Tusky
Banned
Deutschland Aufstieg 1915
Introduction:
This time-line is told from the German point of view. It uses the situation of late 1915 as the Point of Departure. At that time, the trench warfare on the western front was beginning to settle in to the meat-grinder phase. The naval war was at a standstill: the high seas fleet stayed in port and Germany was reduced to the gambit of unrestricted submarine warfare. The sub fleet was inadequate in any case, and though improvements were available their numbers and availability for sea duty made them a weak alternative. With some way to attack British logistics, it would end up a war of attrition, and that was a war Germany could not win.
A note on Kaiser Wilhelm. He was erratic and could not be trusted to watch his mouth in public. But he had episodes of brilliance. In this time line he is truly chastised with his responsibility for Jutland, as the shame of the “fleet in being” sinks in. He is largely saved by one man: Theobald Bethmann-Holweg, the Chancellor.
In this time line, B-H is able to effectively counsel with KW, and together hey find a way out of the logistics trap. In so doing, B-H is able to accomplish a dream he has nurture for 20 years. And KW, strong nationalist that he is, finds his way to his true place in the sun.
It is important to note Kaiser Wilhelm’s title: Allerhochstest. In English, “All-highest.” Though military affairs were run by the military in World War One Germany, Wilhelm wielded power roughly equivalent to a feudal king. You can be sure that Ludendorff, Hindenburg, Tirpitz – all those guys – will be outraged when KW gets in the saddle and rides hard in a direction not of their choice.
I am not a professional historian, and I have used the events of WW One as a stage to play out my piece of alternate history fiction. I mean it to be a possible glimpse of what might have been if fairly rational players (still very nationalist, of course) had the opportunity to play things out. To be sure, they are creatures of their time and not modern personalities. I am sure many of you will have strong commentary. Let’s hear it!
Tusky
Part One: Backgrounder:
The Karl Schmidt familie leaves North Germany (Lubeck, up near the Baltic) in 1888 and emigrates to Cleveland, Ohio where he gets a job in the railroad loco shop as a repairman. He and wife Helene have five sons, Gerd (b. 1888), August (’89), Peter (’90), Karl (92), and Albert (’95) . Karl works very hard and rises to second in charge of the locomotive shed in Cleveland, always laments not receiving university training, and is very motivated to know about the latest technology. Karl always receives the very latest books and magazines on relevant technology.
In 1900 Karl takes his family back to Germany for a two-month visit. It makes a huge impression on Gerd and August and Peter, less so on Karl and Albert. But on the older boys it makes them want to be Germans…all the more important because of the way things are done at their house in Cleveland and they way they speak German in the home, also in the fairly numerous German community.
In 1903 Karl Schmidt changes his name to Charles Smith, Helga is very unwilling but changes her name to Helen Smith. The children are forced to change names: Gerd becomes Jerry, August become Arthur, Peter remains Peter, Karl II becomes Charles II, and Albert becomes Alan. The kids are very much under the rule of their father and they follow orders. In secret night-time conversations they call each other by their real names, and vow when they leave the house to change back.
In the 1903 family revolution, Karl/Charles prohibits speaking German in the family, prohibits non-technical German reading materials. The kids rebel at this as well, and speak German among themselves and to their mother when Charles is not home. Helga is not good at English, and suffers.
The railroad is not so much interested in the newest technology, in fact they are rather stuffy about it. They want new markets, not new and improved machinery. Karl often fights to get his improved machinery, is often ridiculed for his heavy accent and his far-seeing technical attitude. He keeps a very nice house, best maintained in the neighborhood, with a flower garden along the front sidewalk. His wife is a fine woman , very much in the Kinder, Kuchen, and Kirche mode, and provides an important home for the family. The sons are under tight control, and study hard in school.
The Schmidt/Smith's have a big shop in the back yard. Karl Schmidt and his boys make steam engines, wind rotors and coils to make generators, and fabricate all manner of machines. Karl organizes their life, insisting on straight A grades and strong self-discipline. In many ways it works well on these boys, they are academically advanced far beyond most of their peers.
When Karl changed to English culture in 1903, however, he did not calculate the contrary message provided by the 1900 visit to Europe. The boys are filled with resentment and make secret pact among themselves to cherish their provenance. They put the pact into action outside the view of their father, though Helga cautiously approves. As years pass the pact gradually changes to a commitment to stay German. It can never succeed entirely in America, but it is nevertheless a strong force in their lives. .
Pact or no pact, Schmidts are a strong family and the boys all study hard, do well. The boys, of course, are interested in women. True to the pact between them, they date only women from a German background, and prefer those who speak the Muttersprache. In the Cleveland of this time it was still possible to find these girls.
Another key part of the pact between the boys held that when each left the house and began to make his own way in the world, each would begin the process of changing his name back to his birth name. Karl/Charles caught wind of this and there was a huge argument, but the boys stood firm. Their mother would not go against them, a passive support that enraged Charles.
When Karl changed to English culture in 1903, however, he did not calculate the contrary message provided by the 1900 visit to Europe. The boys are filled with resentment and make secret pact among themselves to cherish their provenance. They put the pact into action outside the view of their father, though Helga cautiously approves. As years pass the pact gradually changes to a commitment to stay German. It can never succeed entirely in America, but it is nevertheless a strong force in their lives. .
Pact or no pact, Schmidts are a strong family and the boys all study hard, do well. The boys, of course, are interested in women. True to the pact between them, they date only women from a German background, and prefer those who speak the Muttersprache. In the Cleveland of this time it was still possible to find these girls.
Another key part of the pact between the boys held that when each left the house and began to make his own way in the world, each would begin the process of changing his name back to his birth name. Karl/Charles caught wind of this and there was a huge argument, but the boys stood firm. Their mother would not go against them, a passive support that enraged Charles.
