DBWI: The Great War didn't end in a stalemate?

[InfernoMole]

As the all know, the horrific conditions of the Great War and the resulting chaos in Europe forced the Entente and the Central Powers to sign an armistice, ending the Great War in a stalemate. There was a state of geopolitical tension and proxy wars between the Entente and the Central Powers, which was won by the Entente.

Of course, Entente itself was torn apart by inner rivalries, namely by the hostility between Britain, France and the rapidly rising Russian Republic, and by rivalry with neutral giants, such as China, Japan and the United States of America.

And, of course, the old sphere of the Central Powers remains. North Germany, Hungary and Turkey are still considered very anti-Entente powers, and are regaining strength...

So, what do you think? What if the Great War didn't end in a stalemate?

 

[Simeon]

Maybe Europe will not fall to the year of revolutions, and France into terror.

 

[Whiteshore]

Maybe Europe will not fall to the year of revolutions, and France into terror.

Yea, the French Popular Republic is considered to be one of the most oppressive dictatorships of all time with the "Great Cleansing" resulting in over 1,000,000 deaths after the "Great Comrade", Maurize Thorez, decided the FPR was still under threat from "bourgeoisie" elements from North Germany, Hungary, Turkey, Russia, Britain, Japan, and China and so decided to purge the moderate faction led by Leon Blum and said Great Cleansing saw large-scale usage of prison camps in the Sahara as well. Even Benito Mussolini, who led the Socialist Republic of Italy, thought that Thorez was a paranoid madman.

 

[InfernoMole]

Yea, the French Popular Republic is considered to be one of the most oppressive dictatorships of all time with the "Great Cleansing" resulting in over 1,000,000 deaths after the "Great Comrade", Maurize Thorez, decided the FPR was still under threat from "bourgeoisie" elements from North Germany, Hungary, Turkey, Russia, Britain, Japan, and China and so decided to purge the moderate faction led by Leon Blum and said Great Cleansing saw large-scale usage of prison camps in the Sahara as well. Even Benito Mussolini, who led the Socialist Republic of Italy, thought that Thorez was a paranoid madman.

Sheesh.

Good thing these madmen never took power in Russia.

 

[Deleted member 94680]

Might we see a more powerful Germany? Hopefully democratic, but more powerful nonetheless.

OTL, the division of Wilhelmine Germany into the largely Protestant, Prussian dominated North Germany and the "Austro-Bavarian" largely catholic South German Confederation reduced the German manpower pool considerably. The SGC's Social Democratic dominated governments were heavily dedicated to nonviolent democratic solutions to international issues - there's a reason the Inter-Parliamentary Council's headquarters are in Vienna.

 

[Pyramus]

Sheesh.

Good thing these madmen never took power in Russia.

Yeah, Syndicalism is going to rise in one of the most conservative countries in Europe.
Some people on here have no idea what ASB means.

 

[Simeon]

Might we see a more powerful Germany? Hopefully democratic, but more powerful nonetheless.

OTL, the division of Wilhelmine Germany into the largely Protestant, Prussian dominated North Germany and the "Austro-Bavarian" largely catholic South German Confederation reduced the German manpower pool considerably. The SGC's Social Democratic dominated governments were heavily dedicated to nonviolent democratic solutions to international issues - there's a reason the Inter-Parliamentary Council's headquarters are in Vienna.

Well, at least zollverein is more balanced by now, at least the second one. If it were all Germany, we will see the continent dominated by the Germans, even if it still lose East Prussia and Silesia to Poland. 65 million Germans is still big-arse pop. Britain will be even more pissed off, what with they still think its 1914.

 

[SactoMan101]

And you wonder why the Francophones of Quebec would rather not talk about the second Reign of Terror that literally tore apart France. That period of French history made Robespierre's rule during the first Reign of Terror seem peaceful in comparison. Small wonder why the art treasures of the Louvre were sent to Britain or into hiding until Thorez was finally assassinated--the day of his passing is now celebrated as a national holiday in France.

And now in 2017, there are Americans of Leftist leanings who actually admire Thorez. I just tell them to visit the La Terreur Memorial at Compiègne just outside Paris and watch them sober up realizing Thorez killed over 1,000,000 people for political reasons.

 

[InfernoMole]

And you wonder why the Francophones of Quebec would rather not talk about the second Reign of Terror that literally tore apart France. That period of French history made Robespierre's rule during the first Reign of Terror seem peaceful in comparison. Small wonder why the art treasures of the Louvre were sent to Britain or into hiding until Thorez was finally assassinated--the day of his passing is now celebrated as a national holiday in France.

And now in 2017, there are Americans of Leftist leanings who actually admire Thorez. I just tell them to visit the La Terreur Memorial at Compiègne just outside Paris and watch them sober up realizing Thorez killed over 1,000,000 people for political reasons.

And Austrians... good God.

 

[Simeon]

And Austrians... good God.

I am quite interested with the eventual life of General Hitler if the war ended earlier and not in 1920.

