Over By Christmas

Part I - Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men
Part I
Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men

An excerpt from The War of 1914 by E. M. Remarque

By December [of 1914], the war in the West had bogged down, and trenches had been dug. As commanders planned their next strategies, a lull in the fighting began to develop, and many soldiers began to fraternize with each other. This fraternization, however, would soon develop into shocking heights.

On Christmas Eve, German soldiers decorated the trenches, and began to sing Christmas carols. The British followed suit. By Christmas Day, units had emerged into "no man's land" [1] and exchanged presents and conversation. Some reports state that football games were played. Artillery fell silent.

Just like everyone else, high officers were shocked at the events of Christmas. Some were furious, while some were more tolerant of those activities - what was the harm in showing some Christmas spirit? Nonetheless, the Christmas celebrations could not be stopped, and all assumed that the fighting would resume the following day.

It didn't.

To the horror of their commanders, the soldiers again refused to fight. A British private wrote home in a letter, "I don't want to shoot at the men I have just made acquaintances with." Instead, the truce began to spread throughout the lines. Commanding officers were almost powerless to stop the soldiers. By December 27th, almost all positions had fallen silent.

While many leaders of the warring nations were furious, almost all civilians showed their support. Many neutral world leaders, most prominently American President Woodrow Wilson and Pope Benedict XV, also quickly came out in support of the Christmas Truce. With their citizens and soldiers in support of the truce, all combatants on the Western Front signed the New Years Truce on January 1, 1915. Two days later, on January 3, all other combatants signed peace agreements. Celebrations erupted in the streets.

Now that the war was over, peace negotiations were set to begin. The Germans proposed a status quo ante bellum, but Britain made the case that if nothing changed, then the tensions that had led to the war would remain, and they would inevitably flare up once more. Germany relented, and Rome was determined to be the site of the treaty negotiations.

The Treaty of Rome was signed on June 14 of that year. It's terms were as follows:

Western Europe

Germany returned Alsace-Lorraine to France, and withdrew all troops from Belgium.

Eastern Europe

Austria-Hungary was allowed to "co-operate" with the police forces of Balkan nations, and in return it agreed to promote more autonomy within its territories.

Africa

The Belgian Congo in its entirety would be given to Germany.

Other Terms

England, France, and Germany would meet every five years and sign a treaty which would regulate the size of their armed forces.

With the signing of the Treaty of Rome, peace had once again come to Europe. Almost all sides came away believing that they were the true victors: the British had defended their allies, the French had regained Alsace-Lorraine, the Germans had gained a huge swath of land in Africa, in many ways bringing to fruition their dreams of Mittelafrika. In the east, Austria-Hungary had managed to avenge its fallen archduke and hold town the tide of nationalism, and Serbia had defended itself against the Austrians. Russia, while having suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Tannenburg, managed to hold its territorial integrity, and the flaws of its military had been exposed. The only true loser was Belgium, which would later have devastating consequences on the world.
[1] - No man's land refers to the space in between the trenches.

 
The cession of Alsace-Lorraine in its totality seems unlikely; a partition is more likely even if it would satisfy no one. The Congo being ceded entirely to Germany would definitely be seen as a betrayal in Britain, particularly when they (officially) entered the war on her behalf.
 
The cession of Alsace-Lorraine in its totality seems unlikely; a partition is more likely even if it would satisfy no one. The Congo being ceded entirely to Germany would definitely be seen as a betrayal in Britain, particularly when they (officially) entered the war on her behalf.

The goal of the treaty was to try to create lasting peace. France would always hate Germany as long as they had Alsace-Lorraine. I'd say that Germany would want to trade a small strip of land which has earned them the eternal hatred of one of their neighbors for an absolutely huge chunk of land in the middle of Africa.

As for Britain, its goal was to liberate/defend mainland European Belgium, which it did. The Germans weren't occupying the Congo at the time, so Britain was coming to the defense of the Belgian homeland. Also, Belgium's atrocities in the Congo are still fresh in the minds of many Europeans, and some may feel that it's better for the area to be out of Belgian hands entirely.
 
