The Ottoman empire sits out WWI. They sell oil and agricultural products to both sides and slowly build up their army as they study the two sides and learn the lessons of modern war. They also industrialise to a small extent as their former suppliers concentrate on military demand. They are on good terms with the British and take over their positions in the Gulf as the British concentrate on the western front in France.
Russia is able to import through the Straits, but still falls because the Germans attack them instead of France after 1914. Germany figures that Russia with Straits access to French weapons and British money is too dangerous. They have plenty of space to fall back on in the west, so they send all their spare troops and munitions east instead of attacking in the west.
Building railroads behind them and treating the natives well they take Poland, Belarussia, the Baltics, and Finland, cutting Russia off from the northern ports by the end of 1915. They lose Belgium and the submarine ports. Austria and Bulgaria knock Serbia out of the war as in OTL, and defend against the Italians.
In 1916 they take the Ukraine and fall back to the prewar border in the west, retreating from the French. France and Britain have run out of overseas assets and the Americans are now loaning them money. The sub war is not important because the British aren't importing that much from America. There are no incidents where the Germans sink American ships without warning and there are no incidents where the Germans try to set up a war between Mexico and America.
In 1917 they take Moscow and fall back to the Rhine in Alsace and Lorraine, all the way back to the pre1871 borders, where they hold. They also have cut Russia off from the Black Sea ports. Russia is still getting supplies over the transiberian railroad. America is not worried about the Germans conquering western Europe and don't lend the British and French any money. The war slows down and progress pretty much ceases.
Russian radical groups holds election behind German lines during the armistice talks and elect a new and democratic government, which reconsitutes an army out of the German POW camps and invades Russia proper. The Tsar's army is out of money and supplies from Britain and France because they are out of money. Russia dumps it's empire while the civil war is going on as the Tsar's troops are busy defending Moscow from Trotsky's armies. The 'stans disintegrate into civil war and blood feuds as the soldiers come home to a power vaccum. The Tsar flees to Turkey.
In 1918 the Germans, the French, and even the British give up and sue for peace. Germany signs a treaty accepting French control of Alsace and Lorraine, British, Japanese, and Italian control of their former colonies, and independence for Poland, the Baltics, Finland, Belarussia, the Ukraine, etc. The war is over.
Turkey is more or less pulled into the 'stans as the violence spirals out of control. Russia is very blunt that they do not want to get involved. Britain is bankrupt and also not interested in controlling even Afghanistan itself, much less the rest of the place. Turkey is rich because of the war and the increased demand for oil, and in the mood to use it's army to do something. Not a good reason for war, but wars have started with worse ones.
They build their railroad too, almost all the way to the Hwang Ho outside Sinkiang. China isn't happy about it, but so what? They have Japanese sitting in the German concession in Shantung to worry about. Turkey certainly isn't interested in conquering China, or much else except reorganising and pacifying it's new empire. Oil, ore, agriproducts, and taxable citizens are now available. Arabia is proving to be rich in oil but Iran is still under British protection. For now.
Russia is able to import through the Straits, but still falls because the Germans attack them instead of France after 1914. Germany figures that Russia with Straits access to French weapons and British money is too dangerous. They have plenty of space to fall back on in the west, so they send all their spare troops and munitions east instead of attacking in the west.
Building railroads behind them and treating the natives well they take Poland, Belarussia, the Baltics, and Finland, cutting Russia off from the northern ports by the end of 1915. They lose Belgium and the submarine ports. Austria and Bulgaria knock Serbia out of the war as in OTL, and defend against the Italians.
In 1916 they take the Ukraine and fall back to the prewar border in the west, retreating from the French. France and Britain have run out of overseas assets and the Americans are now loaning them money. The sub war is not important because the British aren't importing that much from America. There are no incidents where the Germans sink American ships without warning and there are no incidents where the Germans try to set up a war between Mexico and America.
In 1917 they take Moscow and fall back to the Rhine in Alsace and Lorraine, all the way back to the pre1871 borders, where they hold. They also have cut Russia off from the Black Sea ports. Russia is still getting supplies over the transiberian railroad. America is not worried about the Germans conquering western Europe and don't lend the British and French any money. The war slows down and progress pretty much ceases.
Russian radical groups holds election behind German lines during the armistice talks and elect a new and democratic government, which reconsitutes an army out of the German POW camps and invades Russia proper. The Tsar's army is out of money and supplies from Britain and France because they are out of money. Russia dumps it's empire while the civil war is going on as the Tsar's troops are busy defending Moscow from Trotsky's armies. The 'stans disintegrate into civil war and blood feuds as the soldiers come home to a power vaccum. The Tsar flees to Turkey.
In 1918 the Germans, the French, and even the British give up and sue for peace. Germany signs a treaty accepting French control of Alsace and Lorraine, British, Japanese, and Italian control of their former colonies, and independence for Poland, the Baltics, Finland, Belarussia, the Ukraine, etc. The war is over.
Turkey is more or less pulled into the 'stans as the violence spirals out of control. Russia is very blunt that they do not want to get involved. Britain is bankrupt and also not interested in controlling even Afghanistan itself, much less the rest of the place. Turkey is rich because of the war and the increased demand for oil, and in the mood to use it's army to do something. Not a good reason for war, but wars have started with worse ones.
They build their railroad too, almost all the way to the Hwang Ho outside Sinkiang. China isn't happy about it, but so what? They have Japanese sitting in the German concession in Shantung to worry about. Turkey certainly isn't interested in conquering China, or much else except reorganising and pacifying it's new empire. Oil, ore, agriproducts, and taxable citizens are now available. Arabia is proving to be rich in oil but Iran is still under British protection. For now.
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So no more Saar coal, the perfect border defense for France, and much of German vital industry in artillery range of the Allies?