Old Rivals Never Stop: An Attempt at a Timeline

Chapter 1: Not Kept Out of War
  • Capitol Building, Washington D.C., April 2, 1917
    The president's voice demanded a certain presence and respect, impossible to ignore. Therefore Congress did the only thing they could do, listen intently. This speech was of no small matter after all, Woodrow Wilson had a grim favor to ask of the men in front of him.

    "With a profound sense of the solemn and even tragic character of the step I am taking and of the grave responsibilities which it involves, but in unhesitating obedience to what I deem my constitutional duty, I advise that the Congress declare the recent course of the Imperial German Government to be in fact nothing less than war against the Government and people of the United States."

    This war would be very real, though Wilson had a specific way he wanted to go about it. Perhaps he believed, supporting the Allied powers against Germany and protecting American trade interests was possible without necessarily fighting in deadlock Europe. The man despised war and attempted to keep relations friendly between the warring Great Powers as long as he felt he possibly could. Though by the Spring of '17 German naval shenanigans had brought him to his breaking point. But he figured the Kaiser's insult to American neutrality was just a high seas scuffle surely.

    Therefore, while the "immediate full equipment of the Navy in all respects but particularly in supplying it with the best means of dealing with the enemy's submarines." was certainly imperative and he advocated as well for providing to the Allies "the most liberal financial credits, in order that our resources may so far as possible be added to theirs." he felt that the army could for the most part be left out of the conflict. The war-torn lands of France and Belgium had become truly horrific places, and while he could certainly no longer claim he was the President that "kept us out of war", maybe he could still keep us from the brunt of the fighting.

    Hey everybody, I've been skulking around this site for a good while now and I figured I'd finally give a timeline a shot. Any criticism/corrections/suggestions are all very appreciated as the depth of my knowledge on certain subjects/areas are not very deep. With that said I do have a general plan on how this will go and hope to take it up to the mid-1940's. I hope you enjoy reading.
     
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    Chapter 2: Great Power Reactions
  • A mere 4 days had passed since Woodrow’s stirring speech, and the verdict was out. The majority of both the House of Representatives and the Senate believed that it was time to declare war on Germany. More important than the declaration of war itself however, was the way it would be carried out.

    The big name leaders and monarchs of Europe received the news. The United States would be fighting purely a naval war, supporting the Allies through material and monetary means.

    The German high command rejoiced. By now Russia had begun to fall apart at the seams, which would free up the armies of the east to be sent to the Western, Balkan, or Italian fronts. The Imperial German Navy no longer had to try and leash their U-Boats when nearby American shipping. The American economy had become monstrous in size, so the funds they send over the Atlantic would prove a legitimate nuisance. On the whole, though the decision is good to hear for the Central Powers to the alternative, which would require Germany to rush troops down to attempt a victory over France before increasing numbers of American troops could arrive from overseas.

    France and Britain proved less jubilant, though support against the submarine menace and the aid was still very welcome. As a third of the original Triple-Entente was crumbling it was known that the war as a whole would prove far more difficult for the Allied powers in the coming months.
     
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    Chapter 3: The Mediterranean Begins to Boil
  • It was well known by the Allied military leadership that the end of major German activity on the Eastern Front could seriously upset the balance of the Western Front if they were to be transferred to France and Belgium in large numbers. At the moment Allied forces outnumbered the Central Powers in France and Belgium by a considerable margin, and they wanted to keep it that way. The question was how to make the Germans continue fighting in the east.

    The answer? They would strike much harder at tiny Bulgaria and the sick man of Europe, the Ottomans. The idea of forcing the Ottomans to surrender via the Balkan route was met with extreme opposition, given the evacuation of the disaster at Gallipoli just a little over a year prior. But the proponents of the plan won out, for this time they had a large foothold in the Balkans already through Greece and German troops attempting a return would hopefully be recalled if the southern flank of the alliance was collapsing, as Austria’s backside would be left wide open. Not to mention that the Royal Navy could find extensive use in this operation, which many in the navy-oriented British military found alluring. If all went accordingly, the Allies would finally be able to squeeze out a attritional victory over the German Empire, it’s people facing serious food shortages by this point.

