Challenge: Franco-German alliance

Why not have German Empire offer peace to France, instead of Russia. Then they can combine forces join the White Army fight against Red Army.
 
Guys, you're missing the best point in time for a POD to create this scenario.

Just have Germany unite following the Franco-Prussian War but not take Alcase-Lorraine. Bismark didn't want it anyway and he was overruled by many members of the government. He knew that taking part of France itself would only serve to anger France and make her an enemy for as long as the German Empire existed. If Germany forces peace on France after the war but only makes her recognize the creation of the German Empire rather than ceding territories as well, you open the door for better relations down the road and you make an eventual alliance much more possible.

This becomes much more likely if, once Germany overtakes France in population and industry, France will realize she can never really defeat Germany in a war by herself. However, France will also know that as long as she doesn't gun for Germany, Germany has no quarrel with her. The fact that the Franco-German border is stable and no one is claiming anyone else's land means that when Russia and or Britain do something, both nations can come together. If Germany still screws up and loses her alliance with Russia, while France gets Britain mad someway or another (Fashoda may be a good one), the possibility of both nations slowly drifting towards each other increases.
 
Not taking Alsace-Lorraine would be needed, but that may encounter some German 'opposition'. There were military reasons to want it, IIRC that's why Bismarck was overruled; and the region will still be claimed by German irredentists, so they will view it as a missed opportunity. Still that latter partt wasn't the main concern of Bismarck and most other German political leaders.

Alternatively the German Empire might be given some colonies instead, but not everyone in the German Empire was in favour of that.

OTOH like I wrote, Prussia hasn't forgotten the humiliating terms emperor of the French, Napoleon I, forced on them with the treaty of Tilsit in 1807.
There Prussia lost half their population and territory, including their richest provinces, so the revenues of the Prussian state dropped by more than a half. Furthermore they had to pay 154.5 million Francs to France in war reparations, which was 41.73 million in Prussian Thalers; as a side note before that treaty the revenue of the Prussian state was 40 million Thaler per annum, this was more than halfed (so it was less than 20 million per annum).
 
I believe that it was stated that France attempted to trade Indochina for Alsace-Lorraine. Have Bismarck removed a bit earlier, and you could have this occur, leading to better relations, as well. German territory so close to India, combined with Fashoda could bring Germany and France together.
 
With a Franco-German alliance, does this mean that Britain and Russia would have to somehow patch up their alliance? What happens to the Great Game? Moreover, which side would the United States pick in the event of an alternate Great War?
 
Probably Britain-Russia, since they generally had good relations with both of those during the late 19th century, plus more business ties to Britain than anyone else. Still wouldn't expect them to jump in quickly, obviously.
 

Tyr Anazasi

Banned
Indochina was proposed, and there were some voices to do so. But Bismarck denied. He argued that Germany's fleet was not very big and indeed had to lay up ships to man the other. Because of that he denied. Oh, he also denied plans to take over the French fleet just because of this. He was pressed this way not only by Prince Adalbert v. Preußen but also by the British ambassador.
 
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