at the forces doing better in the War and side with them. (I very much doubt that Russia would be in the best spot.)

 

[Delta Force]

This just seems to be one of those war scares that probably would never have amounted to much. Why would the Russians risk war with the British over paying indemnities and issuing an apology to the British sailors? Why would the British government and elite want a war with Russia when doing so would endanger India, especially since the Japanese are winning? Russia and the UK have nothing to gain from war with each other in any way (the Japanese might even view it as stealing some of their prestige) while they have a lot to lose.

 

[Wardie101]

I imagine Britain would send its Pacific Fleet to help Japan, Britain did actually help Japan, but not physically, we gave Japan British Army intel on Russia

If Britain entered the war then our support would be more "physical" rather than "logistical"

with a combined Anglo-Japanese fleet at Tsushima Japanese victory would pretty much be a dead cert

 

[mcdo]

During the war, Japan tried to supply rifles to Finland in order to support an anti-Russian uprising there. (I can't find a link atm, but I will keep looking). The effort came to nothing, but if the British wanted to, they could try something similar. It would be a way to hurt Russia (and keep it distracted in Europe) short of war.

 

[Blue Max]

The UK and Russia can indeed fight each other, and probably would--in Central Asia. Another round of a great game, a duel between the UK from India and Russia from what are now ex-Soviet Republics is probably waged, as well as Persia.

I'm not sure how this plays out fully, but I see the UK getting concessions in Central Asia as Japan gets some in the Far East in the aftermath.

 

[Cook]

the Baltic fleet of Russia had an incident in the German Sea, near the dogger bank.

As Jacky Fisher explained to King George in 1914, god is an Englishman and the North Sea was theirs.