    As for the Central Powers, plans were being concocted as well. For them the war was indeed on a clock, as the Allies had the means to outlast them using their control of the seas. That pressure for now was manageable however, as no large reinforcements would be reaching the Allies in the west. Therefore their scheme to come out of this war on top involved, rather than continue to bother with banging their head against the western wall, opting for an offensive against the less potent Italy. Aside from being an easier target, a major breakthrough on the Italian front would leave the southern French territory open, requiring France to send precious troops down from the very costly fighting along its northern frontier, perhaps opening up the chance for a drive to Paris down the line.

    The recent series of events have greatly changed the upcoming war plans of both sides. Current strategy will cause the Mediterranean to heat up dramatically in the near future. The question of who wins now will come down to how the Italian and Balkan theaters play out and if both alliance's militaries can successfully adapt to any new situations that present themselves.
     
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    Chapter 4: Brotherhood From Betrayal
  • “It is by no means difficult to see why France and Italy grew so close following the Great War. Outside of the immediate connection, their being on the same side of the conflict, a number of similarities are visible. The capture of both Paris and Rome in 1918 by the Central Powers was a mutual humiliation. One that was used to skillfully inspire rage from the populace by the radical parties which arose in both.

    Cultural matches came next. The two nations could each draw direct cultural and linguistic connections to Rome. A comparison drawn more than a few times in the coming decades. Last and certainly not least came shared enemies. For the duo there were three. The communists in Russia for significantly speeding up the end of the Eastern Front. Next came the obvious candidate of Imperial Germany. Finally came the United Kingdom. But which foe to rally the country against? Russian communism was far away and by no means a direct threat. Germany was despised, but simply too powerful. Besides, Germany had simply bested them. However Britain, through their separate peace, had double crossed them.”

    Excerpt from Road to ‘43 by Scott Bumphrey
     
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    Chapter 5: A Great War Put to Rest
  • Italy came into the Great War as the sixth most powerful European nation, a position which forced at least some consideration from the big five (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia) though historically the nation had struggled to establish herself among extremely stiff competition. With a majority-rural population it was by no means an industrial powerhouse, however its pivotal location in the Central Mediterranean proved its greatest asset. It was believed that the war could swing in either side's favor depending on which side (if any) it joined. Choosing the Entente the Italian Front was a relatively stagnant affair, but this would change following the surge of German reinforcements that was to come.

    To say the least France was not looking so good as 1917 trudged on. American aid was helpful, yes but it did not lead to any significant successes on the battlefield against Germany, and no significant successes didn't ease the army-crippling mutinies. Offensives continued to fare poorly, especially as Britain grew increasingly distracted with its campaigns in the Balkans and Middle East. The toll the conflict had taken on France was truly enormous, and Germany stubbornly still held French and Belgian land captured back in 1914.

    The worst news came down in early-1918. Brest-Litovsk had been signed, Germany and Russia were officially at peace. A steady stream of German forces had been arriving in Italy in the weeks before, despite the tide to the West being limited by fighting far to the East in Anatolia and Bulgaria. Once arrived however the offensive down the peninsula dealt a crushing blow to the Allied cause. An already strained France was now met with Germans and Austro-Hungarians right next to their southern border. Demands to cease the fruitless fighting kept growing louder and more violent as Germany pressed forward.

    France and Italy would surely collapse, leaving the United Kingdom with a difficult choice. Without Allied territory in the West any hope of final victory had seemingly been dashed. At the same time the Imperial Navy lacked the strength or the will to threaten the Isles. It's not like they held no leverage, the Ottomans had surrendered and Bulgaria likely would soon. On the other hand a campaign up Europe seemed more than a little fantastical. What if they could reach an agreement with the Kaiser?

    The German leadership understood the situation all too well. Unlike their other major foes Britain could not be subjugated, let alone the United States. After the Royal Navy gained supremacy in the Sea of Marmara and captured Istanbul it was over for the Sultan. Bulgaria had conscripted an enormous percentage of their populace and couldn't fight on much longer. Austria-Hungary was a shadow of its prewar self. It would take time for breadbasket-Ukraine to mend the worsening food situation at home. With seemingly little left to gain for both opponents, peace talks began as a bitter and defeated France and Italy could only watch as Britain turned their back on the fall of Paris and Rome.
     
