Romania keeps Potemkin

[von Adler]

In 1905, the revolting battleship/pre-dreadnought battlecruiser Potemkin mutined and sailed to Romania. The Romanian government returned the ship to Russia. Potemkin also inspired the similar battleship Georgiy Pobedonosets to revolt, she later surrendered to the authorities.

What if both ships had sailed to Romania, and the Romanians had decided to keep both ships, creating the nucleus of a small but powerful Romanian battlefleet.

Also assume that the worsening relations between Romania and Russia as result of the Romanians keeping the ships and emboldened Romanian demands for Bessarabia and Bukovina (Moldavia), due to Romania feeling stronger with a battlefleet. This results in Romania joining the Central Powers at about the same time as Ottoman Turkey.

Germany and Austria-Hungary can now easily ship torpedo boats and submarines to the Black Sea on the Danube (at least after taking out Serbia) and the power balance in the Black Sea is a lot better in the Central Powers' favour, with the joint Turko-Romanian navy with Austrian and German light elements to support. The Russian navy is also slightly weaker without those two ships. How will this play out?

 

[David S Poepoe]

First off, the Potemkin wasn't a 'revolting battleship/pre-dreadnought battlecruiser'. It was probably a bit worn around the edges but it certainly wasn't revolting!

Secondly, the Potemking was just a battleship, it wasn't even in the same league as the pre-dreadnoughts (a naval historian splitting hairs here) nor by any stretch of the imagination could it have been called a 'battlecruiser'.

The Georgiy Pobedonosets, IIRC, was stricken from the active list by the time of the Great War. Its loss isn't going to effect the Russian Black Sea Fleet in actions against the Turks.

What if anything the Romanians will do with these ships, if they keep them, is anybody's guess. It can be easily imagined that relations with Russia will be strained for a few years. I don't know if Romania had any naval aspirations at the time, tho I think things did change by the end of the Great War. At least they won't have to pay for these two ships, tho the Georgiy Pobedonosets probably won't last long and be consigned to being a depot ship. The question also is can the Romanians afford the up keep?

 

[Derek Jackson]

In 1905 (with the possible exeptions of Dreadnought- probably not yet in service) and a US Battle ship with 8 main guns) were pre dreadnoughts

 

[Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy]

1. Bukovina was Austrian, not Russian.

2. Public opinion was largely on the Entente's side Romania's not going to enter the war against Russia unless it's attacked by it or the CP have been doing very well against it (better than in OTL 1914-1916) and seem set on winning the whole war.