European Great War in the 1890s

ar-pharazon

Banned
So a lot of WW1 tech and doctrine as well as the geopolitical set up was developed and layed down in the first decade of the 20th century. At the same time technology has advanced since the the Franco Prussian war of 1871.

If a Great War is fought in the 1890s anywhere from 1890 to 1899 what sort of technology would the war be fought with? What would the balance of power entail?

How might the alliances be configured?

Would the war be more like the Franco Prussian war or OTL WW1? How might the intermediate level of technology come into play(meaning between 1871 and 1914).
 
That would entirely depend on who's fighting who. The balance of power between the respective factions would decide how long such a war would last and the length of the war would decide how technology and doctrine changes.

By 1890 the factions and the alliance system that led to WWI was starting to emerge. The Triple Alliance of Germany, AH and Italy existed. Russia and France will be signing an alliance soon. The Anglo-German naval arms race is starting to emerge, the League of the Three Emperors ended and so did the Reinsurance Treaty. So chances are it'd just be an earlier WWI but with a slightly less chance of US intervention.
 
Maybe, but such a conflict would probably just be limited to central Asia and the high seas.

If the French are involved (something like a Fashoda incident) then it would also become a colonial war in Africa, in which case Germany could take the opportunity to seek a rapprochement with France and Russia to isolate Britain.
 
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