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    Chapter 6: The New World in a New World
  • The war was technically over, yet fighting was not. A ravaged Old World still proved chaotic, yet the New World remained stable. Canada still rested comfortably with Britain, easily the safest of all the dominions. This relative security came from the sheer distance away from the Commonwealth's potential enemies. Inevitable German acquisition of African and Asian lands from France did little to ease worries of those in say South Africa or the Raj, regardless of whether or not those fears were reasonable. The Americas were left untouched by the Kaiser for obvious reasons, and it was safe to assume no war between the United Kingdom and Imperial Germany would take place soon.

    They certainly were not under any pressure from the south. The United States nearly always had a policy of keeping out of European politics, especially now that Europe had been won by a nation they were technically still warring with. In fact the majority of Americans wanted nothing to do with matters across the Atlantic, feeling that the successful protection of their trading ships was all which needed to be done going into the future. Not that trading with the outside was particularly encouraged during the postwar era. Rather America found itself recoiling from outward exchange in favor of internal development and a sort of self-sufficiency through increasingly high tariffs. Woodrow Wilson continued on with his second term, scorned by many as the man who threw a ludicrous number of dollars towards a now defunct Allies. Most cynical of all was Theodore Roosevelt, who famously stated in September of 1918 that "We wouldn't be in this mess if only that damn Wilson had a spine in his back!" There was seemingly only one option for the U.S.A., get paid its due.

    Latin America, as always, proved a complex matter. Numerous European-controlled islands continued to dot the Caribbean. The independent states inside and along the sea were effectively now free of Europe's aggressive demands for debt payment, in exchange for further domination from a paranoid America, a trade off whose impacts would simply have to be seen. Further south Brazil was in a similar situation to the United States, a late comer to the Great War and one that had done next to no ground fighting. It is therefore unsurprising that they too opted to close themselves off from much of the globe. As for the rest of South America, they proved far more willing to interact with the outside world, often out of economic necessity, and it remained to be seen how exactly they were to fit into a world where Germany was top dog.
     
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    Chapter 7: "Balance" of Power
  • Before the Great War began many a European felt that the constant continental conflicts had concluded for good. Surely the Great Powers would recognize that the relative peace which had been intact since 1815 was a positive for all? Over the course of 4 years that myth was so thoroughly smashed as to be unrecognizable. Europe was not done with war, hardly close. Central Powered-victory reshaped the face of the area and the world. Powerful empires were turned to ruin, leaving room in the future for the rise of certain minor states.

    The first nation to declare war, Austria-Hungary, was more than a little regretful of their decision. Victory had been achieved yes, however it came at such a cost it remained up in the air just how many more decades the country could last in its current state. Tripping over the finish line had cost the Hapsburg's the loss of much of their able-bodied workforce, basically the destruction of the economy, and civil unrest on nearly unmanageable proportions. All this for seemingly little net gain. Puppet states in the Balkans and a small slice of land on the Romanian border were included as some of the prizes Austria-Hungary had fought tooth and nail for. Perhaps the greatest, and most controversial, haul was the territory taken from northeast Italy, part of which being the region of Veneto and with it the city of Venice. Postwar gains were modest for a reason, mainly being that the already divided empire would surely fracture if much more stress was laid on top of it. Despite this Germany remained an ally, meaning the situation might just be salvageable still.

    Their northern neighbor received far more spoils. The Kaiser had successfully acquired a subservient and smaller Belgium, Central African colonies from both France and Belgium, and the cherry on top, domination of Eastern Europe. New states forged by Brest-Litovsk were under German influence even when not directly controlled, often requiring the support of the Imperial German Army to convince the Bolsheviks to back off. Germany was less broken however still felt the scars of battle. The war had not been a waste, but it did teach an important lesson, being that the nation was much too vulnerable at sea. Unrestricted submarine warfare had failed to bring Britain to the table, in fact if anything the Central Powers were the ones who starved. Austria-Hungary had become so famished that an exchange of land for grain was being arranged with newly born Ukraine. Germany never grew quite so desperate, however the inability of the expensive Imperial Navy to break the blockade was a serious issue. Attempts to solve this conundrum involved the production of vessels in the following years, an action the Royal Navy was always quick to follow up on.