The only true loser was Belgium, which would later have devastating consequences on the world.​

This is going to loop around into some kind of Hitchhiker's Guide crossover about the origin of the rudest word in the universe, I can just feel it.

What's the internal perception of Wilhelm II? Also, has Germany sorted out the internal issues that made holding Alsace-Lorraine appealing in the first place? If memory serves, the federal structure made it hard for the central government to take control of the border region otherwise.
 
Keep going! This looks very interesting.

A few notes:

A-L:
If peace is breaking out and A-L in essence was a German assurance against French invasions, then the need to cling to A-L is going. What about having a vote? I believe a small part was rather German?

A new international body in 1914?
Wilson is proposing his 'League of Nations' to ensure compliance and all other great things.

Congo:
Becomes a mandate of League of Nations and is ruled by France and Germany together.
Congo is seen as a human disaster and League of Nations is determined to create something new.

A-H
This is not so easy. The conflicts within A-H are still there and must somehow be sorted. Looking forward to a take on that.

Russia
Could we let the revolution roll but without Lenin?
Create a country with a social-democrat government? The examples are of course Sweden and Denmark and their route to social-democratic governments.

Germany
Let SPD form government and kick out the kaizer?

Ruhr
Early Coal-and-Steel union in 1914?
 
Part II - Three Kings
Part II
Three Kings

An excerpt from Rasputin by Barry Goldwater

With the end of the war, Rasputin's influence would only increase in the Russian court. Some of his most ardent supporters would claim he had ended the war. Nonetheless the end of the war gave a boost in popularity to the royal family and the ruling government, and although many were still unhappy with the government, there was certainly no mood of rebellion at the time. Indeed, many claim that this was when the Tsar was at the height of his power.

The first major problem after the war was the modernization of the army. The Russians were severely lagging behind in technology. This was shown at the Battle of Tannenburg, which resulted in the ravaging of the Russian Second Army. Many in the military advocated for reform, to avoid facing the same humiliation again. However, Rasputin was at odds with most of the military, and he did not wish to see it become more powerful. Therefore, he convinced Nicholas to reject the reform. This was the final straw for many in the Russian military, who began actively plotting the kill the priest. In 1917, one year after Rasputin's death, Nicholas was finally convinced to begin the army reforms.

An excerpt from Wilhelm II by E. M. Remarque

The end of the war somewhat boosted Wilhelm's popularity. The cession of Alsace-Lorraine and the arms limit was not popular, but all could see the wealth presented by the Congo. Many agreed that it was a fair trade, although resentment over losing Alsace-Lorraine was somewhat strong.

However, this was not Wilhelm's problem. After the war, Germany faced a much more tangible crisis.

Soldiers returning home quickly began to look for jobs. However, they were at a disadvantage, as the war had interrupted their educations, and many were not able to afford to pick those educations back up again. The German government, having spent much on the war, was in no position to help them. Most of those soldiers found themselves in factories and mines, where they found themselves mistreated. They had fought for their country, and this is what they got in return?

On August 1st, the anniversary of Germany entering into the war, a number of strikes occurred across the country. The economy of Germany, still adjusting to peace-time, began to decline. A new crisis had presented itself.

Wilhelm's reaction was swift and severe. He ordered the army to crush these strikes by whatever means necessary. However, some soldiers did not want to fire upon their former comrades, and they either deserted or defected to the rebel cause. Soon, Germany was in open rebellion.

Some prominent socialists, many of whom were in exile, saw a golden opportunity in Germany - bringing communism to the home of Marx. However, not all were successful. Vladimir Lenin, a Russian revolutionary, went to Germany from Bern. However, the German strikers, many of whom had participated in the Eastern front, didn't trust the Russian. He was summarily executed.

Eventually, the strikers began to suffer defeat after defeat to the loyalists. They were better trained, and they also had an abundance of support from the civilian population, who were quite happy with the Kaiser's rule.

The strikers were shown no mercy. Many were killed in the fighting or hung after the fact. This further demoralized them, and they began to break up. By 1916, the revolution was defeated. The Kaiser had held on to power.

