Nineteen-Eleven: A different First world War

[Linbot]

Hello, everyone! This is a timeline I worked on a while ago before I joined AH.com. I recently looked it over, and decided it needed to be redone, since in retrospect it seems very poorly researched. So... welcome to Agadir War 2.0, renamed Michel's Victory since I needed a (slightly) less cheesy name (c'mon, General Victor Michel, get it?). Now renamed to the more appropriate title Nineteen-Eleven.

It starts in July 1911, a few years before the Great War, although in this timeline that will prove to not be the case. You've probably heard of July 1911 before: it's the date the Second Moroccan (aka Agadir) Crisis flared up. As far as I can tell, nobody else has done an actual tumeline on this, so I might as well be the first. I appreciate that it did not come as close to starting the Great War as is often thought, but then again, nobody saw July 28 1914 coming, either. Feedback and constructive criticism are encouraged. I apologize for my terrible writing skills.

July 7 1911 (Jospeh Caillaux's Office):

In the preceding days, Prime Minister Caillaux had done his best to ensure that the crisis over Morocco remained peaceful, but the lastest report broke even his iron patience. According to French military officials, a the German pre-Dreadnought SMS Schleswig-Holstein docked at Agadir yesterday. Accompyaning her were several troopships that landed a German force in the city, and it had been rumoured that they were organizing a Moroccan revolt.

Even more ridiculously, their very existence was vehemently denied. After a cabinet meeting, France declared war on Germany.

July 12 1911 (Liege Fortress):

Much has happened in the past five days. After France declared war on Germany, Europe exploded into war. The UK rather cynically announced that it would be supporting France in every way short of war, as Herbert Asquith was very critical of Caillaux's descision to "leap of the roof". Franz Josef had no such qualms and declared war the next day, while his German allies were busy trying to convince Belgium to let their army through.

Belgium refused, which of course didn't stop the Germans from sending their troops anyway, prompting Russia to formally enter the war also. However, the Germans were stopped at Liege. Without any sufficiently heavy seige guns to break the fortress, they turned, somewhat embarrassingly, to the Austrians, who agreed to provide the them with seven Škoda 305 mm howitzers.

July 13 1911 (Agadir):

Meanwhile in Morocco, General von Kluck, transferred there to direct the unenviable task of organizing a war effort two-thousand miles away from Berlin, was overseeing operations. Support among the inhabitants of the region for the creation of a German-organized resistance army had been surprisingly strong, and by 8 July von Kluck officially founded the Army of the Moroccan Free State, led by a Moroccan officer named Mohammed Yousouffi.

Preperations soon began for an attack on the French position to the North. This offensive began on the 10th, initialy advancing almost 100 kilometres. However, the drive was halted at Bouskoura outside Casablanca by the arrival of experienced colonial garrison troops.

Spain declared war later that day, impressed French success and worried about German ambitions in Morocco, especially after their occupation of Tangier.

July 10 1911 (French Chief of Staff General Victor-Constant Michel's Headquarters)

"Then what is your plan?" Michel asked.

"Our plan is to appoint a competent General," replied War Minister Adolphe Messimy, "a category you certainly do not fit."

"What do you propose to fight the Germans with, then? Britain has forsaken us, and the Russians can't organize themselves out of a paper bag! Do you think we should just sit here and wait for them to get to Paris?"

"Fine!" snapped Messimy, "You can have your army, and your reserves, under one condition. Which is that you do not fail."

"Fair enough," thought Michel.

And indeed, the next day he recived his troops. On the 15th, French troops entered Alsace-Lorraine, initiating what is known as the Battle of Alsace. Three days later, they encountered a German force at Chateaux-Salins. The result was a French victory. The Germans retreated back through the valley, leaving the road open for a deeper advance.

Elsewhere, the superiority of Michel's tactics began to assert itself, at Morhange on the 26th, and Laquenexy on the 28th, the latter completing an encirclement of Metz. In the south, French troops pressed deep into Geman territory; when confronted by German forces at Oberhaslach they decided to entrench after a breif skirmish.

The only true defeat was at Mulhausen near the Swiss border, where the the French attack came to a screeching halt before the walls of the heavily fortified city. However, elsewhere, events were not so enheartening. In Belgium, the Škoda guns arrived on the 23rd, by the next day Liege had been shelled into rubble and it surrendered. German forces pressed on rapidly thorugh Belgium, reaching Antwerp on the 30th.

