Kasespatzle unt Schwartzwald Kuchen

03 April 1918 16:00 – Rome, Italy

After Action Report

Theater: Italian

Sector: Third Army

Location: Venice Lagoon

Event: Loss of Murano, Verona, and threats to the Po Valley

Completed By: War Ministry

Date Report Completed: 03 April 1918 (15:00)

Summation of Events: In a triad of unexpected moves the Austro-Hungarian army has moved under Field Marshal Boroevic to capture key locations along the Lagoon in Venice with a second prong attack under Field Marshal Josef August to take key areas near Lake Garda. Our intelligence indicated an initial thrust planned for the Tonale Pass which was quickly repulsed, but unfortunately it blinded us to the movement of soldiers down the Adige River and resulted in the capture of Verona at 22:00 yesterday evening. This caused additional concern as the importance of K.u.K. troop movements into the Lagoon of Venice was initially underestimated in importance and more worringly size. With British and French removal of three divisions over the last seven days to shore up their defenses in France we are worringly vulnerable in this sector already. Due to the closure of Gibraltar yesterday following its seizure by the Spanish garrison nearby the situation becomes even more desperate.

Boroevic moved almost 5000 troops into the Lagoon and captured first Passarella and Cortazello in quick succession on 31 March, then Jesolo and Millepertiche along with Croce and Toti on 01 April, then Porte Grande, Musestre, and Sant’Elena early on 02 April. Simultaneously in a gamble highly unusual for Boroevic he ordered almost 5000 troops into the Lagoon after Cavallino fell that same morning. Reinforcement of the defenses for Punta Sabbioni included heavy artillery, but the appearance of the Austro-Hungarian Navy made our defenses unsustainable. Their simultaneous landings of marine infantry on 01 April at Ancona, Pescona, Porto Corsini, and Rimini were unexpected but also not known for almost six hours due to targeted destruction of telegraphy lines. By early April 02 these beachheads were starting to expand and consolidate, taking Ravenna almost totally unawares and threatening much of our Adriatic coast. Continued landings of K.u.K. troops in the aforementioned beachheads allowed over 15,000 troops to land in 48 hours at these locations. From the limited information currently available, this was planned ad-hoc in less than 48 hours to coincide with the fall of Venice and represents almost all of the defensive garrisons beyond minimal base security available to the Austrian defenses along a significant portion of the northern Croatian coast - a true gamble by a man not known to do so - indicating their confidence of the current situation. Their soldiers landing on our Adriatic coast have only what ammunition they can carry it seems but the latest landings are bringing much more ammunition with them along with heavier weapons though these men are resourceful and 'requisitioning' whatever they can.

Ultimately the fall of Torcello, Mazzorbo, and Burano on 02 April indicated the threat to Venice herself, the fall of Sant’Erasmo that evening with ‘requisitioned’ craft made it clear that Venice would likely fall or become the site of a major battle. With two dreadnaughts in position to destroy the city itself, the fall of Venice and surrender of its small garrison was noted at 19:45 on 02 April. Mop-up operations began in earnest but the rapid movement of troops by Boroevic created a ‘hole in the dike’ as it were that our troops are yet to plug effectively. Combined with the surprise loss of Verona, the lone notable railway bridge into our troops at the front became the target of relentless bombing efforts which finally succeeded in destroying the structure early on the morning of 03 April. By noon of that day reports came in of Treviso, Bassano, Thiene, and even Soave to the enemy in the north. An orderly withdrawal to the Po River is apparently underway as the K.u.K. forces in Rimini and Ravenna made contact and continued to spread ever wider. Unfortunately I must also report that the loss of Cesena is imminent and Forli is already in danger while the loss of Ancona and Venice places the northern Adriatic under firm Austrian control. Our blockade is focused at the mouth of the Adriatic, without significant reinforcement the Regina Marina is not expected to dominate especially if coastal artillery tells for the enemy. Their time to station is expected to be a few hours but the commanders are hesitant to move without full commitment of the entire navy, and coastal artillery for those areas may be compromised or worse seized by hostile forces.
 
