Yo - so y'all know there likely will not be an update this weekend as I've got the most hellishly busy weekend ever. Another will follow later.
Glad y'all enjoyed the last update!
Ref
Glad y'all enjoyed the last update!
Ref
This was one of the most pithy comments I have seen in all my years on this site.Entente suffering index
Japan: “I count this as a absolute win!”
-UK and the commonwealth: ‘I suppose losing is a rather subjective term.’
-Arabian Tribes: “Freedom, with a British price tag.”
-USA: “I have come to the conclusion that all of you suck and I don’t want to talk to any of you ever again.”
-China/Siam/Brazil/Portugal: “I am not shocked the British were using us the whole time, I am just disappointed.”
-Greece: “Switching sides last minute is a legitimate strategy!”
-Romania: “I made a calculated risk, but man I am bad at math.”
-Italy: “I have deep seated issues about this situation, and I will take out these feelings on myself and the world around me.”
-France: iterally just that photo of shell shock solider but nation wide
-Russia: Slaps the hood of the nation”You can fit so much instability in this thing.”
-Luxembourg: ‘The number you have dialed doesn’t exist, are you talking about ‘The German Empire?’
-Belgium: “Poor Belgium, so far from God yet so close to the German Empire.”
-Serbia: “Existence is pain.”
-Armenia: A not very funny silence.
It could be neither a France defeat nor a German victory timeline, maybe one where both are neither OP or screwed but end up doing better than OTL (Which is easier for Germany in any case).For the record, there is an update coming before Tuesday. Just had a rather hellish week at work and now given I'm currently in Heathrow waiting for a flight to France figured it'd be funnier to post about a French defeat TL (or is it?) while In France.
And also the greatest economic growth and rise in living standards in human history. Deaths from wars have also declined drastically compared to the levels throughout most of history. There's a reason the post-WW2 era has been called the Long Peace or the Pax Americana.I think one of the bigger errors in alternate history, which is reflected in history, is the view that one power becoming ascendent leads to peace, or stability, or a morally positive world. The simple fact is, the world since the 1940's has largely been run by the Americans (the Soviet Union was never really an active participant in global affairs even if they pretended to/bullied their way into being) and in that 80 or so years the world has seen countless wars, American foreign policy errors on a colossal scale and genocides, crises, etc.
Indeed, financial strength also does a lot to determine the direction of global affairs. For example, Britain became a global power primarily because by controlling trade initially it allowed her to amass enormous national wealth, followed by creating a global finance system based in London. The US then followed that model, and because of her greater national wealth, combined with trade wealth, she took to dominating the entire globe financially. But, states like the USSR rejected the premise of that global order - and in focusing on ideology, the concept of power, strength politics, etc, they created their own bloc aversed to monetary global systems that the US made universal - where Imperialists had previously used them for direct national gain via exploitation.And also the greatest economic growth and rise in living standards in human history. Deaths from wars have also declined drastically compared to the levels throughout most of history. There's a reason the post-WW2 era has been called the Long Peace or the Pax Americana.
If there's one thing I want most, it's for realpolitik to remain the dominant strain in foreign affairs publicly ITTL. It's still what countries do OTL, but they have to dress it up. If wilsonian Idealism never takes hold (and then isn't reinforced by FDR's admittedly more practical and sane strain of it)...a probable continuation of the old European diplomatic style of congresses of powers instead of Wilson's idealistic drivel.
I feel skeptical that a Germany that dominates all of Eastern Europe (bar a rump Russia), the Balkans and has friendly relations with the Nordics wouldn't "win the peace". 20's, 30's and 40's France will be puny compared to OTL, both militarily and economically. Italy will become a failed state in the short term(I don't see how this can't happen the way things are being portrayed) that will be incapable of exerting itself militarily after it attempt to reorganize itself. Russia will also pose no threat, having lost Ukraine, Belarus and perhaps the north Caucasus. How is it supposed to develop the heavy industry of OTL without these regions providing food and oil? If Russia is Bolshevik then not even Britain will prop them up. Many Americans probably will feel sympathetic to German in this scenario, they will see the war as having been a useless one against a country who wasn't fundamentally hostile to America. For example, I don't see how when Republicans take back the white house they would have any incentive in continuing the pro-British, anti-German foreign policy of Wilson. That would just hurt America economically.exploring what happens if they win the war - without the certainty that many TLs give to them winning the peace.
Other then the fact the Balkans are hardly anything but stable and not exactly happy at the current situation. Nordic countries completely uninterested in military and economic domination and want to keep the Germans at a healthy distance. Germans already hard handed policy in the east would not make them popular, as we can see in Poland. France, Italy and Russia who are nothing to be dismissed and I doubt they would truly care to much about how it’s allies are like to get what they want. And the UK has all the reason to completely oppose Germany.I feel skeptical that a Germany that dominates all of Eastern Europe (bar a rump Russia), the Balkans and has friendly relations with the Nordics wouldn't "win the peace". 20's, 30's and 40's France will be puny compared to OTL, both militarily and economically. Italy will become a failed state in the short term(I don't see how this can't happen the way things are being portrayed) that will be incapable of exerting itself militarily after it attempt to reorganize itself. Russia will also pose no threat, having lost Ukraine, Belarus and perhaps the north Caucasus. How is it supposed to develop the heavy industry of OTL without these regions providing food and oil? If Russia is Bolshevik then not even Britain will prop them up. Many Americans probably will feel sympathetic to German in this scenario, they will see the war as having been a useless one against a country who wasn't fundamentally hostile to America. For example, I don't see how when Republicans take back the white house they would have any incentive in continuing the pro-British, anti-German foreign policy of Wilson. That would just hurt America economically.
In short, a victorious Germany has 0 military threats on the continent. If tensions ratchet up in the 30's or 40's, they could march into Paris, the Po valley, or Petrograd no problem. If they are militarily, economically, and diplomatically stronger than OTL Nazi Germany then this should be easy for them. As just one example, most of Eastern Europe, bar perhaps Poland, should be strongly pro-German and anti-Russian, as long as the Germans play their cards right. That's Finland, the Baltics and Ukraine as a buffer against a weakened Russia.
TLDR, Revisionist Italy, France and Russia don't stand a chance against the Central Powers, Germany will dominate Europe for the next few decades.
Anti-Russian, sure. Pro-German ehhhh, I'm not sure that they will like the country that is trying to make their country into a colony. If anything, I expect there to be a lot of unrest in Eastern Europe,As just one example, most of Eastern Europe, bar perhaps Poland, should be strongly pro-German and anti-Russian, as long as the Germans play their cards right. That's Finland, the Baltics and Ukraine as a buffer against a weakened Russia.
I beg to differ. France has lost 2 wars in a row, is demographically weak, has lost major coal and steel producing regions, a has a populace who have every reason to oppose anti-German militarism.France, Italy and Russia who are nothing to be dismissed
If you are Ukrainian, Baltic, or Finnish in this scenario, which would you rather, looking through the lens of realpolitik:Anti-Russian, sure. Pro-German ehhhh, I'm not sure that they will like the country that is trying to make their country into a colony. If anything, I expect there to be a lot of unrest in Eastern Europe,