Ordo Restituens - An attempt for a timeline

Hello,
this is going to be my first timeline attempt, so please don't judge me too harsh. I always have asked myself the question if a reasonable peace following the First World War would be possible. I therefore tried to create a Europe that pursues the restoration of the pre-WWI-order. Of course, this is not possible to the fullest extent - several new nations would be established in the due course of the war.

Based on the outcome of the war, its course must have been more or less balanced. This I tried to achieve by letting the Germans win the I Battle of the Marne by a very short margin, thus creating a stalemate front in the outskirts of Paris. More important, however, is that the Bulgarians decide to join the Central Powers in 1914 already, as an improved Austro-Hungarian strategy against Serbia yields quick success.

Whilst the Eastern front continues to move eastwards, the Russian Empire is on the egde of the collapse. A quickly reacting Tsar, however, saves it by signing an armistice with the Germans which, in turn, help to restore the order. They cannot, however, help against revolts in the Russian periphery, so that the independent nations of Ukraine, Ruthenia and Poland and many others emerge from partisan movements. The Poles even succeed in rebelling against the Kaiser - in the Peace Treaty of Berlin the Great Powers acknowledge their control over Posen.

europe19181prtd.png


Around this basic framework I now try to spin a reasonable timeline... Is that possible at all? I'm not that good as a writer - sorry. Additionally, you probably will have noticed that English is not my first language. I would be really grateful for any advices, comments and tips. :)

Anyway, here is the start of my TL...

ORDO RESTITUENS. Chapter I - The Bloodshed begins.

History never ceases to exist. Neither do memories. Memories of the Great War which not only claimed millions of lives but introduced a new era to those who were lucky and survived this purge of mankind. Monarchs and presidents, they all sought to restore the old order. The old order which failed, which released the ever-accelerating arms race.

New nations have emerged, some of which had had a great place in the earlier history, some of which found themselves independent for the first time - and with not one, but three or four peoples within its borders. But let us start chronologically.

In 1914, the murder of the Habsburg Archduke Franz Ferdinand led to a global conflict we call the Great War. Two separate alliance blocs have formed, the one being the Central Powers (German Empire and Austria-Hungary) the other the Entente (France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Russia). Even before the war started, it has been clear that an armed conflict was likely to arise.

Soon, every major European power was engaged into this war. The Germans blindly followed their Austrian friends and were to take the leading role in the Central Power‘s bloc. Throughout the war, the Kaiserreich cannot be described as a constitutional monarchy anymore, but rather as a state with an Emperor and a leading military caste. Most of the military leaders, however, expected a short and decisive war. A war that would end in 1914.

Central Power‘s military objectives

Due to several sources and the open archives that are accessible today, we easily can outline the main objectives of each side. The Germans, or, more specifically the Oberste Heeresleitung which was in charge of the German war planning, relied upon the Schlieffen-Plan which proposed that the Germans invade Belgium in order to crush France, thus relieving the Western front. Then, one could handle Russia as well. In his (albeit unofficial) „Septemberprogramm“, Reichskanzler Bethmann Hollweg outlined the main objectives of the German Empire. They included the annexation of Luxembourg and the dependance, if not even the vasallisation of Belgium and additionally a war indemnity for France.

Clearly the German government aimed at a German hegemony in Central Europe, with the Empire being surrounded by several smaller states with strong economic ties. In difference to all other states, however, those aims were not based on ethnical or national conflicts but rather were purely artifical, with the purpose of expanding the Empire’s influence.

The Austro-Hungarian approach was a very different one. The lands ruled from Vienna did not share a common border with the Western Entente, so it was obvious that securing Russian and Serbian fronts was Austria’s main task. When the chain of events which led to this European War was completed by Austria-Hungary declaring war on Russia on 6 August, the Central Power’s leaders hoped for a quick victory with several territorial acquisitions. Austria-Hungary’s aim was to acquire a dominant status in the Balkans region. The war soon turned out to be a struggle for survival: It was their own integrity that was threatened. The Austro-Hungarian Empire therefore was the first multinational empire which had not only to deal with the outer fronts but also internal ethnic conflicts through the course of the Great War. Vienna’s strategy, however, was to include Serbia and Montenegro in order to prevent any further Slav “invasions” against Austria-Hungary.

