No Entente but still Schiefen plan what does Britain do

In OTL Britain joined an entente with France and in effect Russia. There were military conversations but no formal alliance.

The British establishment wanted war. They were greatly helped by Germany's invasion of Belguim

Now imagine that relations with Germany remained good (perhaps no big German Navy) and UK relations with France and Russia remain correct rather than close.

Germany has the same strategy as in OTL vs France.

What does Britain do.
 
i think it is a matter of what britain thinks it can get out of the war. belgium was a major industrial power and in the british sphere, the german invasion nixed that. If britain thinks it can benefit more by ganging up on france and russia it would probably go for it, especially if relations are good with germany.

i could see germany and britain wiping the floor with france/russia, perhaps with japanese aid in the far east. this war would be fairly short because it would pit two the two largest economic powers - one the greatest naval power, the other fielding the most powerful army - against two powerful but weaker powers.

then a period of anglo german rivalry leading to war, perhaps with US intervention
 
Send a expeditionary force to Belgium, landing in Antwerp, Knokke and Oostende - without declaring war on Germany, but threatening war in case the Germans do not start evacuating Belgium again.
At the same time declare a blockade of warring Europe, but only exercise and enforce it in the German Bight and the Skagerrak.
 
Even without an alliance with France Britain would want in. They had been effectively waging a cold war against prussia/germany since the 1860's and only part of that involved Germany's decision to build a battle fleet.

They cannot risk the German's curbstomping France and establishing themselves on the channel and with free access to the atlantic its too risky for them
 
In OTL Britain joined an entente with France and in effect Russia. There were military conversations but no formal alliance.

The British establishment wanted war. They were greatly helped by Germany's invasion of Belguim

Now imagine that relations with Germany remained good (perhaps no big German Navy) and UK relations with France and Russia remain correct rather than close.

Germany has the same strategy as in OTL vs France.

What does Britain do.

If that's the case then there's no reason for Britain go to war with Germany in the first place. I think Britain would sit this one out and would become THE (not a) dominant power in Europe because both Germany and France would be exhausted from losing that much manpower like the World War I in OTL while Britain escaped such fate.
 
If that's the case then there's no reason for Britain go to war with Germany in the first place. I think Britain would sit this one out and would become THE (not a) dominant power in Europe because both Germany and France would be exhausted from losing that much manpower like the World War I in OTL while Britain escaped such fate.

If Britain really stays out of the war for whatever reason, why would Germany be exhausted by the war? There's no effective blockade without Britain and Germany faces significantly smaller amounts of troops in the West. Furthermore, you have to consider additional allies the CP might gain. Italy cannot fight against the Royal Navy - but it could fight against France over Nice, Savoy, Corsica and Tunis. Japan wouldn't fight the British either - but the Russians and French might be an option.
 
Send a expeditionary force to Belgium, landing in Antwerp, Knokke and Oostende - without declaring war on Germany, but threatening war in case the Germans do not start evacuating Belgium again.
At the same time declare a blockade of warring Europe, but only exercise and enforce it in the German Bight and the Skagerrak.

That accomplishes nothing. The Germans still hope to knock France out before the British can do anything major.
 
If that's the case then there's no reason for Britain go to war with Germany in the first place. I think Britain would sit this one out and would become THE (not a) dominant power in Europe because both Germany and France would be exhausted from losing that much manpower like the World War I in OTL while Britain escaped such fate.

Britain can not sit the war out since it would have to worry about relations with both the winners and losers after. A German win could see the Russians and French become very anti-British and the British empire abuts more of the French and Russian empires than the German empire does.
 
What would be enough for Britain to get them to join the CPs?

What if Germany offered all it's colonies, and all of France's colonies (if a victory occurs, which it will), as well as I don't know, a formal alliance of 20 years. Oh, and freedom to build naval bases.

I can see them making a nice deal out of it, no?

What does Britain get out of not siding with Germany?

1. Weakened
2. All other powers are weakened, except
3. The USA isn't weakened
4. Germany's colonies.

With

1. Not as weakened
2. A major power rival, but, allied
3. The USA isn't weakened
4. Germany and France's colonies.
5. A formal alliance of 20 years with one of the world's strongest military powers.

In fact, Britain could probably say as part of the alliance, that Germany won't build a navy of x size. And in turn Britain will let Germany have it's free roam of the continent (save Gibraltar, and such)
 
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