Anyways, he's solely responsible to the deaths of hundred of thousands of people, German and non-German alike, contrary to common belief, just to consolidate his rule over what remains of Austria,

 

[Whiteshore]

And you wonder why the Francophones of Quebec would rather not talk about the second Reign of Terror that literally tore apart France. That period of French history made Robespierre's rule during the first Reign of Terror seem peaceful in comparison. Small wonder why the art treasures of the Louvre were sent to Britain or into hiding until Thorez was finally assassinated--the day of his passing is now celebrated as a national holiday in France.

And now in 2017, there are Americans of Leftist leanings who actually admire Thorez. I just tell them to visit the La Terreur Memorial at Compiègne just outside Paris and watch them sober up realizing Thorez killed over 1,000,000 people for political reasons.

Even the Socialist Republic of Italy, under Benito Mussolini, never tried to destroy traditional culture or purge it's political opponents and Mussolini is still seen as a national hero in Italy.

 

[SactoMan101]

Even the Socialist Republic of Italy, under Benito Mussolini, never tried to destroy traditional culture or purge it's political opponents and Mussolini is still seen as a national hero in Italy.

At least Mussolini recognized the cultural significance of Italy and that's why the cultural history of the entire Italian Peninsula remained intact. It's only now in 2017 that both Notre Dame and Chartres cathedrals were finally restored to their former glory. Many French citizens are just amazed that Thorez left the palace at Versailles and Mont Saint Michel intact considering his reign destroyed a LOT of historic cathedrals all over the country.

(A little aside: there was lot to not like about Mussolini but the building of the autostrada limited-access highways and modernizing the Italian railroads are still highly admired in 2017. You can now ride a high-speed train from Milan to Naples in 5.5 hours for starters.)

 

[James Ricker]

Sheesh.

Good thing these madmen never took power in Russia.

It could have happened,if the police in Georgia didn't arrest that bank robber and self styled revolutionary who called himself Stalin .He turned the entire revolution in.

 

[Whiteshore]

At least Mussolini recognized the cultural significance of Italy and that's why the cultural history of the entire Italian Peninsula remained intact. It's only now in 2017 that both Notre Dame and Chartres cathedrals were finally restored to their former glory. Many French citizens are just amazed that Thorez left the palace at Versailles and Mont Saint Michel intact considering his reign destroyed a LOT of historic cathedrals all over the country.

(A little aside: there was lot to not like about Mussolini but the building of the autostrada limited-access highways and modernizing the Italian railroads are still highly admired in 2017. You can now ride a high-speed train from Milan to Naples in 5.5 hours for starters.)

While the Socialist Republic of Italy is still ostensibly governed by Totalism, it has carried out large-scale economic reforms and made some moves towards (limited) democracy, which is more than can be said about the French Popular Republic, which collapsed in a civil war in the 1980s.

 

[SactoMan101]

While the Socialist Republic of Italy is still ostensibly governed by Totalism, it has carried out large-scale economic reforms and made some moves towards (limited) democracy, which is more than can be said about the French Popular Republic, which collapsed in a civil war in the 1980s.

The destruction of French culture under Thorez was shocking, to say the least. We are very fortunate that the Ballet Russes at the end of the Great War hightailed it to the USA, and the legendary Auguste Escoffier escaped to Italy in 1919 with his writings about French cuisine. As such, the knowledge of classical ballet was saved, and we still have knowledge of French cuisine (Escoffier, who settled in Milan, codified everything about French cooking between 1920 and 1935 in a series of books). Indeed, much of the French literature from before 1918 was saved because copies of the works existed in Montreal and Quebec City in Canada.

But yet, how to the Germans ended up in a stalemate with France during the Great War? The Germans had better machine guns, better defensive tactics with artillery and more importantly, air superiority (the Fokker D.VIII and the Siemens-Schukert D.IV were superior to anything the Allied Powers had--the Sopwith Snipe that could have been its equal was plagued with development problems and never made it to combat), which allowed German bombers to drop a lot of bombs with near-impunity on the Allied front lines with devastating effect and made any Allied campaign dangerous.

 

[InfernoMole]

The destruction of French culture under Thorez was shocking, to say the least. We are very fortunate that the Ballet Russes at the end of the Great War hightailed it to the USA, and the legendary Auguste Escoffier escaped to Italy in 1919 with his writings about French cuisine. As such, the knowledge of classical ballet was saved, and we still have knowledge of French cuisine (Escoffier, who settled in Milan, codified everything about French cooking between 1920 and 1935 in a series of books). Indeed, much of the French literature from before 1918 was saved because copies of the works existed in Montreal and Quebec City in Canada.

But yet, how to the Germans ended up in a stalemate with France during the Great War? The Germans had better machine guns, better defensive tactics with artillery and more importantly, air superiority (the Fokker D.VIII and the Siemens-Schukert D.IV were superior to anything the Allied Powers had--the Sopwith Snipe that could have been its equal was plagued with development problems and never made it to combat), which allowed German bombers to drop a lot of bombs with near-impunity on the Allied front lines with devastating effect and made any Allied campaign dangerous.

Indeed. And yet, it should be noted that the French emigres were very helpful. Remember the Golden Age of Russian Cinema? It went for almost 50 years.

 

[Whiteshore]

Indeed. And yet, it should be noted that the French emigres were very helpful. Remember the Golden Age of Russian Cinema? It went for almost 50 years.

They also helped with the modernization of China as well as many of Liao Zhongkai's foreign advisers were French emigres.