While most Americans don't particularly care about 18th-century european conflicts, the Franco-Prussian war remains famous for its exceptionally fair peace deal. Yes, France indisputably lost the war, Napoleon III's declaration of war a clear miscalculation. Prussia's superior mobilization speed and military won them a clear-cut victory over the course of the next year. However, due to a few lucky coincidences in the first months of the war, France was able to keep fighting for longer and with far more vigour than Bismarck had anticipated. In particular, France's rapid adoption of the Mitrailleuse rifle caused by prewar leaks and the nearly-miraculous feats performed by its users made the Prussians afraid that France could hold out long enough to form an alliance with one of the other continental powers.
Thus, the Treaty of Versailles.
Prussia gained roughly half of Alsace-Lorraine/Elsaß-Lothringen, splitting the territory across carefully drawn ethnic lines, but agreed to pay France in compensation for the territory gained. Both powers neatly sidestepped the issue of culpability for the war by agreeing that it was "an unfortunate incident caused by diplomatic miscommunications", and Emperors William I and Napoleon III swapped apologies. France agreed to recognize the unification of the German peoples, and "never seek to tear them once again asunder," and as we found out after the Belgian Partition, Germany made a secret agreement to remain neutral if France attempted to reconquer Wallonia.
But what if this hadn't happened? Let's take a POD where the existence of the Mitrailleuse rifle never becomes public knowledge, and the French government in turn keeps it too much of a secret to properly train their soldiers in its use. That means no improbable victories or escapes, which in turn means a much shorter, much more humiliating war. Let's say, six months. What does the ATL treaty of versailles look like? How does it affect the scramble for africa, or the scramble for Asia, or the Great European War, or the War to End All Wars?
Thus, the Treaty of Versailles.
Prussia gained roughly half of Alsace-Lorraine/Elsaß-Lothringen, splitting the territory across carefully drawn ethnic lines, but agreed to pay France in compensation for the territory gained. Both powers neatly sidestepped the issue of culpability for the war by agreeing that it was "an unfortunate incident caused by diplomatic miscommunications", and Emperors William I and Napoleon III swapped apologies. France agreed to recognize the unification of the German peoples, and "never seek to tear them once again asunder," and as we found out after the Belgian Partition, Germany made a secret agreement to remain neutral if France attempted to reconquer Wallonia.
But what if this hadn't happened? Let's take a POD where the existence of the Mitrailleuse rifle never becomes public knowledge, and the French government in turn keeps it too much of a secret to properly train their soldiers in its use. That means no improbable victories or escapes, which in turn means a much shorter, much more humiliating war. Let's say, six months. What does the ATL treaty of versailles look like? How does it affect the scramble for africa, or the scramble for Asia, or the Great European War, or the War to End All Wars?
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