Plausibility Check: Three Way WWI

[MichiganNationalist1837]

Here's is a basic outline for a scenario I have thought of. No Morocco Crises and a smaller German Navy leads to a UK that is less afraid of Germany and so never allies with France. Russia is more expansionist, with tensions with Britain in Afghanistan and Persia. As a result of this, the Anglo-Japanese alliance is strengthened. WWI still rolls on in a similar manner, and when it begins France invades Belgium first to gain a better position. Germany invades soon after, prompting a British DOW on France and Germany. Japan joins and attacks Russia in the East. I imagine Germany would overrun France, with Britain and Japan splitting the French colonies. Japan is successful against Russia in the East and Britain eventually makes a status quo ante bellum peace with Germany. Germany takes land from France and Russia, Britain takes French colonies, and Japan takes a portion of the Russian Far East.

How plausible is this, and what are ways to make it make more sense. Specifically, do you think Britain would take German colonies or not in the peace deal, and would Germany accept this?

 

[Not James Stockdale]

The problem with trying to write three-way wars that last for more than a few weeks at most is that one side will invariably find some sort of way to, at the very least, pause fighting with another side while they both shift forces to attack the third side.

In this particular situation, the British would either declare war only on the French or (much more likely) stay neutral until they found some other way to join the war.

 

[Saci]

Britains isn't going, in any way, declare war against both France and Germany. The PM responsible to this would be arrested and sent to a physicatric hospital. Britain would most likely ignore France and Germany other than protesting and would focus solely on Russia.

 

[Magical123]

Three way great power wars are very difficult to achieve in any sort of plausible way-now three way battles that's interesting.

 

[balthasargettysburg]

There's no way to sell this conflict to the rest of the world as anything but a heinous land-grab. Expect bad behavior in Southeast Asia, southern Africa, and North Africa. Expect a long, painful, drawn out, arduous, seven year war without American intervention under two-term President Woodrow Wilson, who then negotiates the Treaty of New York (August 1922).

 

[Riain]

The thing is each side will prioritise one enemy over the other for whatever reason, which leaves the possibility of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' style alliances of convenience.