    The United Kingdom remained the one stable and powerful European member of what was the Entente nation, a fact which inspired rage from France and Italy. While their capitals had fallen in May of '18, London had not only escaped the fighting, but managed to carve up the slain Ottoman Empire. New lands(technically promised to the Arabs) were gained in the Middle East, leaving behind a rump state in Anatolia. Yet diplomatically the war was a defeat for the Commonwealth. The classic British strategy of allying with the European silver medal holder to contain the gold was no longer viable. Germany held first place, yet every classic great power was a non option. Russia was fractured, France and Italy did not trust the Isles as far as they could throw them, and Austria-Hungary was aligned with the Kaiser. Therefore the British were forced to be a little more creative with their blocs. They got started right away. British actions in the Balkans spared Greece from ceding territory to Central-aligned Bulgaria. On top of this they granted Greece control of much of Asia Minor's Aegean coastline including the city of Constantinople, an action for which the Greeks were ever grateful.

    Postwar France was a broken shell of yesteryear. Though ceding only a small portion of its colonies to Germany the fact remained that Paris had been captured by a government in Berlin for the second time within 50 years. The Treaty of Munich, ratified in late-1918, proved quite harsh. Outside of the expected occupation and military cut downs, the agreement put major reparations on the nation, a fate Britain was not resigned to, for they left before the death knell sounded. Italy fared little better, for the war had set the rising nation more than a few years back. Fortunately for them Libya remained their property, granting what was the new Entente control over the majority of North Africa along with their already extensive Northern Mediterranean holdings. Back stabbed and beaten, the two had little choice but to look to themselves and the rest of Western Europe if they wanted to keep in this ever more deadly game of power.

    Russia was still locked to civil war, a conflict which the hated-Bolsheviks were currently winning. As much as Germany loathed the idea of a large communist state to their east, actually sending soldiers who otherwise would be finished with service back to fighting in Russia was a hard move to justify. A rescue mission for the Kaiser's cousin Nicholas was accomplished in the summer, however outside of that example official German intervention kept on the low. Besides, the new loyal nations which had been produced would serve as good buffers to the red menace. If the situation got truly out of hand it was thought that troops could and would be used to smash Lenin and his ilk, but this was not viewed as necessary yet, allowing the Bolsheviks the quiet they needed to continue fighting against the White Army.
     
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    Chapter 8: Imperialistic Games
  • The war, though bred in Europe, produced profound effects in the exotic (though mostly European controlled) lands of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The northernmost section of the "dark continent" had stayed practically identical territory-wise from the prewar days. The same went for West Africa, carved up between rivals France and Britain save for the small nation of Liberia and the German colonies of Togo and Kamerun along the coastline. In Eastern Africa yet another independent African state could be seen, that being Ethiopia. In the past this empire had survived the frantic "Scramble for Africa" via clever diplomatic maneuvering and the receiving of weapons so they could at least compete with an invading force. These principles still held true, however it remained to be seen if a bitter and vengeful Italy could be bested again. Russia had been their primary helper back in 1895, but it now seemed that the British were the only likely candidate for such a task. Further south produced the most noticeable changes. In their victory Germany nabbed the southern portion of French Equatorial Africa as well as the Belgian Congo, which combined with their preexisting colony of German East Africa created a strip of German controlled land in Central Africa that was contiguous from coast to coast. Near the southernmost coast of the continent was the anxiety-infested leadership of the Portuguese and British colonies, including the dominion of South Africa. The “Lion of Africa” had run buck wild during the war despite horrific odds, and the increased establishment of his homeland in the region failed to ease any worries if future conflicts were to break out. On the other hand the Boers, who had suffered defeat at the hands of the British less than 20 years prior, had some of their lost hope rejuvenated. They carried a rebellious spirit which could be compared to the Quebecois in divided Canada, though at the moment the situation in both areas was not opportune for any sort of uprising.