04 April 1918 10:15 – Ypres, Belgium

Dungerman stood as he heard the explosion in the distance. The light permeating the windows of the otherwise dark home was as bright as a thousand suns, the heat making the coal furnaces at the steel mills he remembered visiting seem like wisps of a summertime breeze at the Baltic Sea. He rose from his bed next to a beautiful woman in her apparently late 40s, she had a plain wedding band on as did he, probably a wife he did not recognize though he noted her face in detail – milky skin, raven black hair, almost Venusian features. He then turned to face the light only to see the fiery column in the distance. Whatever city lay in front of him – the skyline was unrecognizable with so many tall buildings reaching into the sky – was being destroyed in seemingly slow motion. A clock on the table confirmed this as seconds passed as minutes with the pillar of fire growing ever larger…and ever closer. Building after building was smashed into atoms in its wake, the unending column of white-hot flame seemed to never end in its intensity or expansion. Seemingly like something wrought from the Old Testament, Dungerman wondered if this is what the people of Sodom and Gomorrah witnessed in their fateful hours. As the heat began to cook his flesh, as his own home was encased in a wall of stellar destruction, and as the screams of at least three other people in this grand home began to fill his ears…

Dungerman awoke in the overly comfortable bed having recalled the same dream three other times previously. He noted he could only just move, the sleep paralysis he endured was familiar enough to him that he did not panic but was able to overcome the remnants of it from the frightful dream he had. When he first experienced the waking lock-in, he could see but not speak, move, cry out, yell, or do *anything*. Terror and fear broke him of the paralysis spell, sleep deprivation seemed to bring it on. Thankfully it was over in a matter of less than a minute, his sighs audible only to himself. Shortly thereafter a guard walked in, “The Crown Prince will see you now”.

Breakfast was laid out on a small table cooling in the new office of the Crown Prince of Bavaria as he slowly ate eggs and schnitzel with some faux-coffee, black as night. He motioned for Dungerman to sit with him as he continued slowly eating his meal barely a minute after starting it. “That will be all, Robert”, he said to the guard, and suddenly the two men were alone. “Do you know why I called you in here, Oberstleutnant”?

Dungerman felt his pulse quicken, he was unsure why. “Not immediately, sir, no. How may I serve”?

For a newly minted officer he learned quickly, Rupprecht thought, and he no longer says, ‘serve the Empire’ in my presence. I must be making that annoyance visibly obvious, he thought to himself as he continued to chew. “I brought you here partially to inform you and partially to ask you about your future”.

“Yes, sir, may we start with the information please”?

“Italy asked for terms of surrender three hours ago, we replied and they countered an hour later”. A second theater ended, Dungerman thought. The war might be over soon after all. “We asked for Austria to annex everything north of the Piave River with occupation of the rest of Veneto for fifteen years and Lombardy for five years, after which plebiscites would be held to determine whether their future is Italian, Austro-Hungarian, or as independents. They are to permit Spanish bases on Sardinia with potential purchase of the island, surrender Italian Somaliland to the Austrians, Libya and the Dodecansese Islands to the Ottomans, and permits German bases in Sicily as well as Taranto. Italy will pay for much of the occupation but not all of it, industrial wealth and other resources will help pay for the rest. Her army and navy will not be seized, her prisoners released, and her admission into the Zollverein immediate for raw materials. They keep Eritrea”.

Interesting to let them keep their richest colony but not the rest, Dungerman thought, but politics were not his concern at this time. “Their response”?

“They agreed to everything except Sardinian bases for the Spanish and Libya to the Turks. Spain has first right of purchase if Sardinia is ever sold and Libya remains Italian, but as of five minutes ago the war in Italy is over”.

Dungerman’s eyes visibly widened. Occupation forces would be needed of course, but if even half of Austria’s veteran divisions could be focused on the Western Front…“I presume we will be moving some troops this way, sir”?

“Indeed we will, Oberstleutnant, we expect their arrival within the week after two days rest and relaxation as reward for a hard-fought campaign. You know of the situation at the front here, yes”?

“Dunkirk has fallen and the BEF is now organizing a retreat from Calais if I remember correctly. There is discussion about whether Nord and Pais-De-Calais would become Belgian, German, or remain French at war’s end”.

“Then you are unaware of Operation Uriel”?

