Could the Kaiser's Germany stay quiet long enough for the Russians to become the bad guys again?

In a lot of ways, the British Empire siding against Germany was a historical aberration. Normally the threat would be the French or Russians.

In the event, Germany unified, industrialised, got ahead and started trying to change the status quo. This scared the Brits into an alliance with its traditional enemies.

But in the back-ground Russia was doing the same thing. One could argue that half the 20th Century was Russia trying to achieve its potential and getting smacked down by fate. Germany for one, was certainly concerned about where Russia might end up. I could easily see England and Germany allying as a counter ballance to a French/Russian entant.

So, how long would Germany have to control its (probably deserved) status quo changing desires before Russia takes its place as the threatening agent of change?
 
The *best* scenario I could see happening would be an Asian war that plays out much like WWII in Asia did IOTL with a corresponding Red takeover of China, but without nukes ever coming into play since the US never receives and acts upon Einstein's letter to Roosevelt (instead, the British take the lead in the war effort, and accept a negotiated surrender with Japan where they guarantee the Imperial throne). After this, Britain freaks out about the Reds in Asia, and allies with the Germans against them.

However, I'm not sure how there ends up being a Franco-Soviet alliance, short of a Red coup in France (which IMO is highly unlikely). Maybe some Spanish Civil War shenanigans? A colonial conflict with Britain?

Now, if more broadly you just want a Capitalist vs Communist rather than Fascist vs. Not Fascist dichotomy, some variance on Reds would also work
 
Things were moving that way OTL already, what with Russian encroachment on British spheres of influence in Central Asia and China, the constant demands to settle the Turkish question in Russias favor and the Russian naval program which would have resulted in a large and more modern fleet than the German one. There's some inertia in diplomacy, maybe 10 or 15 years after 1914 you get a reallignment of the alliances and secret promises and commitments. A second, thanks to the trans siberian railway victorious war against Japan could speed that up considerably.
 
Maybe an early Communist revolution in Austria-Hungary that the Kaiser believes is being fomented by France and the Tsar, thus driving an alliance with Britain?
 
In naval terms, without ww1, Russia was about to jump up Britain's list ilof concerning navies in 1915 going from no modern capital ships in comission in 1913 to 11 in 1915. This puts her on par with the USN but much closer to home, another round of capital ships and Russia will move to public enemy number 1.
 
I'd argue that this is a bit backwards. After the Franco-Russian allaince became real, the British were hard pressed to meet it on their own. This gave them two options- either find an ally or make a deal. They choose both- they ally with Japan and then make a deal with France to separate France and Russia. With Russia weakened by war and revolution, they can make deal ending the colonial rivalries on pretty good terms.

The German issue comes later. First, the French deal tramples on German rights in Morocco. The Germans object but aren't strong enough to fight France and Britain. After this, the British start to support France and Russia against Germany more to keep the French and Russians out of their hair

What scares the British more than anything is Bjorko. If the Russians and the Germans come to terms, the British Empire is over
 
Germany and Russia coming to terms or staying at friendly terms seems too easy.

1) No disputed boundaries. (Congress of Vienna 1815 and everyone is still ok about them).
2) Both reactionary monarchies.

Seems to have been messed up with Balkan issues, starting with 1878 congress of Berlin, German dabbling Ottoman empire, and economic trade issues. (Germany should have just guaranteed the post 1866 boundaries of Austria and that is it.). As mentioned above a colonial style take down of the Ottoman Empire in there somewhere, with Germany getting a chunk to avoid those issues and there is not much left to argue about.
 
In a lot of ways, the British Empire siding against Germany was a historical aberration.
There not such thing as historical abberation was history is a union of result not means, and seems the british consider germany the enemy before their navy(and even after WWI they were expecting round 2 too)
 
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