Operational Plan Three

Operational Plan Three was a plan created by Germany's General Staff. This was made on orders from Kaiser Wilhelm, who was anti-capitalistic, and anti-democratic, both things the U.S. represented. The goal was to attack the Eastern Seaboard of America, shelling Manhattan, and capturing Boston.

When, if ever, would have been Germany's most optimal time to perform this attack?
 
Operational Plan Three was a plan created by Germany's General Staff. This was made on orders from Kaiser Wilhelm, who was anti-capitalistic, and anti-democratic, both things the U.S. represented. The goal was to attack the Eastern Seaboard of America, shelling Manhattan, and capturing Boston.

When, if ever, would have been Germany's most optimal time to perform this attack?

What would this gain Germany? Even if it is successfuly implimented(big concession there), and all this happens, what's it get the Kaiser? His troops will be surronded, his navy beaten if by nothing else from sheer logistics alone.

What concessions would he think this would get from the US? It certainly wouldn't destroy it.
 
The Kaiser's ambitions for this plan was to gain Peurto Rico, The Philipines, and the Panama canal. Plus it was to nock america down a peg as it was a rising power.
 
The Kaiser's ambitions for this plan was to gain Peurto Rico, The Philipines, and the Panama canal. Plus it was to nock america down a peg as it was a rising power.

Well that's something more concrete. I think it would just end up a Pearl Harbor type situation, even if successful. It would enrage the US public to the point that even more most peaceful administration couldn't give in.

Not to mention the time frame of this would be from around 1890-1910... can you imagine if they attacked the US while Teddy Rosevelt was President. He'd lead the amphibious assault on Germany himself. :p
 

MrP

Banned
There is no optimal time. The plan involves a German fleet large enough to defeat the USN (and with a sufficiently large embarked army) transiting waters dominated by the RN during a period when the British public was very paranoid about the possibility of invasion. To be precise, there are two possible routes: first, the North Sea, which will only worry Britain and Scandinavia; second, the Channel, which will have the French in as much of a fever-pitch of excitement as the British. Even if they don't act, the Americans will have forewarning of the coming attack.

Whether this enables them to defeat the coming German attack is something covered in a few previous threads on this topic, with views depending both on facts, personal opinion and the precise date. But the long-term impact on German prospects is bad, since even a successful campaign will see American industrial might turned toward military and naval ends, if only to prevent a repetition of any defeat, and her alignment with the Franco-Russian Entente. So in the event of a war akin to WWI, American national sentiment will be inclined against Germany from the beginning, rather than being pretty ambivalent as IOTL.

If you check out the search function, you should find a couple of threads on this discussing possible scenarios in greater detail than I've outline above. :)
 
I've just looked up the pertaining Wikipedia entry. It's more or less free fantasy.
However, there was a German Navy contigency plan - drawn up in conjunction with the tensions about Samoa. Should the US seize Samoa, was a retaliation possible? It wouldn't seem that this scheme ever had high priority.
And the German General Staff (army) was never involved in this. If so, they would have refused. Count Schlieffen even refused to co-operate in navy contingency plans to capture Denmark.
 
For all its faults, the book 1901 pretty much hits the best time. Before the US navy expands, while the US army is away, while the British are involved in the Boer war.
Doesn't mean it will work, but its about the best chance for it around then.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Operational Plan Three was a plan created by Germany's General Staff. This was made on orders from Kaiser Wilhelm, who was anti-capitalistic, and anti-democratic, both things the U.S. represented. The goal was to attack the Eastern Seaboard of America, shelling Manhattan, and capturing Boston.

When, if ever, would have been Germany's most optimal time to perform this attack?
1485,

The HRE would have had a shot against the Mohawk, at least in a raid.
 
1485,

The HRE would have had a shot against the Mohawk, at least in a raid.

Haha. As facetious as that is, it's pretty much the best answer. Germany didn't have the manpower for a successful cross-ocean invasion of a regional/great/super power. There were certainly times when Germany had a better/more powerful army than America, but the logistics of an invasion are usually bad, the logistics of a cross-ocean invasion is even worse, and the logistics of a cross-ocean invasion with no friendlies in the area is abysmal.
 
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