“I have no idea what you speak of, sir”.

Rupprecht nodded and walked over to a covered map on the wall farthest from the office door. It detailed a pair of thrusts, one from Beauvais to Vernon, the other from Rebais to Melun, flanking Paris on two sides and setting up for an encirclement if both could cross the Seine. The third, simply labelled ‘BRK’ was laying in wait…”What is the BRK, sir”?

“Your idea of a ‘lightning-fast column of infantry’ come to life, my boy. I hope you and your men know how to ride horses, we have a few companies of former cavalry who will join you in moving as fastest possible speed into Paris to take the city itself”.

Taking Paris. Costly though it would be, the Imperial leadership sought not peace by negotiation…but diktat. France was apparently getting ready to suffer greatly, her people had not forgotten 1871, they would certainly not forget what was to come. “If I may sir, what are the plans for peace with the French”?

Rupprecht’s face soured. “I made the mistake of asking that same question myself, may I recommend you do not repeat it”? Dungerman simply looked at him and nodded. “France never forgave us for the annexation of Alsace and the part of Lorraine we took in 1871. You are a smart man, imagine a reaction much stronger and more virulent under terms of dictation instead of honorable negotiation. Which is why I wish to discuss the future with you alone. My father is very ill and I will succeed him soon, probably no later than year’s end. To that end I need the help of men I can trust for the days ahead. You have the brain, leadership, resourcefulness, and skill to be a useful arm to myself and this nation. You also have the independence to think for yourself, and in the league you play in now that can get you into very serious trouble. I offer you a place in the Bavarian Army when the war is over, conditional on your movement from Saxony and oath of allegiance, if you wish. You may develop your ideas as you see fit and you will at least eat so long as I can pay you if nothing else. Please consider this carefully for things change when the war officially ends and these sorts of opportunities disappear”.

Dungerman hesitated for two reasons. First, he had sworn an oath to the German Empire but now he would potentially have two masters. Rupprecht was planning something, not today, not tomorrow, but something that might make him question where his loyalties lie. Any oath would be blood-bound for him and likely his family, the relocation from his home nation – state now, he thought – would be a guarantee of that. He suspected there was more to this both in reward and in price, though peaking of such things openly might prove very dangerous. Second, the promise of freedom would be lost on most others, but freedom to ‘develop his own ideas’ could mean warfare, chemistry, business, or a lot of other things. Obviously these were not the sort of promises that made paper nor would ever see a contract, so his fate would be tied to that of the House of Wittlesbach and Bavaria for better or worse. He needed to know more without arousing suspicion, but there was no time to investigate or even probe. A rustle of wind resulted in movement that aroused his suspicions even more as he caught an opportune glimpse of something on the wall, he now was left with blindly accepting an offer he knew little of for unknown if any reward or risking the opportunity and asking the next question – assuming he was not killed in the military gamble to come. “Permission to speak freely, sir”?

“Granted”.

“Why is there a second map below the first and what exactly do you have in mind after the war”?
 
05 April 1918 – Washington DC, USA

“And the contents of the telegram are also authenticated through the Vatican embassy, Mr. Secretary – it is genuine”.

Robert Lansing looked at the telegram in awe as the clerk spoke. Britain was known to be in severe debt because of the war and would need capital not only to rebuild but to pay off its creditors, many of whom were American to being with. was offering to sell “the whole of Canada to the west of 110o latitude and the whole of all islands of the arctic touched by that line” in exchange for mitigation of its debts accumulated during the conflict. The amount of money was staggering, it would effectively be a $1.5 billion transfer of wealth, but in exchange the United States would obtain British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon Territory, parts of the Northwest Territories, and whatever piece of Canada east of Alaska touched the Arctic Ocean. Memory briefly carried him back to his work on the Alaska Boundary Tribunal case in 1903 before wrenching him back to the present.

“What is the situation in Ireland, Mr. Vernor”?, he called to the clerk.

“Absolute chaos, sir, the trade unions are marching and there are no effective conscriptions reported anywhere on the island as yet, sir”.

“Are our counterparts in London saying anything other than what is in the telegram”?

“Not that we have received, sir, nor that we have heard”.