July 31 1911 (East Prussia):

Although the Schlieffen Plan had relied on the Russians requiring at least six weeks to deploy in East Prussia, they actually took only twenty-six days, much to the alarm of the German General Staff. In desperation, General von Francois launched a series of attacks on the huge Russian armies that had invaded East Prussia. Although successful on paper, they failed to dislodge the Russians.

Germany had pressured Italy from the start to join the war, which was countered with a seiries of delaying attempts, but Rome ultimatley had no convienient excuse to stay neutral, and on the 26th they declared war on France. Although Italy tried to stay neutral in the Eastern Front, if only to spite the Germans, this last effort failed on the 31st when Russia declared war on Italy.

 

[Not James Stockdale]

How is Britain still out of the war when the Germans have invaded Belgium?

 

[Linbot]

How is Britain still out of the war when the Germans have invaded Belgium?

They're already technically (emphasis on technically) in it.

Spoiler Alert: Don't worry, splendid isolation is pretty hard to maintain in this situation, so they'll join in formally pretty soon.

 

[Linbot]

Installment 2 (is anybody actually reading this??):

August 13 1911 (Komarov):

Early in the morning of July 29, the Austro-Hungarian First Army crossed the frontier into Congress Poland. They occupied Miechow without a battle, but three days later they encountered Ivanov's Fourth Army. By the 3rd, they had achieved victory over the outnumbered force, setting the stage for further battles in Galicia.

In Alsace, French troops won a victory in the Ardennes, but German troops crossing into France from Belgium beseiged Maubege fortress the same day.

In Stockholm, German officials had managed to secure a treaty stipulating that Sweden enter the war on the side of Germany. Although the King had been reluctant, meetings between them about a general European war were still very fresh in everybody's minds, and this led to the treaty.

Even as the Russians were defeated at Krasnik, other battles began elsewhere. On the 7th, Samsonov's troops were eveloped and beaten down at Tannenberg by German troops. At Gnila Lipa on the same day, a Russian attack into Galicia, although initially successful, was thwarted by the arrival of more Austro-Hungarian troops. The Battle of Komarov ended in another Austro-Hungarian victory on the 10th.

August 20 1911 (Aisne River):

In the west, things had continued to go poorly for the Allies. On the 15th, the French advance into Alsace-Lorraine had been halted at Falquemont, and Maubege fortress fell later that day. On the 17th, French troops in the area retreated to the Aisne. Michel began to draw troops from Alsace to form a line there.

August 29 1911 (London):

On August 23, Herbert Asquith caved in. With news of German atrocities in Belgium, Russian disasters in Poland, and the Western Front beginning to turn against France; "I can stand it no longer! If Germany is not to dominate the Earth, we must do something!". And, indeed, the UK declared war on that day, bringing in the full might of the British Empire in on the Allied side.

Meanwhile, events in France continued briefly diplayed hope for the Allies. A German attack at the Aisne on the 26th was resisted at great cost to both sides. Although it helped to stiffen the French army, the Battle of the Aisne was but a respite, as future events would show.

Anticipating the BEF's entry, the Germans struck out westward to meet them. They stormed through Laon on the 26th, and on the 29th contacted their adversaries. The Germans pressed on, and the BEF was driven from Aimens after a very organized but ultimately futile defense.

All this had conviced the Allies that they would have to try something new. On the 31st, Michel ordered his troops to pull out and retreat to the Marne. The stage was set for the decisive battle.

August 31 1911 (Saoege):

On August 24, German troops attacked Rennenkampf, but he managed to escape the fate of Samsonov, slipping back through the marshes.

On the same day as the Battle of Aimens, the UK declared war on Italy. Naples was shelled two days later, marking the first conflict between a united Italy and the UK in history.

The day before Naples, Italian troops crossed the border in the Alps. They did little else than probe, after all, the Alps were harldy suited to warfare.

 

[Linbot]

Eh, then. I'll stop writing.

 

[Cymraeg]

Fine, then. I'll stop writing.

Please don't get discouraged! Keep writing!
A few small things - the British PM in 1914 was Herbert Asquith, not The Goat.

 

[Linbot]

Please don't get discouraged! Keep writing!
A few small things - the British PM in 1914 was Herbert Asquith, not The Goat.