An excerpt from The History of Austria-Hungary by Kurt Schuschnigg

On November 21, 1916, the eighty-six year old Franz Joseph died. It was the end of an era. He was succeeded by his grandnephew, Karl I.

The first thing on Karl's agenda was the issue of reform. Austria-Hungary had promised to give more sovereignty to its territories in the Treaty of Rome, although Franz-Joseph had not done much. Karl I, however, vowed to change that. He could see that Austria-Hungary would collapse if something did not drastically change soon.

On January 1, 1917, Karl convened delegates from all over the country, and began the process of writing the Constitution of Austria-Hungary.

Karl modelled the Constitution after the American system. Five "states" were created - Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia, and Galicia. A Parliament was set up, which was equivalent to Congress, and the King was given power equivalent to a President. The constitution was quickly ratified, and it came into effect on January 1, 1918.

A new system had come into place. The question was, would it work?

 
Part III - Rising Stars
Part III
Rising Stars

An excerpt from Japan in the 20th Century by J. E. Bush

In 1915, Japan was at the epicenter of two crises. The first was the Twenty-One Demands. On January 8, shortly after the armistice, Japan presented an ultimatum of twenty-one demands to China. This was met with shock from the other major powers, chiefly Britain and America. These demands, specifically the fifth group, would have provided the Japanese control over Chinese finance and police, and would have ended the Open-Door policy. With the end of the war, Britain had much more negotiating power, and the fifth set of demands were dropped.

The Japanese were frusturated at this, because without the fifth group, they gained little that they didn't already have from China. However, as the Japanese did not want a conflict with the British and the Americans, they acquiesced.

They would not back down so easily from the next crisis. In the Treaty of Rome, Japan was supposed to return the gains it had made during the war to Germany. However, Japan, having already been snubbed in the Twenty-One Demands, refused to hand them over, and continued to occupy the islands. This provided a much larger crisis, as it threatened a continuation of the war. However, with the German Revolution in August, the two powers agreed that Japan would purchase these islands. Japan's nationalism had once again been vindicated.

An excerpt from Wilson by Barry Goldwater

Wilson had been snubbed. Although an early peace had come, and the warring powers were sitting down to try to create a new peace, Wilson himself did not have much influence on these outcomes. And as America had not intervened in the war, Wilson's requests for a "League of Nations" were met with silence from Europe.

Wilson, and by extension America, had been snubbed. The president was now determined to show the world that America was not to be taken lightly. He just needed an opportunity.

That opportunity finally came on March 9, 1916. Mexican guerilla leader Pancho Villa attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico. Wilson, with his re-election coming up, immediately called for war. Congress obliged, and with that, the Second Mexican-American War began.

The Second Mexican-American War went the way of the first. American forces easily drove into a Mexico caught in a civil war. The Mexicans lost battle after battle, and by the time they united, it was too late. With a very successful war on his hands, Wilson was narrowly re-elected. On February 7, 1917, the Mexicans surrendered.

The terms of the Treaty of Havana were just as harsh as the terms of the first peace treaty, if not more so. Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuilla, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas were ceded to the United States, while the Yucatan was given independence as the Republic of the Yucatan.

However, this victory had one major unintended consequence. After the Treaty of Havana, the Mexican government once again fractured. However, the revolutionaries, inspired by the likes of Pancho Villa, turned to an even more radical alternative - Communism. By 1919, the People's Republic of Mexico had taken over all of Mexico, and a new ideology had asserted itself.

 
However, this victory had one major unintended consequence. After the Treaty of Havana, the Mexican government once again fractured. However, the revolutionaries, inspired by the likes of Pancho Villa, turned to an even more radical alternative - Communism. By 1919, the People's Republic of Mexico had taken over all of Mexico, and a new ideology had asserted itself.

Are we talking a sort of Zapatismo flavor of Communism, because during this timeframe Zapata's revolt is still in full swing down in the south, and Mexico as a whole is still going through its own revolution. Without a clear success case like the Soviet Union to promulgate its brand of Communism ITTL, there'll be much more in the way of ideological diversity in radical leftist movements around the world, and it'll be interesting to see if Mexico takes a more agrarian or libertarian route.
 