Ireland was in chaos following the passage of a law a few months prior to start mandatory conscription there, the hammerfall on the British Expeditionary Force known as Operation Michael only drove this point home harder. Lansing knew that this proposed sale was an act of desperation, the internal financial health of the United Kingdom must be dire for such terms to be spoken of, much less put in writing. Such territory and resources, not to mention the dream of American Manifest Destiny truly reaching the Pacific along with the Arctic, represented a tempting offer. His own people concluded years ago that taking British Columbia alone would result in the gradual devolution of Canadian territories and provinces to the US.

“Where is the President now, Mr. Vernor”?

“On his way, he was briefed earlier this morning and expects your report when he arrives”

“How long do I have”?

“Maybe fifteen minutes, maybe ten, sir”.

Irritation at lack of warning would be futile, President Wilson would take it as a weak excuse while the timing of the telegram was barely half an hour ago. Maybe the President thought he had more warning, but with Walter Long and Arthur Balfour – Secretary of State for the Colonies and Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Lloyd George government, respectively –each named at the bottom of the telegram with today’s date on it that would be difficult to prove. “Has anyone tried to map this out yet”?

“We’re working on a preliminary map for the President but it’s not done yet”.

“Do we have the money and will to do this”? That last question was meant to be internal but became verbalized regardless.

“You’ll have to ask Mr. McAdoo about that, sir”.

Lansing looked up the number on his telephone directory and called the switchboard operator who promptly put him through. Five minutes of waiting for additional connections and the return of Mr. McAdoo from whatever was keeping him, the two men spoke.

“Mr. McAdoo, I presume you know why I am calling”?

“No, Mr. Lansing, no clue what-so-ever. But I heard about an opportunity to buy a new icebox not twenty minutes ago”. The dry humor of the Southerner-turned-Yankee was often stinging and difficult to tolerate for certain people like Lansing, but today business need prevailed. Also if word spread this fast it was only a matter of time before the press got wind of it.

“Indeed, and maybe it is an American icebox by year’s end if the price is right”.

“I’m not fond of the price, Mr. Lansing”, the Tennessee and Georgia twang in McAdoo’s voice making itself known despite attempts to hide it, “How far down can we bring it? We have the gold but why part with more than we absolutely have to”?

Bartering for the Canadian Pacific provinces was something Lansing had hoped to avoid. Not for the sake of barter but for the sake of timing. If it were known that the British were prepared to sell, the people might protest, riot, or worse – becoming a potential American equivalent to Ireland or worse trying to vote their way back into Canada after the sale was complete. Lansing thought up a proposed price.

“What’s your bottom dollar, Bill”?

McAdoo would normally turn the situation to his advantage and cut Lansing out of the picture but needed the other Secretary to make the deal stick, so he would work with him to ensure the deal’s success. “If they’re offering $1.5 billion we might counter at $900 million. They would probably turn away from anything less unless things get really desperate. Expect a final price of about $1.1 to $1.2 billion, and ask if they would throw in Saskatchewan for the whole amount. If you like I could help you with the actual negotiations”.

“I thought to hold out against their offer with vague promises for now and do just that, the Germans are on the verge of pushing the British into the sea and the Spanish are pushing ever-forward towards the Guyonne River”.

“I saw that as well, but beware that the British do not offer this deal to other parties when the war ends. Germany might snap at the chance and then we get a bidding war”.

Lansing considered that and decided to do this right the first time. “Your help with the negotiations would be appreciated. I give the British 10 days, maybe 14, then they come to the table with Germany”.

McAdoo listened carefully and paused for about five seconds. “I’d say you have seven days to make this work then, no more than eight. If peace is declared before we have a deal, even if only a tentative one, we probably miss the boat”.

And I get the fall for failing to secure the land while McAdoo can tell everyone about how he tried to save the deal, Lansing thought - it was never difficult to get the President’s ear when you marry his daughter as McAdoo had. “When could you have the money together”?

“Seven days, maybe eight. Make the deal happen and I can make the money happen”.
 
Very interesting. Was this actually a thing in OTL that the British were that desperate for in case they would lose to Germany? I knew the financial situation was bad, but so bad that they would sell parts of Canada to the US. At least here even though they're on the losing side America will win. Though this will probably play heavily against Wilson in the Democrats in 1920 and further play the Great War as a Rich Man's conflict.
 