Fixed.

 

[blackswordzero]

Watched, i'm curious to read more.

 

[Linbot]

Installment III:

September 6 1911 (Marne River):

German troops continued their irresistible march against the Allies into September. However, on the 3rd, the BEF managed to make a stand at Beauvais. German troops relentlessly attacked it, but this time it would not be so easy to dislodge the defenders. British troops dug in, pulled out their rifles, and volleyed. By evening, German casulties had risen to staggering numbers, and the attack was abandoned.

The "March on the Channel" had been halted, but the advance on Paris was still going strong. von Hindenburg pulled First Army southwards. He descended down on Paris, flanking to the west. Hindenburg was joined by von Bulow's Second Army, which struck out southwards to the east of Paris. The decisive momnt had arrived.

General Michel began to frantically search for a solution. On the 5th, he decided to launch a final stroke.

"This", he declared to a meeting of the French general staff "is the hour. It is now or never, and if we do not resist the invaders, France shall be marred beyond hope. I have elected to use our remaining resources to conduct a thrust between the two German armies, seperating them and reversing the offensive".

This attack opened on the 5th. At first, it seemed to go nowhere. The German troops reacted with skillful, vigorous resistance, and von Hindenburg reached the northwestern outskirts of Paris on the 6th. However, German cheif of staff Helmuth von Moltke (the Younger), realized the danger of the situation: although the local reality favoured his troops, the French would eventually break through, and the result would be disaster. Hindenburg would be cut off from the other German armies, and the entire Schlieffen plan would explode in Moltke's face. He finally convinced Hindeburg to pull out, and he then ordered a general retreat. It would be his last order to the armed forces of the Deutsches Reich. On 9th September, he was sacked and replaced with Hindenburg, whom OHL considered more reliable.

September 13 1911 (Picardy):

The retreat had been a great disappointment to Germany, but it did not spell the end of the war for Germany. On the 7th, German troops stopped, and began to entrench. Although maneuvering and coordination issues had first offset and then wrecked the German army's ability to execute the Schliffen Plan, none constrained its power to dig. The Heer was the best outfitted of any army in the world when it came to engineering units, and when Michel tried to attack the new lines, the result was a dismal faliure for the French.

However, large spaces remained in picardy, unoccupied by either side. Both the BEF and the Heer realized this, and they subsequently raced north, each trying to outflank the other.

September 20 1911 (Savoy):

The Italians had begun the war in the Alps, but the terrain prohibited them from launching major attacks. The French decided to seize the initiative and attack. They were successful and began pushing the Italians back.

October 16 1911 (Dunkerque):

Now with the German threat to Paris gone, France could turn its attention on Italy. An offensive to follow the Italians into their home turf was launched on the 12th of September. They destroyed an Italian army three days later at Ostana. They countinued to trek through the Alps, and scored another victory on the 10th of October at Barge.

Three days later, the "Race to the Sea" in picardy ended anticlimactically with the Battle of Dunkerque. The German failed to take the port, but the Anglo-Belgian forces were unable to inflict significant casulties on them.

3 November 1911 (Pochayev):

Meanwhile, the war continued to rage on in the East. Even as the German were defeated at the Marne, in the east, they launched a new offensive: the Vistula Campaign. It was directed towards Warsaw, and designed to take advantage of the dismal Russian preformance against the Austro-Hungarians.

On 26th September, the Austro-Hungarian forces themselves captured Lut'sk in yet another victory, but could not advance any further.

On the 6th of October, the Germans at last managed to capture Warsaw, marking the first major German success in the war. Desipte being a great victory, howver, it did not open up a breakthrough.

Indeed, fourteen days later, Russian forces entered Lodomeria, and and fought the Battle of Czernowitz. This acheived little, but on the third of November, General Brusilov attacked at Pochayev. Despite being outnumbered 2:1, he smashed the Austro-Hungarians, breaking through. For a moment, it seemed as if the tables would be turned entirely in Galicia, but it was not to be. Conrad von Hotzendorf poured troops into the gap, and Brusliov (much to the disappointment of the Stavka) abandoned the offensive.

30 November 1911 (Tunis):

Before the war, Italy had had a plan to delcare wan on the Porte and seize Tripoli. This was put off after the outbreak of the First World War. Instead, the Italian government decided to establish the Italian empire at Tunis.

