Peaceful European Expansion of the Kaiserrech?

With the POD in 1866 you could have Denmark part of Germany. After the defeat in the Danish-German war king Christian IX offered Bismarck and Wilhelm I to join the German Bund and become a vassal of Prussia if he could maintain territorial integrity.

Yes, he probably acted so in order to keep his throne in some way or another, but he probably would have had serious trouble to have the Danes follow him. Would make Denmark a republic at first given instance and a very unruly place until then.

But anyway I think a Kaiserreich not bled pale by war (WWI) most likely will develop into a constitutional monarchy led by mainly social democratic PMs. Kind of Sweden on steroids.

Next Europe will conquered through exports of industrial products - not unlike OTL until Merkel ruined it all.
Even if there wasn't a Danish revolution in 1864 it seems to me that the King Christian would rebel against Prussia at the first opportunity, i.e. the Austro-Prussian War, by taking the side of the Austrians. If the Danish Army had reinforced Austria's north German allies it might have tipped the scales in Austria's favour.
 
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Redbeard

Banned


Even if there wasn't a Danish revolution in 1864 it seems to me that the King Christian would rebel against Prussia at the first opportunity, i.e. the Austro-Prussian War, by taking the side of the Austrians. If the Danish Army had reinforced Austria's north German allies it might have tipped the scales in Austria's favour.

The Danes didn't know of Christian's approach until a century or so later, but 1864 created a "small-state-syndrome" i.e. "we're too small to stick out our neck for anything, so let's keep a low profile" that lasted until the activism and international military actions in the 1990s and on.
 


Even if there wasn't a Danish revolution in 1864 it seems to me that the King Christian would rebel against Prussia at the first opportunity, i.e. the Austro-Prussian War, by taking the side of the Austrians. If the Danish Army had reinforced Austria's north German allies it might have tipped the scales in Austria's favour.

Of course that wouldn't be rebellion. Technically it was Prussia which was rebelling against the German Confederation of which, in these circs, Denmark would be a member.
 
Was there any chance of the Netherlands gradually becoming part of Germany as a consequence of the Boer War?
No absolutely not. Can't happen.

The Netherlands had its own distinct identity and had it for a couple of centuries. It will not join Germany willingly. Actualy fear of German expansionism was a major fear of the Netherlands.
 
The 1905 Russian unrest erupts into full revolution against the Tsar. Germany could stoke up popular resistance across Congress Poland and the Baltic States in exchange for the creation of puppet kingdoms.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
The 1905 Russian unrest erupts into full revolution against the Tsar. Germany could stoke up popular resistance across Congress Poland and the Baltic States in exchange for the creation of puppet kingdoms.
Nice idea. But don't forget to give Britain a share in trading the baltic sea - as well as "offering" it a free hand in Persia as well as zentral asia.;)
 
The 1905 Russian unrest erupts into full revolution against the Tsar. Germany could stoke up popular resistance across Congress Poland and the Baltic States in exchange for the creation of puppet kingdoms.

That doesn't sound very likely.

The Baltic States were politically and economically dominated by the local Baltic Germans; the people resented the hegemony of the German aristocrats as much as they resented the Russian imperial regime itself (sometimes even more). In fact, during the 1905 unrests over 500 German estates and manors were burned down in Latvia only. Even in WWI Latvians generally supported the Russian war effort and fought in the Russian army with considerable courage and determination.

The Poles likewise disliked Russian rule, but German rule as well, and did not view Germany as a viable instrument of liberation.

The German Empire could try to stoke up popular resistance, but it would be an unusual deviation from its policy - and it would not be received well by Poles nor the Baltic nations.
 

Deleted member 1487

Only if there was an unavoidable dissolving of the Habsburg empire. Then it would get divided up and Germany could have Austria if it wanted it.
 
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