DBWI could the Serbia War have been worse?

What else could have happened after the murders of Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife


We have heard that a section of the German military wanted to hit France and go through Belgum.


As we know France suffered huge casualties for very little gain under Plan 17.


Russia agreed by Christmas on a Peace treaty that allowed Austria to undermine Serbia.

Some feared a long war.
 
Yes. Just get the UK involved in this.

As is we came very close to that happening.

Many people in London really wanted a war with germany, but then France violated Belgium neutrality with plan 17 and at that point the best the anti german forces in the UK could get was neutrality. Maybe if you had the French spys not figure out the german plans and decide to strike first things would change but that's pretty doubtful. The French intelligence service was very good at their job and german anti intel was pretty garbage so its unlikely that the French wouldn't get the heads up and not strike first.
 
They did make British neutrality one which leaned somewhat towards France.

This is true, but lets be honest French ships were also banned from engaging in the kind of fighting that the Germans were banned from doing. All the british did was take a naval fight off the table which honestly benfited every one expecially neutral countries.
 

Dolan

Banned
All the british did was take a naval fight off the table which honestly benfited every one expecially neutral countries.
British Neutrality did cost the international trust on British Guarantees, as while French violated Belgium first, Germany did the same, and Belgium basically end up being French vs German battleground on the south while Netherlands end up occupying the northern parts to "avoid fighting spilling into Netherlands proper".

Yes, French end up with heavy casualties for their attack through Belgium but German Schlieffen plan end up unable to penetrate deep enough into French proper due to France basically turning South Belgium into one big defensive trench in time.

At least both French and Germany wised up about the potentially ruinous cost of breaking through the "Belgian Pit of Hell" and offered each other White Peace in the West, which includes the "no reparations" clause that left Southern Belgium as desolate wasteland in much of 20th century, and Netherlands being forced by humanitarian reasons to annex whatever was left of Belgium because all the Belgian refugees swamping the Netherlands.

Sure, the "Belgian Pit of Hell" has been recently de-mined, repaired, and resettled by Dutch efforts in late 20th century, but aside of minor Belgian independence party, everyone agrees that Belgium is a totally unviable nation.
 
Sure, the "Belgian Pit of Hell" has been recently de-mined, repaired, and resettled by Dutch efforts in late 20th century, but aside of minor Belgian independence party, everyone agrees that Belgium is a totally unviable nation.
One can only shudder to think what kind of trouble the most outlandish nationalist fringe groups could bring about if they could realize their plans. Imagine an independent Bohemia with a huge German minority? Or better yet, a Czecho-Slovakia, a certain recipe to antagonize both Germans and Hungarians!

And don't get me started with the Balkans.
 

Dolan

Banned
And don't get me started with the Balkans.

There are running jokes that if the Balkans try to stir up troubles against Austrian Empire again, both Austria and Germany will just let the Ottoman to return to Balkans.

Of course it's a joke borne by close working relationship German-Austria-Ottoman Alliance enjoy until now, and will likely to go on forever as the three Empires has been too entangled with each others with all the German and Austrian Oil Companies working in middle East, along with Ottoman control of the Suez.

If Serbian war goes worse, we might really end up with Ottomans re-invading the Balkans for the sake of their Germanic allies.
 
There are running jokes that if the Balkans try to stir up troubles against Austrian Empire again, both Austria and Germany will just let the Ottoman to return to Balkans.

Of course it's a joke borne by close working relationship German-Austria-Ottoman Alliance enjoy until now, and will likely to go on forever as the three Empires has been too entangled with each others with all the German and Austrian Oil Companies working in middle East, along with Ottoman control of the Suez.

If Serbian war goes worse, we might really end up with Ottomans re-invading the Balkans for the sake of their Germanic allies.

Well help the fact that both the Ottoman and whoever is in charge this week of A-H, do always what German 'suggest' and in 14 had barely the capacity to hold on their territory and launch some limited offensive in the caucasus...invading the Balkans is out of the question unless you want see them humilated like the Austrian in 1916 with Conrad ill planned and worse executed attack at Italy (yep the man really had learned nothing from the previous war) to make them drop any claim at Hapsburg territory. Really that time the only thing that stopped the disaster was Germany putting her feet down and forcing a truce on both side; if the Porte do something similar in the Balkans, Berlin will be forced to divert soldiers and resources to bail her out
 
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