    Just across the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa is the Arabian peninsula, now just about completely encased by the Commonwealth and split between numerous small factions. To the northwest Persia was a region less fractured yet also trapped within a ring of British influence. The buffer state of Afghanistan remained as a barrier between the Raj and Russia. New pieces for the empire were gained, yet British India had stayed the jewel in the crown regardless. But the otherwise smooth gem housed a bumpy piece on its exterior. That being the acquisition of French India by Germany, a move which contained more symbolism than practical use, though it succeeded in making London very uncomfortable.

    British and French colonies in Eastern Asia remained untouched, though the defeat in Europe did little to stabilize Indochina. Siam was yet another lucky nation which had avoided complete European domination, though their location near the center of the action provided them with an interesting choice. If they do side with someone in upcoming struggles, who? Their main options included the United Kingdom, France, or the ascending Japan. The past 60 years saw Japan modernize at an unprecedented rate, and they had firmly established themselves as a major regional power following their trouncing of Russia in 1904-1905. Before the Great War they held an alliance with Britain, one which they honored by declaring war against Germany in August of 1914. Despite being on the losing side Japan had avoided letting go of any territory, and its increasingly ambitious military wanted to begin carving out a spot in the world for a Japan which relied on itself. The Pacific Ocean offered chances for extensive naval operations targeting a variety of different nations, one being the Philippines-controlling United States. The Japanese Navy had expanded in recent years to be a very real threat on the seas and could theoretically go toe to toe with the best the West could muster. Meanwhile the Japanese Army favored campaigns in the mainland of Asia, a major goal being domination of China, who for much of the past century had been routinely forced into submission by outside powers. The last emperor had been deposed only in 1911, with the current goal of the Republic of China being to secure themselves for the years to come, a challenge made more daunting by the independent warlords which dotted the nation combined with the views of will be members of a soon-to-arrive Communist Party.
     
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    Map of the World-1919
  • Hey guys. So finally got around to finishing the map, hope you enjoy looking at it.
    1914.png

    I apologize because not everywhere is consistently colored, but hopefully my descriptions in the timeline as well as the color similarities will allow you to understand the borders of each area easily enough. Of course if you are confused about something on the map or are just curious about the timeline in general feel free to ask and I'll at least try to give a satisfactory answer. My current plans for the next chapter revolve around the outcome of the Russian Civil War though if there is an area where you want to see the spotlight put on please speak your mind. I do have a number of ideas for the next bunch of chapters but recommendations or general discussion is always welcome.
     
    Chapter 9: Bolsheviktory
  • There are few better examples of the carnage wrought by the Great War than Russia. Once the world’s fourth largest economy and one of the fabled Great Powers, it was now both smaller and locked into deadly civil war. In one corner was the Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin, a faction determined to finally make Russia a land for the humble laborer. In the other corner was a hodgepodge of numerous seemingly conflicting ideologies collectively known as the White Army, united only through their collective desire to crush the communist menace.

    This task proved quite herculean however due to several debilitating disadvantages. One in possession of a map with limited knowledge of the country might in fact conclude that the White Army was to win both easily and inevitably due to the difference in size of land controlled, with all the bonuses that arise from said quality. Yet this assumption ignores the value of the land each side commanded. Siberia was massive yes but had a severe lacking in both population and industry. Comparatively Bolshevik-held territory was in the vital western portions of the nation, scoring for the Reds more manpower, manufacturing output, and infrastructure such as railroads which could be used to transport troops and supplies. Obviously these inequalities make prosecuting a war from the east a major challenge. The next major issue was inward division. Though differences in beliefs among the Bolsheviks were present, there were no ideological gaps as wide as in the White Army. The mix included liberals, conservatives, and monarchists among others, hardly making cooperation between far flung allies simple.

    Not that it was sunshine and rainbows for the Red Army either. The sheer enormity of enemy lands turned advancing into a slow and grueling affair, a factor made more unpleasant by the foreign aid that the Whites were sent by many an outside nation. On top of this was the fact that while Lenin held the most valuable areas in his grasp, much of prewar Russia had been absorbed into either Germany or one of the newly formed nations of Eastern Europe. A thoroughly neutered Russia therefore remained on the edge of Europe, and it was essentially impossible for the Bolsheviks to change this without invoking German military response and in turn committing suicide. Rather they grumbled in anger when Czar Nicholas was brought to the safety of his mother's homeland of Denmark, but quietly continued their war as a non-belligerent Germany watched from the sidelines.

