What ifs of World War I

Here are some interesting what ifs of World War I

  • 1914 - Germany does not guarantee helping Austria Hungary
  • 1914 - Russia does not mobilize
  • 1914 - Italy honors its alliance with the Central Powers
  • 1914 - Germany declares war on Norway for seizing the SS Berlin
  • 1915 - Sweden accepts the invitation to the Central Powers
  • 1915 - Gallipoli is successful
  • 1915 - Greece accepts Britain's offer of Cyprus being given to the Greeks in exchange for joining the Entente
  • 1915 - The Germans do not sink the Lusitania
  • 1915 - China refuses 21 demands from Japan, thus starting war
  • 1915 - Tsar Nicholas does not take over the military command
  • 1916 - German U-Boat attacks on neutral nations provokes declarations of war from said nations
  • 1916 - Romania joins the war during June, helping out with the Brusilov Offensive
  • 1916 - General Evert of Russia follows orders from General Brusilov during the Brusilov offensive
  • 1916 - German troops do not halt their advance on Verdun
  • 1916 - Conrad Von Hötzendorf does not attack the Trentino, instead, he keeps in troops in Galicia
  • 1917 - Germany does not send Lenin to Russia
  • 1917 - Germany does not reinstate unrestricted submarine warfare
  • 1917 - Zimmerman Telegraph is not intercepted
  • 1917 - Mexico accepts German invitation into the Central Powers
  • 1917 - Russia goes along with its plans to assault the Ottoman Black Sea ports
  • 1917 - Kerensky signs a separate peace with the Central Powers
  • 1917 - Kornilov's military coup succeeds and Russia becomes a military dictatorship
  • 1918 - Germany does not occupy the Russian territories, instead it sends all of its troops to the Western Front
Anymore that you guys know of?
 
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Just the usual
1914 Germany follows the Schlieffen Plan more closely. Has more troops committed to the right and less to East Prussia
 
These are pretty good on the whole, though some are unlikely. For example, in 1918 I think Germany had to occupy Russian territories to take their resources, and to make sure the Bolsheviks didn't try anything. And I think the troops they did send west were the most additional troops they could supply anyway.

There are two you missed and they fall into two groups

Command changes

All countries changed their high commands during the war, and you can do alot by having different people as chief of staff or accelerating/ delaying the change. A key one is Falkenhayn, who could have fallen to the Hindenburg/ Ludendorff cabel either much earlier or much later.

Political changes

Likewise, everyone changed their governments during the war, Russia most dramatically, and you can do the same thing. Important ones are Caillaux instead of Clemenceau in France, and Hughes instead of Wilson in the U.S. Asquith surviving is another.

Alliances

You have done this, but starting with the UK entering the war so quickly, pretty much every country after the originals could have stayed neutral, accelerated or delayed their entry, or switched sides altogether, though Rumania is the only one where switching sides completely is somewhat plausible. I don't think you can get more countries involved, maybe Sweden, I know it was considered in Spain but there was absolutely no reason for them to enter on either side.
 
1914 Goeben doesn't make it to Constantinople

King Carol survives until the end of the war

Bulgaria makes a deal with the Entente

Ottomans make a deal with the Entente

Russians go south and avoid East Prussia

Germans cross into the Netherlands

French stay on the defensive

Joffre doesn't countermand Ruffey during the Battle of the Ardennes

Haig retreats into a fortress

1915 Italy remains neutral

No Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes

Russians hold at Gorlice Tarnow

Austria relieves Premsyl

I think that's enough. THe possibilities are endless
 
. Von Schlieffen Plan not be achieved.
- Nikolai von Essen attacks against Swedish navy.
- Ottomans remain neutral.
- Franz Joseph I dies on two years earlier than in OTL.
- Greece remain neutral.
- Wilson loses '16 election.
- Nicholas II is killed on front.
- Succesful revolution on July '17 in Russia.
 
The POD of Operation Unicorn is Battle of Heligoland Bight

I started a TL here where the Russian Fifth Army is destroyed at the Battle of Kamarov https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/wi-an-austro-hungarian-tannenberg.102891/

There are those who believe that the Turks came close to winning at Sarikamish (though that "victory" might be close to Pyrrhic due to exposure casualties)

Lewd & Dwarf continues with his Polish Offensive in Oct 1914 and gets enveloped (a really overlooked Entente does better POD)
 
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