PC: Germany forced to dissolve

Is it possible that Germany could have been forced to dissolve into it's constituent states (Prussia, Hanover, Bavaria, etc...) as a peace condition following World War I? And, perhaps, the states are forbidden from uniting for, say, fifty years?
 
That would have resulted in such a nasty fight though. A divided Germany would make things a lot easier for the Soviets, French or Poles to pick up the pieces. Assuming that the Soviet Red Army gets thrashed by the Poles still, Poland could even try to absorb parts of Prussia (including East Prussia) as compensation for years of being partitioned.
 
Is it possible that Germany could have been forced to dissolve into it's constituent states (Prussia, Hanover, Bavaria, etc...) as a peace condition following World War I? And, perhaps, the states are forbidden from uniting for, say, fifty years?

Possible? Yes, but not without the Entente marching triumphantly into Berlin. Which means at least another year or two of warfare (and appropriately higher casualties), as well as cementing German (and the population would still consider themselves German, regardless of the division) eternal hostility.

I'd say Germany would re-unify and try for revenge, unless the Entente is willing to maintain a lengty and expensive (both in manpower and resources) occupation of Germany, as well as repeatedly invading to keep the various newly formed states from causing trouble. Considering French hesitance to act with lower casualties than what they would suffer TTL, I can't see them being willing to do so.

Which means Germany re-unites and pushes for revenge, although with a very different focus.

Even if none of the states falls to Communism, I could see Stalin being happy enough. The Soviets were perfectly content to cooperate with the Weimar Republic to outright break the Versailles Treaty, they'd probably do the same TTL, using Germany as a proxy to drive away attention from Stalin's own expansion into Finland and the Baltics (and, potentially, Poland).
 
This would be more plausible in a TL where Communism has already been butterflied away, or at least the October Revolution. A divided Germany would be an excellent breeding ground for Communist states, and western Europe and the US knew this.
 
Top