On the 26th of November, Italian troops landed in North Africa. Tunis was bombarded and besieged, and surrendered on November 23rd. French forces meanwhile began to collect in Tunisia.

 

[fhaessig]

The only true defeat was at Belfort near the Swiss border, where the the French attack came to a screeching halt before the walls of the heavily fortified city.

Hem, unless your PoD is in 1870/71, Belfort is French fortress city, not a German one.

Eidt: SO ITTL, the Tirks and RUssians are on the same side? That makes for very interesting discussions...

 

[Linbot]

Hem, unless your PoD is in 1870/71, Belfort is French fortress city, not a German one.

Eidt: SO ITTL, the Tirks and RUssians are on the same side? That makes for very interesting discussions...

Isn't Belfort in Alsace?

Oh yes, yes they are. Prepare for some interesting negotiations!

 

[fhaessig]

Isn't Belfort in Alsace?

Not since 1871, administratively speaking.

Territoire de Belfort was separated from Alsace (and remains separate from it) in 1871 in order to remain part of France while the rest of Alsace was given to the Prussians, thanks to the defense of the fortress which held until the ceasefire.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territoire_de_Belfort

 

[diestormlie]

Watched.

 

[Linbot]

I'm currently working on the events for winter 1912. In the meantime, I've made some maps. Here's one for the first chapter:

Second:

 

[diestormlie]

The attachments didn't seem to take?

 

[Linbot]

The attachments didn't seem to take?

I'm trying to fix them.

 

[diestormlie]

I'm trying to fix them.

There we go.

 

[Linbot]

Sorry for the delayed installment! I was very busy!

3 March 1912 (Savoy):

The position of the Italian Alpini had become desperate by 1912. They had not won a single victory, as the French had ruled the battlefield and inflicted major casualties. By February, they were attacking Turin. However, fortunes were about to change.

On 17 February, an Italian force trekked around the French flank to the south and seized a ridge. The French tried to drive them off, but failed repeatedly, and on the second day of what would come to be known as the Battle of Trana, Italian forces charged down and broke the French lines. Their opponents were attacked on he third day by an Austrian force at their centre, and they had to withdraw.

Despite this, a further Italian attack on the new French line, established at Osaco, was unsuccessful.

26 March 1912 (East Prussia):

The war in the east had mostly settled down due to the winter, but as spring approached, armies began to organize attacks. The Russians succeeded in taking Memel on the 12 February, but they were finally pushed out of German soil to the south by the Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes on 26 March, where Rennenkampf retreated, although in good order.

26 March 1912 (Tunis):

In Tunisia, the the city of Tunis had been besieged and captured by the Italians in 1911, but had settled into a stalemate. Both sides sought to combat this.

French troops launched an attack against their Italian counterparts on 24 January at Maktar. It succeeded in pushing back the overstretched Italian lines a few miles, but was not a decisive confrontation. However, the Italians managed to acheive a counter-victory at Bargou on 12 April.

19 April 1912 (Western Front):

On, the western front, trench warfare had settled in, but this did not stop attempts by both sides to break it.

The British tried to pierce the German lines and recapture parts of Belgium by launching an attack at Doullens, which continued for three days, starting on 2 March. It succeeded, but due to lack of coordination, a breakthrough was not achieved.

The Allies had another go at it to the south at Saint-Omer, starting on 1 April. This battle would rage on in its indecisive, frustrating manner until May.

Metz had surrendered on 9 January, but on 15 March, German troops attacked at Schengen in an attempt to recapture it. It succeeded in breaking through, and by 19 April, the Germans had reached Metz, where they stopped and entrenched. Thy did not take the fortress, though, even after an enormous attack the next day.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

good. Let's see where this goes

 

[Linbot]

6 May 1912 (Casablanca):

The Moroccan front had been more-or-less silent since 1911, the fighting consisting primarily of raids through the mountains and desert. On May 6, however, von Kluck commenced to march against Casablanca. It had barely evaded his grasp in 1911. Now however, he had plenty of time to prepare for the event. His colleague Yousouffi led a large detachment some distance from von Kluck's units, with the intent of approaching Casablanca from the east.

