Deleted member 1487
What if as a consequence of a better planned 1916 set of offensives the Russians are able to keep the Germans pinned down as they finish off A-H forces in Galicia in conjunction with Romanian entry, forcing them to fall back into Hungary and basically collapsing the CPs by early 1917? So Germany sues for peace after A-H pretty much falls apart and the front is unhinged agreeing to give up A-L in the west, Posen and Polish Upper Silesia in the East (but not the Polish corridor). Galicia goes to Russia too, Hungary and Austria a broken apart, Czecho-Slovakia is created, Romania gets its historical cut of Hungary, Yugoslavia is created, Austria is created as per OTL, Italy gets South Tyrol, Bulgaria is treated as per OTL. Germany has to pay reparations, but less than IOTL. It doesn't lose Schleswig-Holstein or Eupen-Maledy and doesn't sabotage land as it retreats from France. The German navy is heavily restricted, but the army is not, but has to turn over major amounts of weapons.
The Ottomans are reduced to what they hold in 1917, but not picked apart as per OTL.
So in the wake of Russia holding on and being part of victory, Nicholas not being toppled due to the success of 1916, and then being part of the peace deal what happens in terms of the post-war power structure with Russia being victorious? Everyone hasn't taken OTL levels of damage in 1917-18, the US never got involved, the expenses and unsecured loans of 1917-18 are not taken on and Germany isn't as badly treated. They are still occupied and forced to pay reparations, but with France not as badly destroyed its not as much, but the Russians get a cut ITTL. Also Russia holds on to Poland and loses no territory, rather it gains land from the Habsburgs that it needs to find a way to parse.
How do the French, British, and Russians then all react to the CPs being effectively destroyed, Germany being completely isolated and pinned down, with wealth being extracted from it, losing all colonies, and occupied? Does Russia then grow to be the greatest threat to British interests? Do the French and Russian maintain their alliance? Can Russia politically hold together or does it get into trouble as ethnic minorities like the Poles and Ukrainians clash over Galicia and demand autonomy? Does Nicholas allow reform? How long before Germany is rehabilitated and what then?
The Ottomans are reduced to what they hold in 1917, but not picked apart as per OTL.
So in the wake of Russia holding on and being part of victory, Nicholas not being toppled due to the success of 1916, and then being part of the peace deal what happens in terms of the post-war power structure with Russia being victorious? Everyone hasn't taken OTL levels of damage in 1917-18, the US never got involved, the expenses and unsecured loans of 1917-18 are not taken on and Germany isn't as badly treated. They are still occupied and forced to pay reparations, but with France not as badly destroyed its not as much, but the Russians get a cut ITTL. Also Russia holds on to Poland and loses no territory, rather it gains land from the Habsburgs that it needs to find a way to parse.
How do the French, British, and Russians then all react to the CPs being effectively destroyed, Germany being completely isolated and pinned down, with wealth being extracted from it, losing all colonies, and occupied? Does Russia then grow to be the greatest threat to British interests? Do the French and Russian maintain their alliance? Can Russia politically hold together or does it get into trouble as ethnic minorities like the Poles and Ukrainians clash over Galicia and demand autonomy? Does Nicholas allow reform? How long before Germany is rehabilitated and what then?