    Regardless of their deficiencies the Red Army pressed on over the course of a few years and eventually ground their opponents to dust. Following the Japanese pulling out of the Russian Far East and the fall of Vladivostok in July of 1923, the Russian Civil War had ended in Red victory. The many realms carved out of the dying Russian Empire were safe from Bolshevik incursion, however the more isolated and sparsely populated Finland proved to be less lucky and fell under Soviet control. German forces were presently maintaining order across much of continental Europe, and the Finns found themselves too far down on the list of priorities. Socialist puppet countries were established in Tuva and Mongolia as well. Winning the conflict and forming the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were achievements which Lenin was unable to celebrate for very long as he suffered a speech-silencing stroke a mere few weeks afterward. His health problems and death the next year would lead the way for a major power struggle in the U.S.S.R.

    News of the war's outcome sent shivers down the spines of the leadership of major nations. Fears of communism in the United States famously created a "Red Scare" during the 1920's. Similar worries manifested in Britain and Japan. The people of France and Italy were drawn in by the prospects of communism in the coming years, though the governments which rose in both came to hold different views. The success of a communist revolution in the multinational state of Russia certainly put Austria-Hungary on edge and necessitated the need for reform. Germany viewed the situation as uncomfortable yet manageable, as it would take years of modernization and recovery for the Soviet Union to truly be a threat to their power base, a fact recognized by many in the Soviet capital of Leningrad as well.
     
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    Chapter 10: What the Past Decides
  • "I would like to establish the rationale for my viewpoint by posing an important question. Was the Great War a net gain? Now if you find the idea of one of the most destructive wars in human history which occurred do to a violent murder of a man and his wife, culminating in authoritarianism dominating continental Europe being an event we in the present can look back on as having improved the state of humanity the product of lunacy, I'm happy to announce that you are not alone. I urge those in the audience who don't share this view to really consider the crises of this past century. Just how much destruction are we talking of here? To list a few, choice examples we have the Bolshevik-building Russian Civil War, the Anglo-Latin War, bloody decolonization in Africa, and don't get me started on the Middle East!

    Every single one of those snippet's of history I just listed can each be traced directly back to events in the Great War. The simple fact is that no, it was no war to end all wars. Rather it was a bountiful harvest of ruined lives and conflict. If you can tell me with a straight face that the rise of fascism in Italy, France, and Spain was an overall benefit to the planet I applaud you. If you can do the same with the isolation of the United States during trying times because the world didn't "deserve" them I applaud you. Clearly your will far surpasses mine. Rather I will instead tell you what the facts support, as any worthy historian must. Thus I'm required to detail tonight why the Great War is the worst tragedy yet produced by our species."

    "Individuals who argue against the positives of the Great War inevitably need to ignore the true reasons for the century we today know so intimately. To claim the military buildup, alliances, and nationalism which were the true causes of the 1914 breakout of fighting would've simply died down and caused little ruckus is to trick yourself. A bright road to tranquility is not suddenly formed because an archduke fails to be pierced by a bullet. The horrific moments which dot the past hundred years were in the making long before Princip pulled the trigger. It is absolutely fruitless to look back in horror at those four years, for they are not to blame. Yes, much of modern history has been defined by war. No era hasn't! The larger-than-average size of the war in question does not mean we are dealing with any sort of anomaly. Instead, stick with me tonight to overview what we have gained since and because of the Great War.

    Take a good look at Austria. See how its modern iteration was forged in the fires of 1923. See how it recognized the issues facing it after the losses of the Great War and the following revolution and took steps to mitigate that. See how it, against all odds and expectations, overcame its ethnic divisions, rather than let itself be fractured by them. Unfortunately a large number of people choose not to see. They sweep it under the rug, out of sight, out of mind. I implore you to wield the broom. However do not use it to shield triumphs from the public perception. Use it to sweep the dusty remnants of an inspiring tale and others like onto the center of the floor for all to see. If you don't know how, allow me to show you."

