Have the Easter Rising escalate due to a harsher British response, tarnishing the idea of the Liberty-Loving Entente and pissing off the Irish-American community in particular. And maybe during the crackdown a respectable Irish-American citizen is arrested in London on tenuous connections to the Nationalist movement. The Lloyd-George government will no doubt be aware there could be political ramifications but act in haste and then poor dialogue with Washington leads to a stupid moment of bravado with London announcing *John Murphy will remain in custody at least until the end of the war. And while we're at it the rising Irish Crisis leads the Tory members of the coalition to demand Home Rule is officially kicked into the long grass, even if the PM refuses word leaking of the plan could inflame American opinion and ramp up the troubles in Ireland, again escalating the issue.
The USA wont be joining the Central Powers but an "Imperialist Crackdown" by Britain, similar PR to the Boer War with the added Irish-American element could cause major tensions. Perhaps leading to restrictions on trade and bank loans.
The idea of America retreating into isolation in "curse on both your houses" fashion does sound interesting. Also if the Entente do pull through a non-Wilsonian peace, lacking interest in self-determination and international cooperation, it might strain US-Entente relations even further. Have a 'muscular isolationist' like Borah win in 1920 to cement the situation. Perhaps the image of the Entente as imperialist pigs leads said President and others to move from total isolation to closer defensive/economic ties to Latin America and a more blatant message of anti-colonialism. Maybe if events like the Turkish War of Independence (and continuing Irish War of Independence) take place Washington is in vocal if not shady financial support of the Entente's enemies?
The USA wont be joining the Central Powers but an "Imperialist Crackdown" by Britain, similar PR to the Boer War with the added Irish-American element could cause major tensions. Perhaps leading to restrictions on trade and bank loans.
The idea of America retreating into isolation in "curse on both your houses" fashion does sound interesting. Also if the Entente do pull through a non-Wilsonian peace, lacking interest in self-determination and international cooperation, it might strain US-Entente relations even further. Have a 'muscular isolationist' like Borah win in 1920 to cement the situation. Perhaps the image of the Entente as imperialist pigs leads said President and others to move from total isolation to closer defensive/economic ties to Latin America and a more blatant message of anti-colonialism. Maybe if events like the Turkish War of Independence (and continuing Irish War of Independence) take place Washington is in vocal if not shady financial support of the Entente's enemies?