Part IV - New Conflicts
Part IV
New Conflicts

An excerpt from A History of the Rexists by Emmanuel Macron

After the War of 1914, nationalist sentiment was strong in Belgium. During the war, the country had experienced a brutal occupation, and in return their allies "sacrificed" the Belgian Congo. Not even the very popular King Albert could assuage these tensions, not for a lack of trying.

Two new parties were formed in response to this threat: the Rexist Party and the (Flemish) National Party. While both parties virtually agreed in their ideologies, the Rexists hailed from Wallonia and the Nationals represented Flanders. This key difference made them bitter rivals, willing to fight to the death.

In February 1916, in the leadup to the elections, partisans from both groups were campaigning in Brussels, the capitol of Belgium, and seen as a "neutral zone" between Wallonia and Flanders. The two groups met while protesting. The situation quickly devolved into a shouting match, as curses were hurled from one side to the other. Then, the conflict began to come to blows, and soon there was a brawl in the streets between the two groups. It was at this point that police were called, and they managed to break up the conflict, but not without difficulty. One man, a Rexist, died from his wounds two days after the incident - he became a martyr to many Rexists.

Both parties were quickly denounced, and both suffered a crushing defeat in the elections that year. They had been staved off - for now.

However, the "Battle of Brussels" was a turning point in both parties' histories. A war had begun between the two parties, and both organized paramilitary forces to defend their interests. The Rexists quickly became known as the Blueshirts, while the Nationalists became known as the Blackshirts. Although no violence occured in Brussels or other major cities, brawls continued and escalated in scale throughout the countryside, and Parliament was almost powerless to stop it.

An excerpt from Wilson by Barry Goldwater

As the Second Mexican-American War kicked into gear, another situation was developing within Wilson's party.

Across the Atlantic, the Irish Question remained unsolved. The War of 1914 had done nothing for Ireland, and many in the nation were still wanting something more. Finally, in April 1916, the Easter Rising occured in Ireland. The British, having remembered the events in Germany in the months before, were terrified of a widespread revolt in Ireland. Therefore, they crushed the Easter Rising, which only led to more calling for independence from Britain. It was in the weeks after this rebellion that the Éireann, a guerilla force dedicated to freeing Ireland, was created. They began carrying out attacks across Great Britain, leading to an even harsher crackdown.

The Irish-Americans had sympathy for their brethren across the pond, and they also held huge clout within Wilson's Democratic Party. They demanded that America should show support to the Irish rebels. However, Wilson, who was sympathetic to the British, did not want to support a group rebelling against the Empire. Nonetheless, the vote of the Irish community was crucial to Wilson winning, even with the popular war going on. Wilson made vague promises, and managed to hold on to the support of the Irish. However, by the end of the Second Mexican-American War, things had only gotten much worse in Ireland - reports of atrocities, both real and fictional, poured out of the country, quickly being snapped up by yellow journalists. Wilson was forced to make a choice.



 
Part V - A Fallen Crescent
Part V
A Fallen Crescent


An excerpt from The Ottomans by Gerald Hopkins

The end of the War of 1914 did not end the Ottomans' troubles. Cries for independence and reform continued to spring up across the empire, and Mehmed V could do almost nothing to stop them.

...

On July 3, 1918, Mehmed V died at the age of 73. He was succeeded by Yusuf, the son of Sultan Abdulaziz, the following day, July 4.

The day after the new Sultan's sword-gurding, a crowd of protestors began to assemble outside of Dolmabahce Palace. However, the new Sultan, not able to stand up to the task, simply ignored the protestors, as their cries grew louder and louder and they exponentially increased in number. Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff, the German diplomat to the Empire, wrote in a letter, "It is only a matter of time. The Sick Man of Europe is dying."