    -The opening statements of renowned historians Tyler Castoneti and Pablo Muchan during the "Was it a Great War?" debate held on July 28, 2014
     
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    Chapter 11: The Revolutions of 1923
  • Bolshevik gains in Russia hit Austria-Hungary like a freight train. The Hapsburg's had long ruled a vast and diverse land, stretching from the Alps to the Romanian border. Containing over a dozen major ethnic groups, the realm had been successfully held together for by now great spans of time, though numerous moments, particularly recently in 1848, had pushed the empire to its limits. Over 60 years later in 1923 the empire in a recognizable form was yet again put under threat of collapse via revolution.

    Vienna had gained many an enemy by their participation in the Great War, inside and out. Now not only the capital of the prewar-divided empire, but the ruler of acquired lands in Italy and Romania as well as the puppet governments of Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania. These people chafed under their new, unwanted leadership, and dissenting views rose as quickly as they did inevitably. Between the winter of ‘22-‘23 strikes and protests repeatedly popped up, yet these were far from the worst to come. Secluded rooms served as meeting places, where more extreme measures to gain freedom from Austria were discussed. Such was the impasse, Austria had given up too much to give independence, and the would-be rebels would accept nothing less.

    Spring of 1923 saw the door burst open. As an uprising in Veneto quickly liberated Venice, the governments of the Balkan puppets were overthrown as revolutionaries preached that ultimate freedom for their people via communist utopia was just around the corner. Knowing that the momentum was on their side and the need to act before Austria-Hungary could prepare themselves, the rebels pushed onward. Austro-Hungarian forces in the way were pushed back, unprepared for the size of the armies facing them and undermanned as the empire desperately scrambled to mobilize. This was easier said than done, thanks to dissension among northern peoples such as Polish and Czechs, who held little investment toward the continual control of southern nationalities they failed to identify with. As the revolutionaries pressed on Croats and Slovaks rebelled as well, eventually forcing Austria-Hungary from the whole Adriatic Sea.

    Yet in their time of need, Austria's allies answered the call. German reinforcements finally arrived in substantial numbers, and with this the Central Powers could begin successful counteroffensives against their motivated yet ill-equipped adversaries. Revolting Serbs had spilled over into Bulgarian-annexed lands, signaling Bulgaria's entrance into the conflict alongside the other two Central Powers. Trapped on two sides and thoroughly outmatched, the 1923 revolutionaries would find themselves rapidly losing ground, relegated to doomed pockets of resistance by year's end.

    Emperor Charles was victorious, yet the insurrections deeply unsettled him. Whether or not Austria-Hungary would've fallen apart had no outside support came is still a fiercely debated topic, though it remains undeniable that at the time their chances seemed very bleak. Could he always count on the German knight? The Kaiser after all was a busy man, having to deal with not only the problems of Germany but the security of chaotic France and the plethora of newborn Eastern European nations. If France and Russia were no longer major threats, surely that would incentivize Germany view to a struggling Austrian Empire as a lost cause wouldn't it? Charles hated to take the chance. Therefore he became determined to sufficiently stabilize Austria-Hungary for the next time the Balkans went up in flames. Seeing as the revolting portions of his empire would be unable to pull off such a stunt again for quite a few years, he turned his eyes to the north. No Polish or Ukrainian revolution had occurred, but it would be a monumental waste of resources to deal with the possibility when Poland and Ukraine were both now real countries. He would go on to sell all Polish-majority land and some more of the Ukrainian-majority territory outside of Hungary to their respective nation states, thereby removing those groups as potential future dissidents. This event would later be playfully referred to as "the bloodletting of Austria" in mainstream media.
     
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    Chapter 12: God Is No Frenchman
  • Since its inception, France had been a European mainstay. Whether at a peak or valley it was always an important factor. This trend still rang true once the Great War ended, and now was definitely one of its low points. 4 years of destructive fighting on their own territory brought the nation to its knees, the Treaty of Munich leaving a carcass expected to delicately balance keeping the disgruntled populace under control via repairing itself while hamstringing its own efforts by paying a victorious Germany. Unsurprisingly the Third Republic didn't succeed in this endeavor.

