Germany Wins WWI and Experiences a Revolution in the 1940s

Deleted member 94680

What about having Kaiser Wilhelm II refusing to reward the working people of Germany for their sacrifices during WWI (by refusing to make Germany into a British-style constitutional monarchy) and thus angering Germany's workers so much that they eventually spark a revolution?

There's also no real reason in the aftermath of a victorious German WWI experience that the people would demand this anyway. The demands for a constitutional monarchy and the German revolution were the result of losing WWI. Territory gained, spoils of war (whatever form that would take), the lifting of the blockade, repatriation of POWs and victory itself would allow the elites to state the existing system is good enough. It won the war, right?
 
There's also no real reason in the aftermath of a victorious German WWI experience that the people would demand this anyway. The demands for a constitutional monarchy and the German revolution were the result of losing WWI. Territory gained, spoils of war (whatever form that would take), the lifting of the blockade, repatriation of POWs and victory itself would allow the elites to state the existing system is good enough. It won the war, right?
I think you are underestimating just how dire the situation was in Germany. The country's rations were so low that people were starving to death en masse in the cities. They couldn't pacify the east post Brest-Litovsk, and starving the Ukrainians did virtually nothing to ameliorate the famine at home.

Even without direct American involvement the blockade was crippling Germany, and the unproductive agricultural sector couldn't cope with the mass mobilization of men for military service.

Getting a white peace would make things scarcely better even if they secured it promptly. Even worse for the establishment, they won't have any November traitors or foreign enemies to blame for the dire economic straits they're in.

They can't afford to fight any longer in the East. They'll have to demobilize and put men back in agriculture or millions will die.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
They can't afford to fight any longer in the East. They'll have to demobilize and put men back in agriculture or millions will die.
What about only stationing German troops in Latvia and Estonia while giving full, genuine independence to all of Germany's other Eastern puppet states, though?
 

Deleted member 94680

I think you are underestimating just how dire the situation was in Germany. The country's rations were so low that people were starving to death en masse in the cities. They couldn't pacify the east post Brest-Litovsk, and starving the Ukrainians did virtually nothing to ameliorate the famine at home.

They could and did pacify the East to the point they could transfer (IIRC) something in the order of 38 divisions to the West for Operation Michael. Upon the Wars end, the blockade would be lifted, supplies could be brought in. Maybe even food shipments from the Allies instead of cash reparations?


Even without direct American involvement the blockade was crippling Germany, and the unproductive agricultural sector couldn't cope with the mass mobilization of men for military service.

The blockade would end with the end of the War. The real, crippling damage to Germany was done in the last Winter of the War and 1919 when the Allies kept the blockade in place, that wouldn't be the case ITL.

Getting a white peace would make things scarcely better even if they secured it promptly. Even worse for the establishment, they won't have any November traitors or foreign enemies to blame for the dire economic straits they're in.

A White Peace is the whole point of this TL and it would make all the difference. Who needs November Traitors to blame when you've won? You blame your enemies, who you've defeated. It's obvious that the 'dire economic straits' are the fault of the British blockade and the French. Remember, in this TL there are no reparations for Germany to pay, all that post-War economic recovery can go straight to making life better in Germany.

They can't afford to fight any longer in the East. They'll have to demobilize and put men back in agriculture or millions will die.

They don't need to fight any longer in the East, they've won. They can keep a smaller Army of Occupation in place - Weimar Germany managed 100,000 men, all the various Freikorps and the Baltische Landwehr (which together is probably another 100,000 at least) without too many problems. A victorious Germany could demobilise the majority of its armed forces for return to agriculture or industry and still maintain a large military. Times would be rough, for sure, but they'd get better soon enough.
 

Deleted member 94680

What about only stationing German troops in Latvia and Estonia while giving full, genuine independence to all of Germany's other Eastern puppet states, though?

Possible, but it's more likely to be the other way round if the United Baltic Duchy becomes a reality. A puppetised Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Lithuania and whatever form the remains of Ober Ost takes (Kingdom of Belorussia?) are a good bet.

There's every chance, with an Ober Ost cordon sanitare, that Ukraine might be genuinely independent as well. Tied heavily to Germany economically and expected to provide vast food shipments of course.
 
Top