In the event, Kluck was intercepted some miles from the city's defences, allowing Yousouffi to cut off Casablanca from other nearby French forces. The Frenchmen fighting Kluck decided to withdraw and defend the city. The result was a short siege, for the French had precious few supplies, and on June 12 the defenders sortied en masse. It ended up being the costliest battle of the First World War outside Europe. The French were decimated, with only handful having survived the siege and battle. The Moroccan-German troops fared hardly better, absorbing massive casualties.

Although the Battle of Casablanca was technically a Central Powers victory, it severely damaged their forces in Morocco and von Kluck did not launch any further major offensives throughout the war.

19 June 1912 (Königsberg):

On the western front, the Battle of Saint-Omer continued to rage on. It only ended on the 29th of May, having claimed over 100,000 lives.

In the East, the Russian, bolstered by their capture of Memel, decided to organize a second offensive into Prussia. On June 7 Russian troops began fighting their way southwards. 12 days later, they reached Königsberg and besieged it. German relief efforts were unable to lift the siege, although they were able use their naval superiority to bolster the city's defense.

21 July 1912 (Sfax):

In Tunis, the advantage had begun shifting from naught to the Italians after the Battle of Bargou. The Italians decided to capitalize on this by moving into Sfax, which was still held by the Allies. They also received a large reinforcement of German troops, which were used in the campaign. It began on July 12, with Central Powers troops pressing south.

On the 17th they entered Sfax, only to be driven out against by an Allied counterstrike. Not to be so easily dissuaded, the Italians attacked again the next day. For 3 days street fighting occurred in Sfax, but the Allies were closer to their lines of supply, and gradually overwhelmed the Italians. They broke and fled west, utterly routed.

Still, the soldiers of Italy were more resilient then might be thought, though. The Allies pressed on and ran headlong into the Italian positions, which had been reestablished some 80 km north of Sfax. The Allies in their turn were swept back 50 km, to lines not far from the outskirts of Tobruk.

Still, the advantage had flipped, and the Allies geared up for a better-prepared strike...

31 July 1912 (Rumelia):

Since January, Albanian rebels had been operating in Turkish Rumelia, harassing troops and disrupting almost everything. On May 10, they totally expelled Ottoman troops from Vardar Macedonia. However, they Turks were also transporting reinforcements to the Sanjak front via the port of Thessaloniki and Macedonia. 10 days later, the Turks moved back in and recaptured Skopje.

Meanwhile, our good friend Conrad booted the aforementioned Sanjak front back up again. Austro-Hungarian forces won a victory at Otilovici, their right wing driving further down the Sanjak before being halted at the Battle of
Gilbaći. Their left wing caught up after a victory in Gubavac Forest.

However, Austria-Hungary was not the only state with designs on the Porte. Since early may, four of the Balkan States - Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece - had been planning to seize possession of Rumelia from the Ottomans. Although they had been wary about doing so because of the ongoing Great War, the steepening military successes of Austria-Hungary had aroused alarm with the "Balkan League", most especially in Serbia. News of further Austro-Hungarian success in the Sanjak pushed Belgrade's patience to the breaking point and beyond.

"If we are to complete the liberation of the Balkan peoples from Turkish rule, a task inherited from our fathers and grandfathers who did their part it, it must be either now, or never at all, or darker minds will wrench the opportunity away from our outstretched hands," General Putnik pronounced to King Aleksandr I of Serbia. On June 16, Serbia indeed seized to opportunity, and marched into Kosovo. Belgrade was followed in 7 days' time by Bulgaria, and on the 25th Greece and Montenegro joined as well. Serbia rapidly managed to take over all of Kosovo, Bulgarian troops reached ever closer to Constantinople, and the Greeks marched unstoppably on Thessaloniki.

But then things began to go poorly. The Allies despised the Balkan league's destabilizing influence, immediately stating their opposition to it, and declaring war on July 17. Greece was severely worried and on July 8 it agreed to a premature, negotiated peace, keeping the lands it had so far seized, but agreeing to announce strict neutrality in the current conflicts. Austria-Hungary, enraged at being blocked off from Rumelia by the advancing Serb armies, decided to land troops in Shengjin on 10 July. The Albanian rebels requested help from the Central Power, and Austria was happy to provide.

Bust the worst position of all was Russia's. It privately supported the Balkan League, but cold not join them due to the fact that it was a Allied power. On the 31 of July, the French and British urgently pressed Russia to declare war on the Balkan League.

Instead, Russia declared war on Turkey.