    Of course violence couldn't resume right away. Time had to be allotted for the exchange of territory, soldiers to return home, grieving. After the aforementioned steps were done however depression towards their misfortune quickly turned to resentment among Frenchmen. National humiliation still fresh in their minds, yet another revolution was afoot in 1922. As one might expect the entire country was in chaos before long. Paris fell again, now to its own citizenry, dragging France further into disorder. Communism and socialism proved enticing among these revolting inhabitants in a land which valued the ideals of the French Revolution. It was this that drew Germany back to their rival.

    From across the border it seemed that all the ingredients were there to cook up another Russian Civil War. Given that the Reds were winning that fight the Kaiser wasn't in a gambling mood. Fortunately for the Bolsheviks geographical distance meant they were an exception to the rule. French revolutionaries weren't blessed with such luck. A bitter, communist nation right next to them was a pill much too hard for the German government to swallow, and spit it into the garbage they did. Once armies were readied they moved out. What followed was a hard-fought but not overly-long duel, culminating in the final defeat of French rebels as a 1923 spring came around the corner. In fact many of the men hoping to come back to their homeland for some time found themselves re-summoned for combat as Austria-Hungary dealt with their own revolutions the same year. These foreign uprisings served to keep the Imperial Germany Army on a busy schedule during the pivotal postwar years, and were what allowed the Red Army to successfully takeover Finland despite the obvious risks.

    Back in France the debacle had left lasting impacts. Beaten down and internally bleeding, the French people found themselves looking to each other for support and protection. It was these bonds which would come to breed the overwhelming national fervor that defined France through the decade and beyond. From their perspective they had their fellow countrymen and ally Italy, who recently adopted a budding political ideology known as fascism, and one way or another it was possible to rise back to power together and defeat those who wronged them. Said group starring Germany: Emperor of Europe, and Britain: The Great Betrayer. That needed to come later. Nationwide healing was absolutely necessary, not to mention the Third Republic was still in power...
     
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    Chapter 13: A Secluded Eagle
  • Joining the fight late and making a non-decisive impact on the hellhole within Europe, the United States felt the repercussions of putting their eggs in a fallen basket. Woodrow Wilson chose to avoid the cost of feeding Americans to European trenches, instead opting to loan money to the Entente while waging a naval war in the Atlantic. This seemed to be quite the reasonable course of action at the time, assuming that the funds expended would help in bringing the war to a satisfactory conclusion. Given this fact the existence of a victorious Central Powers meant that said currency had been wasted.

    Before the Great War kicked off America held little direct involvement in Europe. Comparatively now the country had directly invested in nations such as the United Kingdom and France, and their sluggish recovery from the conflict made repaying the U.S.A. a major endeavor. The result of this being an increasingly annoyed United States unable to fully recoup their losses, further cementing the belief among Americans that dealing with Europe in general wasn't worth it. This rule of thumb overpowered even the president, who failed to convince Congress to let the U.S.A. join a new international organization, titled the League of Nations, whose outward objective was to keep peace and prevent a repeat of 1914-1918. Their reasoning was increased involvement in foreign politics wouldn't be a beneficial path for a nation developing at breakneck speeds regardless and had managed to avoid anywhere near as much bloodshed as their forefathers an ocean away.

    This rapid inward development pushed on unabated, and the 1920's witnessed a marked high point in innovation and production. While these shifts weren't all-reaching, many in rural communities recoiled in the face of sudden social and technological changes, it seemed obvious to many Americans that the path to continued prosperity tunneled through isolationist soil. The government reflected these aspirations via a laissez faire-loving Republican Party. Save for distant islands like the Philippine archipelago the U.S.A. quietly resided in the Americas. The League of Nations on the other hand was made with the intention of it serving as a mediating force, though in practice crippling issues reared their heads. A hodgepodge of member states, containing contradictory individual agendas, found it difficult to reach a consensus on what to do in case of aggression. Even if it was decided that a war was worthy of stopping, many of the drained constituents didn't feel the matter personally vital enough to do much about it. In reality Europe remained almost as susceptible to armed warfare as in the past.
     
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