With the gold standard a key facet in British international domination of finance and the debt of just under £6 billion at the end of March 1918, the British need gold and *fast*. Loans from France, Italy, and Russia were risky to start with but their financial situation after the war is in question, as are the stabilities of their governments. Repatriations in land and money by the Allies would be likely under this scenario and even if the governments in Paris, Rome, and Petrograd survive their ability to pay back anything would be severely limited. Meanwhile the challenge to London from New York and soon either Frankfurt or Berlin would mean the British could lose their best means of functional soft diplomacy unless they act quickly. I had heard of plans as radical as this being floated at one time but am unable to verify them in print at this time, but the telegram will have unexpected consequences in the USA and abroad.
 
With the gold standard a key facet in British international domination of finance and the debt of just under £6 billion at the end of March 1918, the British need gold and *fast*. Loans from France, Italy, and Russia were risky to start with but their financial situation after the war is in question, as are the stabilities of their governments. Repatriations in land and money by the Allies would be likely under this scenario and even if the governments in Paris, Rome, and Petrograd survive their ability to pay back anything would be severely limited. Meanwhile the challenge to London from New York and soon either Frankfurt or Berlin would mean the British could lose their best means of functional soft diplomacy unless they act quickly. I had heard of plans as radical as this being floated at one time but am unable to verify them in print at this time, but the telegram will have unexpected consequences in the USA and abroad.
Ooh, I like unexpected consequences.

Beyond the sting to their pride, the US won't lose much outside of financial matters because there simply aren't very many American troops in France yet.
 
I am very interested in seeing how the sales of Western Canada would work out. Is there any possibility of the USA asking for a few of the British Caribbean islands ie the British Virgin Island, the Bahamas, and so on? With the US owning PR and with their influence over Cuba, this may also be a time to expand USA control of that area.
 
The USA has acquired the Danish VI by this time. As long as the Germans are not getting any bases/rights in the Caribbean I don't see the USA of 1917 wanting to acquire more bits of land with lots of dark folks on them - if the Germans make efforts that might change. Western Canada, OTOH, is quite attractive. I don't know how large the population of the area up for sale is, I do wonder how pleased the Canadians will be about being sold to the USA. from a USA standpoint they need to seal the deal ASAP, geostrategically this makes great sense, and longer term the resources in the area will more than pay back the investment.
 
Sale of Canadian land would result in Canada severing ties with the UK and damage the UK relationship with other dominions. I doubt the US want to go to war with Canada to acquire Western Canada.
 
but American soldiers can still change the war. Maybe free France and Belgium and then march to Berlin.
American soldiers can’t do much if France is surrendering. The French won’t be very interested in housing soldiers fighting a war they just got out of on their soil.
 
This isn't WWII, folks. The Allies don't have the naval strength, amphibious experience, or airpower to conduct Overlord two decades earlier. Not while simultaneously keeping the High Seas Fleet locked up in the Baltic, or with the French and the Italians having decided to cut their losses. Or for that matter, Ireland going up in flames. And with regard to Canada...Wilson can accept the British offer...the question is if Congress is willing to dole out the cash for it. Especially when it's clear the war is lost, and America actually has a good chance of getting satisfaction at the peace table without having to fight for it.
 
Canada won't go to war with the USA over this. The bulk of the Canadian military is currently in France, or in German POW camps. The USA now has a large military, most of which is at home, not yet in France. Sure, could Canada inflict some damage at the beginning but they will be curbstomped - if the UK makes this transaction you can be sure no UK forces will be helping Canada.

Actually the USA would be smart to take this deal. The reality is that the loans made to the UK are pretty much a lost item, this salvages something. This may encourage the French to tr something similar - French Caribbean or Pacific islands could be on the table. Also, if they are now US property before any peace treaty, they don't end up in German hands.
 
