I orginally asked this question focues strictly on German naval development. But, it has application across the board. So...
Assume for a moment France collapses early on & is forced to ask for peace in 1915. Russia is also in a bad spot then & negotiates as well. Both are set back considerablly, and lose territory - colonies in the case of France. Germany/Britain end in a sort of White Peace.
So, based on what evidence remains of pre 1915 militaryl thinking what are the possible developments for strategy strategy & military construction through the 1920s & beyond?
One factor I see is the pressure to convert the German navy to oil, at least in new construction. A coal fired fleet will have a lot less flexibility & have more problems operating out side of the small seas adjacent to Germany. If the German imperialists think they are going to defend their maritime interests then there is a imperitive to construct a oil fired fleet, at least for global service.
On land the widespread adoption of light MG would not have occured were the cease fire to come in early 1915. Conversely the errors in the doctrine for light artillery in the French & German armies were celarly revealed in the first months of 1914