How hard can the Entente Piss off the USA?

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?
 
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?

Ok I like it.

So UK and France adopts a harsher blockade policy forcibly inspecting the shipping of neutral nations potentially trading contraband material with germany. They also confiscate whatever they find.

At some point some Irish-american whose vessel is interned in UK finds his way to Ireland in time for easter rebellion. Now pissed off at the UK he gets himself into trouble and finds himself arrested. This becomes a diplomatic incident, the US press representing this incident unfavorably and vocally supporting the irish cause. US public opinion now has no time for the brits or really any of the entente.

After, it is shown that american relief efforts in neutral nations are stifled by the British blockade as well as the German USW, the US decides to protect its ships with its own navy. Despite there being no actual naval conflicts between the UK and the USA both sides now believe that the interests of their nation is threatened by the others naval presence. Perhaps a naval race begins between the 2 begins in the final stages of the war.

Suppose Russia makes it through till the end of the war in some form, with germany succumbing earlier to the harsher blockade and the Entente backing Kornilov’s coup.

The result is a peace which makes a mockery of Wilson's 14 points despite UK and France paying lip service to them. The americans take this a personal insult especially as american trade continues to be interrupted for some time even during the negotiating process and after the armistice is signed. As a result the americans now demand rapid repayment of american loans which the Entente powers refuse to(read can’t) do. US then begins Military of naval build up to protect itself from warmongering and perfidious European Imperialists.
 
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.

Related to this, Britain decides to execute De Valera in addition to the other rebels, despite his American citizenship?
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Confiscation rather than purchase (at inflated prices) of contraband (ie almost any trade) destined for Germany. Or even purchase at market prices rather than the inflated prices the ships captains claimed of contraband heading for Germany.

Would piss the Americas off, save a lot of British money and probably wouldn't have too big a major long term effect. It's not usw.

France could refuse to provide free artillery to the American divisions arriving on the western front insisting that American government purchase equipment in France or ship it's own across the Atlantic.

In 1918 and 1919 USA was lending money to the UK which was lending the same money to France which France was using to produce artillery which was given as gifts to the AEF.

Slightly ridiculous. Still at this stage America is in the war so it's not likely to change things except save Britain and France some money.

Excellent point. Quite a few blockade runners going to neutral countries were quite happy to unload their cargo in English ports at huge and safer profits.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Can the Germans sabotage relations at all? Would a different president/PM cause more damage?

Yes. The easiest things to do are avoid the mistakes such as public declaration of USW and sinking passenger ships with Americans on board. It was more the USW declaration than the use of the tactics that enrage Americans. Avoid a Lusitania like event, and IMO, the USA is very unlikely to enter the war.

As other have mentioned, the relief efforts. If instead of trying to find some way to siphon off a little food, the German could have agreed to whatever the USA wanted. Then it would be just the UK in the way of the Belgium and Polish food relief.

Merchants subs. More earlier. You could have simply taken one of the military ones under construction and not put the weapons on it for a very quick starter sub. Then build more of the U Merchant subs. This allows the Germans to communicate with the USA, and get their side of the story out.

If you go prewar, the Germans had a radio station in Togo that could reach South American. Build some chain of radio towers than can communicate with the USA. Think maybe Germany to Spain to USA.

Offer to sell the USA Yap Island post war, once it was regained. Or maybe all the Micronesian Islands. The USA wanted Yap Island really badly since it was viewed as a strategic link to the PI since the undersea cables went to Yap.

Support Wilson peace efforts. The Entente is not going to accept them anyway, so stroking Wilson's ego is a great idea. Things like promising an independent Poland post war are good ideas.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
plausable?

If you want plausible, but unlikely events early in the war. The Germans had merchant raiders and warships at sea early in the war. Have the Royal Navy just make a simple mistake and attack one or two US flagged ships. Either civilian or military. The effects would be dramatic. Add in some arrogant British PR, and it would get worse.

I read the NY Times foreign section in the war. The coverage was neutral with slight British leaning until the Lusitania. Things went pro-Entente after that. It is really night and day. If you want to do the research yourself, it is great reading. It is called Current History and was published by the NT Times. It is free on google books. If you skim the early sections and go a few months past the Lusitania, you will see what I mean. It would take you under a day to skim the articles. Look for opinion pieces and skip the longer articles about the details of battles.
 
Related to this, Britain decides to execute De Valera in addition to the other rebels, despite his American citizenship?
That one might at least butterfly away the Irish Civil War and enable a more peaceful transition to the Free State. Also a more prosperous Ireland in the 1930s with a better relationship with Britain.
 
Related to this, Britain decides to execute De Valera in addition to the other rebels, despite his American citizenship?
I'm not sure how much of an effect this would have. Tom Clarke was an Irish citizen and was executed. I know he didn't try to have the us embassy intervene (DeV did) but if executing a us citizen would create problems surely it would apply here too.
 
Sarcasm Mode: Have the Entente propose a Sevres-esque treaty in dealing with Germany post-war

Seriously: Maybe the Entente accidentally sink a major warship (a cruiser at the very least)
 
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