07 April 1918 – Berlin, Germany

Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert Hohenzollern, more popularly known as His Excellency Kaiser Wilhelm II, was seated at the richly appointed oak table in his office as various ministers sat nearby. His mind trailed to the recent discovery of an ancient shipwreck just east of the French military harbor at Toulon by chance a few days ago, the ship was thought to be possibly Roman in origin and might prove the largest vessel of its kind ever discovered. He had already written down the need to cooperate with the French for scientific excavation once the war was over, and fortuitously that would likely be fact sooner rather than later. His Chancellor and Minister-Presdient for Prussia, Georg von Hertling, was a career politician. This was the first case of such a man holding either office, usually they were held by staunchly loyal Prussian civil servants that made easy puppets for Imperial interests. Now was not the time for puppets but for talent, Wilhelm thought, and I can dictate the order of things to come.

“We have prepared the request list for what we will seek in the peace to come, your highness, as we expect our troops to take Paris in the next few weeks”, noted von Hertling, “But you need to understand that there are limits to what we can achieve, even in the most favorable of circumstances”.

Wilhelm looked at him with a mix of curiosity and mild anger. Few people had stood up to him directly, fewer to his face, and fewer still in the presence of his generals. Why now? What did von Hartling know…or think he knew…that would lead him to such behavior? “We are victorious, Georg, and Germany will have her place in the sun. Why would we will restrain ourselves under those circumstances? France is shattered, Britain defeated, the United States is beyond our reach but not immune from repercussions, and our treaty with Russia is all but concluded. Even the Persians have done well against our former Russian foes who even now agree to our terms in the East”, the voice of the seemingly manic emperor rising, “So our time is NOW! We must secure the future for Germany and her people! Show some backbone, man, or begone from my office”!

Paul von Hindenberg watched as Erich von Ludendorff began to speak. “He is right, my Emperor, your demands are too great even for a total victory. We can ask for much, but we can not ask for what you wish”.

Wilhelm pounded his fist on the table and stood. “You seem to do well in the field General but what makes you think you can dictate policy”?!

Ludendorff pounded his fist on the table nearest him and also stood, rage starting to course through his mind largely for not having already achieved a grandiose victory, but with this man capable of threatening the peace from the hardest-fought war in Europe in at least a century…almost yelling right back, “We have the means to win, we have the ability to gain, but we do not have the means to dictate the peace, and if you think…”

“Because I support him doing so, your Excellency, and this is in the nation’s best interests. How may I convince you of that, sir”? Hindenburg was taking a mild tone but held the power in the room. Wilhelm’s notoriously vacillating foreign policy, often the result of listening to his close friends instead of the career diplomats, was the source of so much unease before the war. It would not be allowed to affect the post-war world if Hindenburg or Ludendorff had anything to say.

Wilhelm was calmed with the words of Hindenburg alongside those of his more quiet Chancellor. “Hindenburg, Ludendorff, and I are in concert with regards to the peace proposal we are prepared to submit to the Allies. I think you will find it is more to your liking than not, sir”.

Wilhelm breathed steadily as he and Ludendorff locked eyes. Hinderburg watched both, the two bull-headed men were similar in many ways but Wilhelm often did not know when to quit. Clearly the war took a toll on both, or maybe Wilhelm was showing his age – hopefully not learning diplomatic tact, heaven forbid – and actually backed down. Both men returned to their seats. “Please review with me the details of our peace proposal then”. These three men in concert had the power to depose the Emperor should they choose, and civil war was the least of their worries if that happened. Wilhelm wanted to relieve them all on the spot, but also knew that the Feldmarschall commanded the army’s loyalty as much or more than he himself did, making it inopportune to attempt anything else at the moment.

Von Hertling nodded and continued. “In the East, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk give us everything we want and is all but concluded. We will hold the Western Allies to respect the treaty as it exists now. There will be a free Ukraine under a Habsburg, a new Polish kingdom with Lithuanian Grand Duchy in union and a joint port at Memel as requested with ruler as yet undetermined, while the Grand Duchy of the Baltic will be based out of Riga with your son Eitel Freidrich holding the title. Finland will go to Frederick Carl of Hesse, and King Karl of Sweden asked that we permit him to unite Sweden, Norway, and Finland under a new Scandinavian crown that Karl will take. Each country will have their own Parliament but one super-Parliament will form the ruling government with Swedish becoming a mandatory language alongside German and the local language being taught in all public schools”.

