To the Victor, Go the Spoils (Redux): A Plausible Central Powers Victory

Reading this reminds me a bit of wages of destruction where post war Germany something like half the population lived in small towns and was disturbingly poor with 53% of income spent on things like food, both because of the time almost all of Europe was poor and Germany itself was surprisingly low income nation.

So while the German people do want improved conditions in life what they want is ''easy'' to satisfy compared to say a complete societal change the communists want.
 
It's back! Wow Imperial Germany is a mess, I know this is 'slightly' better than Germany's fate after WW1, but wow is it still brutal even with the 'victory'. Germany is going to have to rebuild it's economy and has no real major allies to draw on for capital for loans. Now if they could detach America from it's friendship with Britain they could, but I don't see it happening.
 
1919 German Federal Election Results Graphic
1919 German Federal Election

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MSPD: 164 Seats (+54)
Zentrum: 74 Seats (-16)
FVP: 47 Seats (+6)
DkP: 35 Seats (-6)
DVLP: 22 Seats (New Party)
USPD: 15 Seats (New Party)
NLP: 14 Seats (-31)
Ind. Polish: 10 Seats (=)
Ind. Alsace: 7 Seats (-2)
PSL: 7 Seats (+4)
BB: 2 Seats (=)


(I couldn't resist :p )
 
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1919 German Federal Election

2022-09-04-16-31-47-095794-8573300372733666623.svg


MSPD: 164 Seats (+54)
Zentrum: 74 Seats (-16)
FVP: 47 Seats (+6)
DkP: 35 Seats (-6)
DVLP: 22 Seats (New Party)
USPD: 15 Seats (New Party)
NLP: 14 Seats (-31)
Ind. Polish: 10 Seats (=)
Ind. Alsace: 7 Seats (-2)
PSL: 7 Seats (+4)
BB: 2 Seats (=)


(I couldn't resist :p )
Inb4 the author threadmarks and canonizes this post
 
It's back! Wow Imperial Germany is a mess, I know this is 'slightly' better than Germany's fate after WW1, but wow is it still brutal even with the 'victory'. Germany is going to have to rebuild it's economy and has no real major allies to draw on for capital for loans. Now if they could detach America from it's friendship with Britain they could, but I don't see it happening.
A little bit better?The ITTL situation for Germany compared to OTL is massively better. Germany has a government recognised as legitimate by the absolute majority of the population, civil servants, the military and the other power blocs.
That is something the Weimar Republic did not really have.
The war is over and it was long and bloody and not all objectives were achieved, but Germany has more than consolidated its position as one of the great powers in Europe.
The colonies we lost were primarily non-economic anyway and in return we gained a thick block of buffer states to the east in which our industry can invest in the long term and which could protect us from the privations of the blockade in a second round against England.
Our rivals on the European continent are massively weakened and will not be able to cause problems for years.
Germany's economic situation is grave , but compared to OTL downright paradisiacal. As long as the new government provides stability and the right incentives, Germany can recover relatively quickly, while the state is relatively unencumbered by foreign currency debt.
 
The SPD cleaned up at the 1919 elections, damn. And yet Wilhelm II is completely allergic to them entering government and attempts to find any alternative to the inevitable leftward shift of the German government post-Great War.
 
The SPD cleaned up at the 1919 elections, damn. And yet Wilhelm II is completely allergic to them entering government and attempts to find any alternative to the inevitable leftward shift of the German government post-Great War.
Will say Wilhelm's hatred of the left by the end of the war had somewhat waned irl as it has here. The general view among the prussian aristocracy and military was that the left couldnt be trusted because of internationalism and pacificism, but this was heavily challenged during the war. By voting for war bonds, the SPD made clear they were primarily a German, not internationalist party, which came as something of a surprise to the elite. Ebert's pretty staunch backing of the Kaiser also came as a welcome development later. Here too by engaging with the regime, the regime would largely have come to accept the SPD as a potential player in Government, even if they didn't want it to govern alone.

Of course there are still areas of contention, like the militarists hated the SPD's role in the interfactional committee and their peace motion during the war, and there are certainly figures within the MSPD and definitely the USPD who would just be absolutely rejected by the Kaiser. But overall, much like in Britain really the war sort of showed the SPD have a place and aren't that scary.

But anyway, one thing I will add is just because the SPD are doing well now, doesnt mean they always will be - just in case anyone is wondering if this is gunna become a left wing Germany TL where they're lovely and nice and never do anything backwards and/or evil.

Anyway, thanks for all the good feedback all - Peru was fun! Next update is about la France.
 
