What's the biggest WW1 could have been?

With rgard to African 'tribes' fighting taking up arms against each other because of a European war, that's pretty much ASBs.

Maybe get the Wadai (one of the last African states conquered before WWI) to fight Darfur, who were also not fully conquered at the time (they were conquered during WWI)? You'd have to delay the Wadai War a few years to set that up, but you might be able to get an Allied Darfur (as a nominal tribute of Britain) and a CP Wadai. But looking at Darfur's internal politics, they'd need to convince the Sultan that Britain was the winning side and allying with the Turks/Germany is a foolish choice.

Other than that, more indigenous revolts in Africa during the Great War, preferably led by the traditional monarchs of the region who both still existed and still had significant authority amongst the people. You can even have some of them fight each other, since a lot of the aforementioned traditional monarchs and states that were conquered in the Scramble for Africa utterly hated each other (at least in West Africa). France could use it to drive a wedge in any potential anti-colonial alliance, although at the cost of territory and signficant face. Of course, Germany might not be in any position to be inspiring revolts in Africa, looking at their own colonial situation in Africa.
 
The problem with widening the war in WW1 is that almost all industry is in Europe and North America so any fighting without direct contact with these industrial centres will be very one sided since both sides won't be able to reinforce. This is why I like Italy, some reinforcements could be slipped into Libya to keep that front going, especially if the Ottomans are keeping the pressure up in the Sinai.
 
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With rgard to African 'tribes' fighting taking up arms against each other because of a European war, that's pretty much ASBs.

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Au contraire!
Any time African tribes saw European colonial police distracted, they resumed ancient feuds.
I can point to a dozen African Civil Wars - within my lifetime - that were just resumption a of centuries-old tribal feuds.

For example: the Sudan Civil War eventually led to South Sudan(Darfur) splitting off as a separate country because South Sudanese were mostly Black, African farmers who worshipped Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, Muslim Arabs herdsmen dominated Northern Sudan. The fact that OPEC and communist China backed North Sudan was just a minor modern anomaly.

Any time you see a straight line on a African map, it was drawn by a white man who lived many thousands of miles away. Straight border lines are often drawn through wastelands (e.g. sand desert) that no tribe lives in year-round.
The second motivation for straight borders is: divide and conquer. First: draw borders through the traditional lands of the most powerful tribes to divide them. Secondly, squeeze remnants of three or more smaller tribes into one country to making it easier for a European power to subdue them.
 
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Au contraire!
Any time African tribes saw European colonial police distracted, they resumed ancient feuds.
I can point to a dozen African Civil Wars - within my lifetime - that were just resumption a of centuries-old tribal feuds.

For example: the Sudan Civil War eventually led to South Sudan(Darfur) splitting off as a separate country because South Sudanese were mostly Black, African farmers who worshipped Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, Muslim Arabs herdsmen dominated Northern Sudan. The fact that OPEC and communist China backed North Sudan was just a minor modern anomaly.

Any time you see a straight line on a African map, it was drawn by a white man who lived many thousands of miles away. Straight border lines are often drawn through wastelands (e.g. sand desert) that no tribe lives in year-round.
The second motivation for straight borders is: divide and conquer. First: draw borders through the traditional lands of the most powerful tribes to divide them. Secondly, squeeze remnants of three or more smaller tribes into one country to making it easier for a European power to subdue them.

Yes, but what I was referring to was the assumption that African tribes would align themselves with either the Allies or the Central Powers, which is ASB. Conflict would happen, but would not be because one side was being a proxy for the Central POwers and the other for the Allies.
 
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