On 8 August, the Austro-Hungarian foreign minister Count Alexander von Hoyos visited Sofia in order to convince the Bulgarians to join the war. The reaction was very reserved. Ferdinand I answered that he certainly was not repudiating the alliance, but a Bulgarian entry would require both time and supplies. In fact, Ferdinand only wanted to observe the course of the war. Although the public opinion in Sofia was against the war, the Tsar and his government believed that they could quickly acquire the territories Bulgaria claimed for herself. In a further meeting held on 15 August 1914, those claims were approved by both Austria-Hungary and Germany. Additionally, Sofia received a payment of more than 20 million Deutschmark. But it would take more than that to bring Bulgaria into the war.

On 11 August, a telegram conversation betweeen the two Emperors set up a meeting of the leaders and generals for the following day in Munich, Bavaria. With Hindenburg, Ludendorff, Conrad von Hötzendorf and several other high-ranked militaries attending, a common strategy for dealing with the Russians was set up, which, as the quick advance would show, proved successful. Whilst the Germans were to throw back the Entente powers in Belgium and France, Austria-Hungary would take care of Serbia. Ideally, the Serbian front would be eliminated and the Germans would reach the outskirts of Paris by December.

Entente power‘s military objectives
The French probably had the clearest and - to the extent to which war objectives can be such - most plausible aims. From the very first day on, the Cabinet Briand declared that nothing else than the reacquiring of Alsace-Lorraine and the breaking of German dominance over continental Europe were the aims of France. In due time, further goals, such as the occupation of the Rhineland, were added. The realisation of these goals was to be achieved through the Plan XVII which suggested that the French armies concentrate on the Lorraine-Front and the Saarland. The numeric advantage the Germans used 1871 should not be used again.

The Russian interests fully lied upon the restoration of their influence in the Balkans. Dealing with to major competitors in this region (Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire), Moscow focussed on the Straits controlling the entry to the Black Sea as well as asserting their influence in the Balkans, which they saw as a cultural and political entity naturally linked to Russia. On 14 September, the Russian foreign minister Sasonov drafted his 13 points which is considered to be the counterpart to Hollweg‘s Septemberprogramm. This aggressive program claimed that Posen, Eastern Galicia and Klaipeda become Russian. Furthermore, concessions to the French and Serbians were demanded in Sasonov‘s draft. The Russian Empire hence was the first war participant to present a full list of war goals. Their military strategy mainly dealt with the Germans, which should be driven back to Silesia and Central Germany. Russian planning also included a sacrifice in men, for it lasted several weeks to mobilize the Tsar‘s army to a full extent. Once mobilized and prepared, however, the advance into East Prussia would be easy and not halted by Berlin. The memories of Napoleon failing to conquer Moscow still were fresh.

The British had no such war plans in the way the French, Russians or Germans had. They were not keen on participating in a war and therefore also not on expanding their territory. Having no concripted army, the British Expeditionary Corps was determined to come to aid the Belgians. Its mobilisation and transport, however, would take longer than that of other major powers. Although not promoting war goals, the British would be happy to diminish the German fleet which posed a threat to British naval supremacy.

[1] Point of divergence.
[2] In fact, this was not publicly mentioned before the official war entry of the Ottoman Empire.
 
I'll have to give it a bit of thought as I'm heading off to sleep shortly but one thing that did jump out at me was 'Sovjet of Crimea.' Since you didn't mention it in the text I'm assuming that you mean Soviet Crimea and that it's some sort of communist state. The main question I have is why does it exist? I would of thought that either Russia, who always saw the Ukraine as a part of Russia proper, or more likely the Ukrainian Free State would annex them as none of the Great Powers liked the communists so wouldn't of support them.

I would say don't write it off just yet. Sometimes it takes a while for people to notice or get around to replying to threads, it also seems to be somewhat quieter around here at the moment possibly due to the holidays.
 