Introduction:
This time-line is told from the German point of view. It uses the situation of late 1915 as the Point of Departure. At that time, the trench warfare on the western front was beginning to settle in to the meat-grinder phase. The naval war was at a standstill: the high seas fleet stayed in port and Germany was reduced to the gambit of unrestricted submarine warfare. The sub fleet was inadequate in any case, and though improvements were available their numbers and availability for sea duty made them a weak alternative. With some way to attack British logistics, it would end up a war of attrition, and that was a war Germany could not win.
A note on Kaiser Wilhelm. He was erratic and could not be trusted to watch his mouth in public. But he had episodes of brilliance. In this time line he is truly chastised with his responsibility for Jutland, as the shame of the “fleet in being” sinks in. He is largely saved by one man: Theobald Bethmann-Holweg, the Chancellor.
In this time line, B-H is able to effectively counsel with KW, and together hey find a way out of the logistics trap. In so doing, B-H is able to accomplish a dream he has nurture for 20 years. And KW, strong nationalist that he is, finds his way to his true place in the sun.
It is important to note Kaiser Wilhelm’s title: Allerhochstest. In English, “All-highest.” Though military affairs were run by the military in World War One Germany, Wilhelm wielded power roughly equivalent to a feudal king. You can be sure that Ludendorff, Hindenburg, Tirpitz – all those guys – will be outraged when KW gets in the saddle and rides hard in a direction not of their choice.
I am not a professional historian, and I have used the events of WW One as a stage to play out my piece of alternate history fiction. I mean it to be a possible glimpse of what might have been if fairly rational players (still very nationalist, of course) had the opportunity to play things out. To be sure, they are creatures of their time and not modern personalities. I am sure many of you will have strong commentary. Let’s hear it!
Tusky
Part One: Backgrounder:
The Karl Schmidt familie leaves North Germany (Lubeck, up near the Baltic) in 1888 and emigrates to Cleveland, Ohio where he gets a job in the railroad loco shop as a repairman. He and wife Helene have five sons, Gerd (b. 1888), August (’89), Peter (’90), Karl (92), and Albert (’95) . Karl works very hard and rises to second in charge of the locomotive shed in Cleveland, always laments not receiving university training, and is very motivated to know about the latest technology. Karl always receives the very latest books and magazines on relevant technology.
In 1900 Karl takes his family back to Germany for a two-month visit. It makes a huge impression on Gerd and August and Peter, less so on Karl and Albert. But on the older boys it makes them want to be Germans…all the more important because of the way things are done at their house in Cleveland and they way they speak German in the home, also in the fairly numerous German community.
In 1903 Karl Schmidt changes his name to Charles Smith, Helga is very unwilling but changes her name to Helen Smith. The children are forced to change names: Gerd becomes Jerry, August become Arthur, Peter remains Peter, Karl II becomes Charles II, and Albert becomes Alan. The kids are very much under the rule of their father and they follow orders. In secret night-time conversations they call each other by their real names, and vow when they leave the house to change back.
In the 1903 family revolution, Karl/Charles prohibits speaking German in the family, prohibits non-technical German reading materials. The kids rebel at this as well, and speak German among themselves and to their mother when Charles is not home. Helga is not good at English, and suffers.
The railroad is not so much interested in the newest technology, in fact they are rather stuffy about it. They want new markets, not new and improved machinery. Karl often fights to get his improved machinery, is often ridiculed for his heavy accent and his far-seeing technical attitude. He keeps a very nice house, best maintained in the neighborhood, with a flower garden along the front sidewalk. His wife is a fine woman , very much in the Kinder, Kuchen, and Kirche mode, and provides an important home for the family. The sons are under tight control, and study hard in school.
The Schmidt/Smith's have a big shop in the back yard. Karl Schmidt and his boys make steam engines, wind rotors and coils to make generators, and fabricate all manner of machines. Karl organizes their life, insisting on straight A grades and strong self-discipline. In many ways it works well on these boys, they are academically advanced far beyond most of their peers.
When Karl changed to English culture in 1903, however, he did not calculate the contrary message provided by the 1900 visit to Europe. The boys are filled with resentment and make secret pact among themselves to cherish their provenance. They put the pact into action outside the view of their father, though Helga cautiously approves. As years pass the pact gradually changes to a commitment to stay German. It can never succeed entirely in America, but it is nevertheless a strong force in their lives. .
Pact or no pact, Schmidts are a strong family and the boys all study hard, do well. The boys, of course, are interested in women. True to the pact between them, they date only women from a German background, and prefer those who speak the Muttersprache. In the Cleveland of this time it was still possible to find these girls.
Another key part of the pact between the boys held that when each left the house and began to make his own way in the world, each would begin the process of changing his name back to his birth name. Karl/Charles caught wind of this and there was a huge argument, but the boys stood firm. Their mother would not go against them, a passive support that enraged Charles.
When Karl changed to English culture in 1903, however, he did not calculate the contrary message provided by the 1900 visit to Europe. The boys are filled with resentment and make secret pact among themselves to cherish their provenance. They put the pact into action outside the view of their father, though Helga cautiously approves. As years pass the pact gradually changes to a commitment to stay German. It can never succeed entirely in America, but it is nevertheless a strong force in their lives. .
Pact or no pact, Schmidts are a strong family and the boys all study hard, do well. The boys, of course, are interested in women. True to the pact between them, they date only women from a German background, and prefer those who speak the Muttersprache. In the Cleveland of this time it was still possible to find these girls.
Another key part of the pact between the boys held that when each left the house and began to make his own way in the world, each would begin the process of changing his name back to his birth name. Karl/Charles caught wind of this and there was a huge argument, but the boys stood firm. Their mother would not go against them, a passive support that enraged Charles.
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