Will say Wilhelm's hatred of the left by the end of the war had somewhat waned irl as it has here. The general view among the prussian aristocracy and military was that the left couldnt be trusted because of internationalism and pacificism, but this was heavily challenged during the war. By voting for war bonds, the SPD made clear they were primarily a German, not internationalist party, which came as something of a surprise to the elite. Ebert's pretty staunch backing of the Kaiser also came as a welcome development later. Here too by engaging with the regime, the regime would largely have come to accept the SPD as a potential player in Government, even if they didn't want it to govern alone.

Of course there are still areas of contention, like the militarists hated the SPD's role in the interfactional committee and their peace motion during the war, and there are certainly figures within the MSPD and definitely the USPD who would just be absolutely rejected by the Kaiser. But overall, much like in Britain really the war sort of showed the SPD have a place and aren't that scary.

But anyway, one thing I will add is just because the SPD are doing well now, doesnt mean they always will be - just in case anyone is wondering if this is gunna become a left wing Germany TL where they're lovely and nice and never do anything backwards and/or evil.

Anyway, thanks for all the good feedback all - Peru was fun! Next update is about la France.
I don't think is realistic for them to always be doing so well. I think they have a solid quarter or so of the German electorate locked down, but the 37.5% of the vote will likely decline in the next election (just like 1919 to 1920 OTL), especially as they are effectively an accepted party of the political establishment and that there is now a further left-wing party that could siphon votes off from them because they refuse to overthrow the greedy, corrupt capitalists:openedeyewink:.

Apparently the SPD was fairly nationalistic around this time, so I wonder if given the right prodding they could end up going in a Nazbol-esque direction of ultranationalistic communism/socialism?
 
I don't think is realistic for them to always be doing so well. I think they have a solid quarter or so of the German electorate locked down, but the 37.5% of the vote will likely decline in the next election (just like 1919 to 1920 OTL), especially as they are effectively an accepted party of the political establishment and that there is now a further left-wing party that could siphon votes off from them because they refuse to overthrow the greedy, corrupt capitalists:openedeyewink:.

Apparently the SPD was fairly nationalistic around this time, so I wonder if given the right prodding they could end up going in a Nazbol-esque direction of ultranationalistic communism/socialism?
Depends on how stable that further left-wing party is tbf, it didn't end so well for the USPD in our timeline 🤔
 
just in case anyone is wondering if this is gunna become a left wing Germany TL where they're lovely and nice and never do anything backwards and/or evil.
"wholesome" imperialism and colonialism time. Also, can the MSPD make at least a national/State railway company?

And are we getting anything about german plans for the colonies?
 
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Depends on how stable that further left-wing party is tbf, it didn't end so well for the USPD in our timeline 🤔
I know they were supplanted by the KPD, but I'm guessing part of the reason they were done in was Weimar-era German political instability and right-wing of German politics being all to gleeful at suppressing them?
 
I know they were supplanted by the KPD, but I'm guessing part of the reason they were done in was Weimar-era German political instability and right-wing of German politics being all to gleeful at suppressing them?
The right wing in Weimar wasn't able to do much until much later in the 20s, or at least they were not the ones holding institutional power. Weimar era instability was important yeah, but tbf I wouldn't discount TTL imperial Germany from having some difficult party politics itself.
 
Kaisar Wilhelm II being the reasonable guy in the room? Even compared to OHL? Le gasp.

(jk. he gets an unfair reputation to an extent)

excellent update
 
Kaisar Wilhelm II being the reasonable guy in the room? Even compared to OHL? Le gasp.

(jk. he gets an unfair reputation to an extent)

excellent update
Yeah he isn’t completely unreasonable, it’s just that he is naturally conservative in both his political stance and habits. And really doesn’t like to think deeply on change.
 
Yeah he isn’t completely unreasonable, it’s just that he is naturally conservative in both his political stance and habits. And really doesn’t like to think deeply on change.
Willy wasn’t necessarily that bad or even dumb, he just was never taught the crucial skill of learning when to shut the fuck up

Anyways - great update! Was having withdrawals from this TL so I’m glad to see it back!
 
He was always a reasonable person in OTL, if consumed by sentiment and with a terminal case of foot-in-mouth-syndrome

To an Extent?
Yeah, to an extent. He wasn't exactly the most reasonable of men all of the time, and while he wasn't the only one behind Germany's obsessive naval push that led to the arms race with Britain, he was a huge pusher for it. There's also things like the "Mad March Hares" comment - by all available evidence, Wilhelm did have something of a foot in mouth problem, to say the least, and he could be quite impulsive at the worst moments, but combine that with a lack of confidence and he could thus freeze up at also the worstmoments.

So yes, to an extent, his reputation is unfair, but it didn't come entirely out of nowhere. His modern reputation is a combination of yes, character assassination during and after WWI, and also an exaggeration of his real flaws (because he did have quite a few, as most people do).

I mean, compared to Cousin Nicky, Wilhelm II was a paragon of Imperial competence in wartime, but he was not exactly the best man for the job.
 
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