What if the U.S joined the Central Powers?

no its not and given the hatred toward the Tsarist regime, there are possibilities. It's easy to get the Americans pro-CP but its a little difficult to think of an event that would enrage the country to the point of war

I agree. As discussed a million times, the best the CP get is a neutral US. Damaging the relationship between the US and Britain to the extent that the US would join The CPs butterflies the circumstances that triggered the war.
 
I agree. As discussed a million times, the best the CP get is a neutral US. Damaging the relationship between the US and Britain to the extent that the US would join The CPs butterflies the circumstances that triggered the war.

Not necessarily, but very likely, and also a plausible scenario.
 

jahenders

Banned
The only way I can see the US actually joining the CP would be if the US held to a true neutrality and the UK/France violated it. IOTL, the Germans got sick of the US sending stuff to the UK and started unrestricted submarine warfare (the proximate cause of US entry).

Imagine if the US said, "Hey, look, we're truly neutral -- we're going to sell to both sides and we expect everyone to respect that." Then the US sends ships to both UK/France AND to Germany. The UK and France aren't going to like the US supplying Germany and might eventually detain (or sink) US ships bound there. That could lead to US involvement. It's hard to imagine what form that would realistically take, but it would certainly mean tension/conflict along the border with Canada, interference with UK shipping to/from Canada or elsewhere in the Americas, etc. Even if that's all the US did, that would essentially mean that Canada is cut off from UK and the UK would lose supplies from there and lose the benefit of several hundred thousand Canadian soldiers serving in France.
 
If memory serves, the Royal Navy was openly interdicting merchant vessels to make sure nothing reached Germany, even neutral vessels.

I can see that making the American people truly irate, though I'm not sure if it would be enough to override the desires of the pro-British elite.
 
My pet US CP is thus

Early 1890's the Silver-Gold split in the Republican party is more acrimonious, to the point that when Senator Teller switches parties, the Republican leadership is vindictive enough to kill anything he originates on general principles

Fast forward to the Spanish American War, have the Spanish do enough better to get the US pissed off, but not enough better to win or allow European Intervention. As a result the US takes the entire Marianas and Caroline Islands in the Peace Treaty, and absent the Teller amendment the status of Cuba is left in limbo for a few years. In addition with a worse performance the US feels the need to enlarge its military to a rather greater degree than OTL

US control of extra bases in the Pacific, possible full control over Cuba, and greater expansion leads to some tension with the UK, who look with a bit of worry. Because of this the UK does not send the same indications as OTL before the Venezuela Blockade, leading to worsening relations and the US not agreeing to arbitration in the Alaska boundary dispute

That dispute continues to simmer on, preventing any real rapprochement. TR eventually ends up settling Cuba's legal limbo by annexing it, angering Britain, and leading to an insurrection there that some in the US accuse Britain of supporting

Other events lead to the two nations being less than friendly. Also, somehow, the few US Germany disputes over islands get resolved easily, peacefully and to everyone's satisfaction. Due to butterflies the Taft-TR split gets healed and TR is elected in 1914. When war does break out in 1914, probably over something other than the Archduke, the US protests more over the blockade and US ships get hassled more. At the same time Germany has the U-Boats be more cautious RE US shipping. The US still sells to the Entente of course

Anyway as the blockade continues to annoy the US and there is no Lusitania type incident. TR uses the distraction of the war to send troops to the disputed areas and solidify US control. This results in incidents with Canada, and TR does not back down, figuring the UK does not want the US joining in, things keep escalating, but stay short of war, until incidents at the blockade line get egregious enough for the US to declare war
 
There are elements of that reminiscent of a TL which I am working on, but it is not focused on WWI. Still, very interesting.
 
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