Challenge: Create Two Equally-Matched Sides for WWI

Let's suppose in 1914 you have been given the power to fully control the governments and militaries of Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Japan, Italy, and (conditionally, see below) United States.
The challenge is how will you arrange the two opposing alliances, but you have to make those two alliances pretty much have equal strength with each other, so that in this ATL WWI, it will be most likely ended in a stalemate, instead of victory of either side?

Two scenarios, though:
1. United States is included into the equation
2. United States is out of the equation
 
Let's suppose in 1914 you have been given the power to fully control the governments and militaries of Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Japan, Italy, and (conditionally, see below) United States.
The challenge is how will you arrange the two opposing alliances, but you have to make those two alliances pretty much have equal strength with each other, so that in this ATL WWI, it will be most likely ended in a stalemate, instead of victory of either side?

Two scenarios, though:
1. United States is included into the equation
2. United States is out of the equation

Scenario 2 is easy. OTL may suffice.
 
Let's suppose in 1914 you have been given the power to fully control the governments and militaries of Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Japan, Italy, and (conditionally, see below) United States.
The challenge is how will you arrange the two opposing alliances, but you have to make those two alliances pretty much have equal strength with each other, so that in this ATL WWI, it will be most likely ended in a stalemate, instead of victory of either side?

Two scenarios, though:
1. United States is included into the equation
2. United States is out of the equation

For #1 how about Britain, France, Italy, Ottomans and United States versus Germany, Austria Hungary, Russia, Japan

If France survives the initial onslaught then I would expect both italy and the Ottomans to come under severe pressure in the first year of the war. So to make it more plausible, the war starts with an Austro-Italian squabble so that the Austrian army is distracted from France and Russia is also meddling in the Balkans / Caucausus and hence engaged with Turkey.

Basically the Dreikaiserbund plus Japan (who is presumably operating German not British inspired dreadnoughts).
 
For scenario 1 I go for having somehow the Italians join the CP early on.
They may divert just enough French resources for the Germans to reach Paris in 1914. If the CP don't win, they'll get an edge hard to recover from. Even with American aid, a stalemate is a more likely outcome. Problem is, would the Americans join the Entente in such conditions?
 
The most implausible one for scenario 1, but most 'equally' matched would be

US, Britain, Japan, Ottomans, Balkan States vs Germany, France, A-H, Italy, and Russia.

France and Germany ally if they resolve their dispute (Possible partition of A-L) and seeing Britain/US as the greater threat.

Getting all the foremost Naval powers on one side would help, but the other has enough to achieve local superiority.

The Mediterranean would be the most messed up theater I would think.

The real War would be in the colonies.

I don't actually see much Trench Warfare going on in this, except for the Ottomans, of course. It's a stalemate in the sense, the war is unwinnable on either side, with this choice of -- allies.

Another setup would be
US, Britain, A-H, Ottomans, Italy vs Russia, Germany, France.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Let's suppose in 1914 you have been given the power to fully control the governments and militaries of Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Japan, Italy, and (conditionally, see below) United States.
The challenge is how will you arrange the two opposing alliances, but you have to make those two alliances pretty much have equal strength with each other, so that in this ATL WWI, it will be most likely ended in a stalemate, instead of victory of either side?

Two scenarios, though:
1. United States is included into the equation
2. United States is out of the equation

It was almost a stalemate anyway. Russia collapse internally, as did A-H. France had mutinies, Britain lost Ireland and had issues in India.

Scenario 1: USA in the equation. Multiple ways really:

1) Romania joins CP. More food for Germany later in war, and Russia does much, much worse in 1915. Or if in 1914, A-H does much better as Russia has to redirect forces to deal with Romania.
2) Bulgaria enters in Spring 1915. Serbia falls quickly, freeing up multiple extra armies for use against Russia. Russia does even more poorly in 1915, and the "Verdun" offensive is even bigger the next year.
3) Italy enters the war in early 1916, or not at all. A-H took around 1 million casualties, these losses still occur, but some other Entente power (Russia or France) suffers a similar number of extra casualties.
4) Remove one dumb mistake by CP or have Entente make one more dumb military move. A-H does Plan Russia. Russia mobilizes slower because the Tsar changes his mind one more time. Tsar picks Plan Germany over Plan A-H. Ottomans don't attack Russian in winter of 1914/1915.

The USA will not matter in this war, because the USA will likely enter too late.

Scenario 2: USA not entering the war is enough to make the war stalemate. Everyone was exhausted. In 1917, the Entente has 20 to 25% fewer supplies. No morale boost of "USA coming to save us". Neither side can force a decision in 1918 or likely 1919. Negotiation is much more likely. Also, does Russia hold out so long without USA coming or does it make peace with Germany in Summer of 1917?
 

BlondieBC

Banned
For #1 how about Britain, France, Italy, Ottomans and United States versus Germany, Austria Hungary, Russia, Japan

If France survives the initial onslaught then I would expect both italy and the Ottomans to come under severe pressure in the first year of the war. So to make it more plausible, the war starts with an Austro-Italian squabble so that the Austrian army is distracted from France and Russia is also meddling in the Balkans / Caucausus and hence engaged with Turkey.

Basically the Dreikaiserbund plus Japan (who is presumably operating German not British inspired dreadnoughts).

Germany wins by mid 1915 at latest. All German forces hit France, plus as mobilized over 100 Russian divisions hit France. So imagine the great wheel move with enough forces to fill the gap, and the Russians doing the race to the Sea at the same time. A-H easily stops Italy. Ottoman attacks into Russia make no strategic impact.
 
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