Is a Central Power Victory (1918) MittelAfrika possible?

[Incanian]

If the British Expeditionary Force is forced back to off of the continent, Germany has beaten Britain. Belgium would have signed a separate peace (In OTL they sent out feelers to open peace negotiations in July 1918, but quickly stopped after the Marne counterattack; their surrender is practically garunteed if Britain is forced off the continent). France goes soon after.

The British leadership (civilian and military) knew that the war was effectively over if France was knocked out. With the Germans in control of the Channel ports, the Dover Barrage can’t be maintained and traffic in the channel grinds to a halt, resulting in shortages in Britain. Meanwhile goods can enter Germany through now neutral France as well as overland from Spain and Portugal. The British blockade becomes a farce. They have no leg to stand on in any negotiations. If they want the Germans to concede at all on Belgium, they will have to do some bargaining.

The idea that is often thrown around that all British colonies would be untouchable sacred land in peace negotiations is stupid, colonies were exchanged all the time in peace deals historically. They weren’t considered a core part of a nation’s territory. Britain would likely be forced to give up at least part of their colonies in Africa, likely in exchange for Togoland, which the German foreign ministry was apparently willing to part with.

Wouldn't France end up in some kind of civil war post-conflict? Since the Germans have Alsace-Lorraine, they will probably ask for a good amount of reparations, but nowhere near as much as was asked by Germany. The majority of reparations would be in the form of French African colonies to fulfill the French part of the MittelAfrika dream.

I was thinking that Britan would sue for peace, as even if America got involved, I believe they'd have no way to hurt the Germans, as entry through France is how they fought. So the Germans can just keep up the U-boats, and while they were losing strength, they still can hurt the British economy, and many in Britan will want a peace deal with the Germans.

 

[History Learner]

Yes, it's still very likely as the Anglo-French will be interested in keeping the Germans out of Channel ports and further French mainland territory, respectively.

 

[Incanian]

Yes, it's still very likely as the Anglo-French will be interested in keeping the Germans out of Channel ports and further French mainland territory, respectively.

The Germans after taking Alsace-Lorraine I don't think have any plans for further expansion into mainland France, so they would take the colonies, but how would a British peace go?

 

[pompejus]

Problem is, no matter how much Britain poses this as a "victory" everyone on earth knows Britan lost the actual war. They failed to defend its allies, and now Prussia isn't just a European power, it's a world power, by taking so much land from Russia, about 1/3 of their materials, setting Russia back by decades. Making France lose its second war against Prussia, and destroying the French spirit. And also the fact Germany has newly established allies in Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottomans.

Oh obviously, but that is how the British government will try to spin it, even if noone believes it. And it would not surprise me that in the timeline with my proposed peace 100 years later on the internet people will claim that Britain actualy won the war, since they managed to defend Belgiums independence. Kind of like there are people here claiming that the USA and people claiming that Britain/Canada won the war of 1812.

 

[Incanian]

Oh obviously, but that is how the British government will try to spin it, even if noone believes it. And it would not surprise me that in the timeline with my proposed peace 100 years later on the internet people will claim that Britain actualy won the war, since they managed to defend Belgiums independence. Kind of like there are people here claiming that the USA and people claiming that Britain/Canada won the war of 1812.

Yes, the government will try to take it off as a victory, but everyone in Britan knew they lost. The war is lost, and the Prussian Civilization has proven superior to the Anglo Civilization, and even though Belgian independence is secured, Prussia is no longer a European empire, but global empire like Britan itself. Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria are now extremely powerful post-war, and with no powerful enemies on any side. Also, a new resurgence in the Ottoman Empire after the war, with a weakened Britain, France, and devastated Russia, with practically no borders with the Ottomans, the Ottomans will likely annex a lot of territories held by the British, and with modernization under the Young Turks, the allies in Germany will be in the best positions in the future.

Could Britain argue they won? Well yeah, but everyone in the world knows Britain lost.