Wilhelm nodded, he liked the idea as the nation was large enough to be helpful in time of war but not enough to be a threat in times of peace. It also opened a significant market for German goods. “Are they amenable to our requests on Denmark”?

More like diktats, thought von Hertling, but, “yes, Denmark will be recognized as being in the German sphere of influence and eventually asked to join our Empire. Of course, all of the above will join our new European Union for trade and commercial purposes”.

There were some things everyone in the room agreed on, the trade union was one of them. A sense of calm began returning to the room now that everyone was on the same page. “Excellent. What of our Ottoman, Bulgarian, and Austrian allies”?

Hindenburg then spoke. “Correct me if I waver, Chancellor, but Istanbul will regain Armenia, much of Egypt outside the Sinai Peninsula and connection to the Nile River. Italy will keep Tripolitania but lose the Dodecanese Islands. Britain will lose Cyprus, Greece will lose Crete. Bulgaria will gain Macedonia, much of Thrace and potentially Salonika though we ask for it as a negotiating tactic as we do Crete and Cyprus. Also, easternmost Albania and Dobrudja will now answer to Sofia with the delta of the Danube in Romania as being under joint Central Power control via Constanta. Germany will control the Crimea as requested as well. Austria came up with an interesting solution – the balance of Serbia and Albania will be forged into a single nation that will likely be at civil war with itself within the year. We need only stand back and watch as war engulfs the country, giving our troops controlled live-fire experience while letting our enemies destroy themselves. Austria will take the southern part of former Congress Poland and unite it with Gallicia via a new capital at Lublin. Lombardy will be occupied for five years and Veneto for fifteen, after which time the population can vote to join Italy, join Austria, or become independent. Austria will also gain almost everything east of the Piave River, almost putting Venice in artillery range of the border. In addition they want the Andaman Islands, at least one smaller African colony like Zanzibar, as well as a naval base in the Mediterranean”.

Appropriate demands, especially as they would pick the new King of the Ukraine and were still negotiating for one in Poland. But that was a matter for later especially as Germany wanted to put one there as well. “Could we have a German prince marry an Austrian or Hungarian princess for the Polish ruling family”?

Von Hertling shook his head. “I asked the same question, they retorted about a German princess marrying an Austrian prince and request we not ask any Hungarians to gain effective royal control of *any* nation near Hungary proper”.

“They fear a revolution with secession”, noted Hindenberg.

“Concur”, noted Wilhelm, and glad to see more common ground emerge, “we can settle that question later. How about our Spanish friends”?

“As per the original deal they get the six French departments and a free hand in Portugal. Gibraltar will also be a source of contention after the war as they want it for themselves but we will push for its acquisition”.

“And the United States”?

Von Hertling became quizzical. “Rumor has it they are cooking up a deal with the Americans and Canadians for financial support. The details remain elusive, but it looks like they may be planning to continue the war even if Paris falls”.

“That would be a costly mistake”.

Hinderburg noted, “Even if we take Paris it would be difficult to occupy the whole country. Again, correct me if I am wrong or waiver from the proposal Chancellor, but the United States would simply be asked to stand down in exchange for status quo antebellum with some reparations if needed as a deal-sweetener. Our navy would not be able to invade them nor would theirs be able to harm us, essentially we would have a war with no way to harm the other in the foreseeable future”.

Wilhelm glared menacingly, thought deeply about it, and as suddenly as the twisted face appeared it also relaxed. “Britain and the Commonwealth”?

“We can not hope to impose naval restrictions on the UK, and her internal financial situation must be shaky if they are looking to their former colonies for help. We would do well to simply ask for our colonies to be returned to us especially as our Lion of Africa has beaten the British and French at every turn. We may need to be prepared to lose Southwest Afrika…”

“Absolutely not”, noted the Kaiser.

“Agreed”, noted Hindenburg, “we should not have to lose that one. Togo would be preferable if any loss had to happen”.

Von Hertling wrote something on a small notepad and continued. “Otherwise the UK will not be able to do much to us nor us to them in the short term, but the more submarines we get in the water the harder we can choke them off and push for a resolution in our favor”.