His prophecies would soon be proved correct. By July 16, the protests had turned into riots, yet the discipline of the palace guards had managed to hold the rioters back. However, they had not accounted for the plan of the radical Ozgurluk [1] Party. On the fourteenth, under cover of darkness, they began digging a tunnel under the palace, and planted bombs [2]. Finally, on that day, the bombs were lit, and the Empire was destroyed in a blaze of glory.

After the explosion, the territories of the Empire quickly bursted into anarchy. European powers, with the cited reason of "stabilization", moved into the empire with little resistance, quickly carving up the remains of the Ottoman Empire. The chunk of territory that was left out of the hands of independence movements and colonial powers was quickly taken over by Communists, and became the People's Republic of Turkey - the second nation to fall to Communism.

An excerpt from The Rise of Communism by Oswald Mosley

By 1920, two nations had fallen to Communism. However, many in the world were not concerned. After all, the two nations that were Communism were broken shells of their former selves, and posed no threat to the European powers. However, in the future, they would begin to sponsor many of the Communist revolutions in European colonies in years future.
[1] - Ozgulurk means "freedom" in Turkish
[2] - This is ironic, as the Turks tried and failed this strategy in the Battle of Vienna.



 
Part VI - The Call of the Rooster
Part VI
The Call of the Rooster

An excerpt from A History of the Rexists by Emmanuel Macron

In 1914, three months before the War of 1914 began, elections were held in France. The Radical Party, ironically a party of classical liberals by the time the election came, dominated the elections.

However, the end of the War of 1914 brought a surge of nationalism. Alsace-Lorraine had been returned to French hands, and the French had defended their homeland at the Marne. National pride was at an all-time high.

However, the union sacree that had been established during the war quickly fell apart, and soon general strikes and protests once again ravaged their way across the nation. The French people had had enough. They looked to another movement, one that had originated in their northern neighbor.

The Rexists were highly Catholic and nationalist, something that many French could rally behind. They also supported the idea of a monarchy, something that the French had often dabbled in. As a party established by French-speakers, it quickly became a preferred alternative for the right wing in France.

Unlike its Belgian older cousin, the French Rexist Party did not engage in all-out brawls throughout their country. Without these brawls, the popularity of the party soon skyrocketed, and in the elections of 1919, the Rexist party won a plurailty of seats in the French parliament. It was the Rexists' first victory, and was the beginning of a new era in France.

On December 2, 1919, exactly 115 years after the coronation of Napoleon I, Napoleon IV, was coronated in the Palace of Versailles. Despite the strong objections of Phillippe, the Duke of Orleans, Napoleon was chosen to be the king - Parliament had approved it shortly after the elections of 1919 [1]. A new era had begun in France.
[1] - Napoleon IV was crowned a constitutional monarch with no real power - the French drew from the British system of monarchy.
 
Part VII - A Rising Tide
Part VII
A Rising Tide

An excerpt from A History of the Rexists by Emmanuel Macron

The victory of the French Rexists quickly inspired other Rexist movements to spring up across Europe. Their appeal to nationalists, monarchists, and Catholics, let them spread like wildfire throughout Southern Europe. The Belgian Rexists, now with the support of their comrades in France, quickly overcame the Flemish National Party, and managed to win the 1921 elections. Less than a year later, Italy's Mussolini staged the dramatic March on Rome, claiming the country for Rexists. The Spanish Rexists managed to gain control in 1923, soon followed by the Portuguese. However, the most shocking reversal since the French Rexist Movement came in 1938, when the Austro-Hungarian Rexists managed to come to power. The young Otto von Habsburg quickly embraced their rule, bringing back some policies of Franz Josef, his great-granduncle.

The Rexists also caught the eye of many rebellious groups, especially in Europe. The most prominent of these were the Irish Sinn Fein and the Polish Legions. The Polish Legions, led by Josef Pilzudski, were the most successful and daring. Due to the War of 1914, German and Russian forces did not favor working together, and Pilzudski capitalized on this, winning several daring victories. As Rexists began to rise to power, many supported the Polish Legions, as they continued to gain steam. However, the Germans and Russians would continue to be able to hold significant swaths of land.

 
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