Keep Britain out of WWI

Isaac Beach

Banned
So I don't journey into the Post-1900 forum often so my apologies if this had been asked to death. But is it possible to stymie British involvement in WWI? I presume this may involve butterflying the Entente Cordiale, but then their responsibility to Belgium would still pull them in on the French side presuming the Schlieffen Plan still occurs in a similar way to OTL. Would they need to be more uninvolved in Europe as a whole?
How would it be achieved. And what effect would this have on the Great War?
 

NoMommsen

Donor
Let Wilhem II stay on his decision to go east first at the night of 1st August 1914.

Accompanied by official and clear diplomatic and public notes to Britain, Belgium and France, that he does NOT intend to march into Belgium or France, that he does NOT have any longing for belgian or french assets.

For it consequences at least about the outbreak of the Great War this thread could be of interest for you : https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/germanys-1914-eastern-plan.385711/
 
It's been discussed a few times at least to my knowledge. I don't think it's implausible but that can be disputed, depending on what and when the POD is of course.

IF we start after the assassination of the Arch Duke, then I think we need the British cabinet to decide its red line is Germany passing troops through Belgium and otherwise it would not intervene in support of France. It also has to communicate that clearly to France, Russia and Germany before mobilisation. In that case there's a chance that Germany mobilises only against Russia and that France may stay out too. which would get Russia to back down. A chance, not a certainty or even high probability.

However, any such action would mean the end of the Entente Cordiale, which means it's implausible. Also, if war breaks out anyway, the Liberal government would be vulnerable to defections that would bring the Conservatives back into power. And a Tory-Liberal Imperialist would likely take Britain in later.

No Entente Cordiale probably requires a POD pre-1900 and different actions by both Britain and Germany. Difficult to see whether France and Russia would still be prepared to risk war in July 1914 without the expectation of British backing, though Germany might still feel war then would be better than when Russia had industrialised more heavily and modernised its forces.
 
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