I Blane Communism - Let me first thank you for replying to my post, by rebuking me you have at the same time educated me.
Thanks, old boy.
I had no idea that The Netherlands was so tender towards the Germans. Their friendlyness would keep British troops of the European continent. Unless Denmark was looking to require Schelswig-Holstein.
Interesting question, that. On one hand, they
did want Schleswig (not Holstein: "let the -H go and keep the S" had been their policy since 1848, pretty much), and there was a bit of a political upset after the war when the southern half of Schleswig voted German and Denmark just went along, which the king didn't like (I may have drastically misreprestened this, mind).
On the other hand, during the war Denmark was too sensible to get itself invaded and so behaved as a pro-German neutral, allowing Germany to seal the Baltic entrances with mines. So I'd say Denmark is unlikely to bring in German troops with Germany victorious in Europe.
Very well then, with Russia seeking peace with Germany there would be no civil war. But would not Germany take the land it wanted from Russia? Poland and The Ukraine?
Germany had no defined eastern policy. The September program pretty much said "leave that to the generals". Hollweg was still willing to give everything back in 1916, but that was sabotaged by Ludendorff proclaiming his sham Kingdom of Poland. The German military, after Gorlice-Tarnow, pretty much wanted what they actually had in military terms: Polish, Lthuanian, and Courlandian puppet states. This was their initial offer to the Reds. The occupation of the Ukraine happened because the Bolsheviks were, for very curious reasons which I don't fully understand, explicitly refusing to make either war or peace, leaving Germany nothing to do except keep advancing and make agreements with local anti-Bolshevik forces such as the Ukrainian Central Rada.
So in summary, if Germany beat France early on, it would at most demand Poland, Lithuania, and Courland, and you might even see an Austro-Poland without the Brusilov offensive.
They didnt "get there" but would rather create Ukraine to buffer Russia from Austria. But seeing how the Russians wanted peace and Ukraine wasnt totally nationalistic at this point I would say there wouldnt be an independent Ukraine.
Indeed. Ukraine, it should be noted, hasn't been "
totally nationalistic" at any point, and certainly isn't now! The situation is very complex.
Was not Bulgaria leaning towards Germany from the start? With a victorious Germany wouldnt they just leap over the river and into the CP camp? On second though, if Germany was doing so well Romania might want to just stay nuetral at this point.
Bulgaria was leaning towards whoever could fulfill its irredentism, which was indeed clearly the CP, since they were invading Serbia and everything. However the actual government was just about able to keep the revolutionary ex-terrorists in Thrace and Pirin Macedonia under control, and didn't go over until the Ottomans did, considering it too risky. However, I should certainly think that Bulgaria would make an agreement with the Central Powers to grab parts of Serbia, probably becoming an effective junior member.
Romania wasn't going to join the war against Germany at all until the king, a Hohenzollern raised German, died in '16 and his fully Romanianised succesor took over. In fact, if Germany was winning, Romania could jump in on the Russians to get Besserabia.
Britain would still enjoy naval supremacy.
But there's no viable source of succour in 1914. Britain in 1940 had powerful potential allies to reach out to (America and the Russians), not to mention that we were up against a megalomaniacal loon who had torn or would tear up every treaty signed with him. In late '14/early '15, American intervention was a thousand miles away and the Russians were in no position to fight Germany alone. Britain would have done the sensible thing and make as good a peace as could be found.
Again, on second thought, with Germany not needing to tie Britain down so much they would probably not need to conclude an alliance with the Ottoman Empire.
Well, the alliance came from the Ottoman end just as much as the German. I'd have to know an exact date of the end of the war to say what will happen with the Ottomans.
Well not Jutland per say, but a similiar naval victory for the British. This one would be overwhelming.
Thing is, the circumstances that brought about Jutland were change of policy in Germany. For the whole of '14-'15. the German fleet was skulking in port to preserve itself, and with victory on land there's no motivation to risk the Kaiser's great showpiece.
Nuh uh! Great Britain and her colonies still remain in the war... Though I was planning on making the United States enter the war but I dont see how they would, being so isolationist and all. So yes, you are correct.
A differant scenario, however, without a Russian collapse, and with Britain making an uneasy peace, is interesting, however. Future developments in Russia, Germany, and Britain are all very interesting. I see echoes of 1812 and 1941 in the overall situation. Hmm...