Submarines would be key in coming years, Wilhelm and Hinderburg thought in unison, the former speaking first. “We want trade resumed but not on an unequal footing”.

“We must have reparations in land or gold”, Hindenburg noted, “and then we can talk about peace with London”.

Wilhelm sneered again, briefly, and sighed. “I almost forgot – China and the Pacific”?

Von Hertling was very surprised to hear that but simply jotted it down and kept going. “Now in the Pacific the Japanese have control of several of our islands, they have offered to ransom most in exchange for paying the cost of their troops actions, the remainder they seek to keep including Rabaul. They also want our concessions in China”.

Wilhelm snickered. “They can leave or we can force them to leave”.

Hinderburg looked over and shook his head. “How about we offer them Rabaul and our Shanghai concession in exchange for a naval treaty and exchange program? We need something in return for our colonies and the cost of more military adventures would be prohibitive, politically and monetarily”.

I don’t like being left out of the decision-making process, Wilhelm thought, but composed himself under the threat of what might happen if these men blocked him out of the process altogether. “Finally onto Belgium and France”.

“We will ask for a new western border on the Meuse and the whole of Lorriane with Franche-Comte becoming an independent German-ruled Grand Duchy of Burgundy under your son Oskar. In addition the French regions of Nord and Lille will be ceded to Belgium, the Waloons being given a choice to stay or learn the Dutch and German languages. Interestingly King Albert’s son Leopold was just promised to Wilhelmina’s daughter Juliana when she turns 17”.

“Uniting the houses and the Netherlands under one roof”, noted Wilhelm, “making only one ruler for us to persuade”.

Ludendorff smiled. “A potent ally or powerful enemy, either way they will be a nation to watch, your Excellency”. A smile and a gun went a lot farther than a gun alone, he thought.

“True, but what of the rest of France”?

“Belgium will join the European Union as will France, along with Scandinavia etc., Italy will be asked as will Spain though they will not be required to do so. Bulgaria and Austria are already ready to sign the treaty. As for France, the five departments inhabited by Bretons will be allowed their own language and press with ‘cultural autonomy’ and some independence while the French will pay war indemnities. Their lands northeast of the Seine will be demilitarized for twenty years, after which time their military will be limited by a treaty as yet to be determined. German will become a required language”.

Surprisingly it was Wilhelm who looked over in mild shock. “Look at the ire it caused when we took Alsace and a third of Lorraine. Now they will lose the balance of Lorraine, Nord, Franche-Comte, and parts of at least one other region while effectively limiting their control of part of another. There will be another war in fifteen to twenty years, twenty-five at the most”.

Ludendorff smiled. “And then we can really begin to make changes to this continent when we depopulate our opponents some more”.

Hinderburg chuckled, “It is diplomacy and warfare, Ludendorff, we do not seek to depopulate our opponents only to replace them with German settlers – at least not openly, ja”?.

Wilhelm paused as the generals and Chancellor laughed, he did so belatedly to keep up appearances. ‘My God’, he thought, ‘I am party to the dreams of these madmen…they will pen my name to their plans and if they fail – or worse, succeed – it becomes my legacy…without the loyalty of the army how can I hope to stop them before they go farther’?. Rumor had it that the southern German kings were up to something as a check on the house of Hohenzollern, maybe thinking that Wilhelm was part of all of this when in fact he was not ready to go so far as intentionally setting up new wars for the sake of bloodshed and depopulation. All attempts to garner their trust or convince people to talk yielded only useless rumors or rarely very out-of-date information. “Now tell me of the recent developments with the Bavarians preparing to name a new Duke of Heidelberg in the next few weeks”?
 
Von Herting's draft map for the Kaiserreich as it could look in 1919 after the war's end (original map by Mr. Ganse, full credit accordingly):
kaiserreich 1919.gif
 
And the proposed fates of France and Belgium from von Herting's proposal as well (Green is the Breton Autonomous Region, Orange is territory lost to the Spanish, Purple is the new Belgium, Dark Grey are German acquisitions, Brown is the proposed demilitarized zone, and the new Burgundy is in a blue-gray color):
Fate of France 1919.jpg
 
Very interested in this continuing. I feel the Germans will come to regret aquiring all those angry French people.
 
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