I'll have to give it a bit of thought as I'm heading off to sleep shortly but one thing that did jump out at me was 'Sovjet of Crimea.' Since you didn't mention it in the text I'm assuming that you mean Soviet Crimea and that it's some sort of communist state. The main question I have is why does it exist? I would of thought that either Russia, who always saw the Ukraine as a part of Russia proper, or more likely the Ukrainian Free State would annex them as none of the Great Powers liked the communists so wouldn't of support them.

I would say don't write it off just yet. Sometimes it takes a while for people to notice or get around to replying to threads, it also seems to be somewhat quieter around here at the moment possibly due to the holidays.
I see your point and the Soviet would be explained later. It is called Soviet of Crimea, because the Sovjet (gathering of workers) is the highest political institution in this state entity. It was formed by refugees and failed revolutionists from all over Russia. The Tsar has not the power and military necessary to crush this Sovjet, and neither can the Ukrainians. Whole Eastern Europe is still more or less in anarchy, comparable to OTL 1920.
 
Although this seems to lack interest, I have decided to write a little bit further. I still am hoping for constructive criticism! :)

Overture to the War
Soon after the European powers declared war upon each other, the war gained momentum and each nation tried to fulfil its war plans. The Austrian armies committed to the Serbian front, namely the V and VI Army, both led by General Potiorek, did not rush immediately. Instead, the VI army was given time to position itself in Southern Bosnia, whilst a light Serbian offensive was easily halted due to the superior experience and manpower of the Austrian army. At the same time, the French offensive executed according to the Plan XVII failed due to the reserves the Germans had stationed in Alsace-Lorraine. The 5th French Army was completely destroyed in the so-called Battle of the Frontiers.

This led to the German counter-offensive through Belgium and deep into the lightly defended French hinterland. Although the Allies had to retreat, the still besieged city of Antwerp posed a constant threat to the Germans. At the end of August, von Moltke saw his armies within 80 km of Paris. The rapid German advance, however, brought an overstreched front with it which, in turn, the Allied forces immediately used to halt the German offensive. The resulting Battle of the Marne was fought intensely by both sides. The widening gap between the German I and II Army was quickly discovered by Allied reconnaissance and exploited by the BEF and the French V Army. On 7 September, however, the Germans nearly achieved a breakthrough against the Sixth Army. Lanrezac, being more defensive in his military strategy, did not dare to start a surprise attack. The German II Army under command of von Kluck stretched further to close the gap between the First and Second Army from 8 September, thus leaving out the occasion for a risky rush for Paris, but rather consolidating its position and helping to cope with the BEF. What emerged then was a massive trench warfare, with no side sparing efforts to hold - or conquer, respectively, the Parisian outskirts.

During that time, however, both French and German armies rallied each other in the Race to the Sea. Between September and November 1914, they tried to outflank their opponent. In smaller, indecisive battles, the German VI Army tried to break through the Somme line, which proved unsuccessful, although many French forces were bound to what was to become to be known as the 1914 Battle ofAmiens. On 11 October, both armies reached the English Channel. A joined Franco-British effort to push back the Germans from the Somme failed miserably, thus establishing a front which was not to change during two years and to claim more than 1,5 million lives.

In the East, the Russians succeeded in achieving their initial war aims. In a short but costly campaign Austrian Galicia was taken. Europe’s biggest army, totalling 1.2 million men under arms, seemed to rush towards Königsberg and Krakow. The first goal, however, was well defended by the German VIII and IX armies. Replacing Maximilian von Prittwitz as the commander-in-chief, Paul von Hindenburg takes a more offensive approach to the Russian invasion and decides to concentrate on Samsonov’s forces, which results in the well-known Battle of Tannenberg, which should be the turning front in the Eastern Front. In September 1914, the Austro-Hungarian forces had to retreat from most of Galicia to regroup and recover themselves, as a prior offensive failed due to the lack of German support. However, during the siege of Przemysl, a joint Austro-German military command was established and full power was transferred to it. With the German armies being commited to both the Eastern and the Western front, the Austro-Hungarians had to bear most of the causalities, and this they could not do for an unlimited time. If the Central Powers wanted to halt the enormous Russian flood of men, they would have to deploy troops from the West - thus weakening their fragile position on the brink of Paris.
 
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