Where Eagles Dare

This is my first TL, so go easy on me. It is loosley based on „Black Boots, White Snow“ TL by boynamedsue. I will try to keep it as realistic as possibble, and if I succed, the only ASB part will be the POD. The TL will start in WWI, and continue to the 2000`s. Perhaps even beyond.

Point of Divergence
America doesnt enter WWI.

Chapter 1: The end of the Great War
During the early months of 1917., Wilson made it clear had no intention to get America involved in the Great War. This turn of events pleased the German leaders, but they faced a bigger problem. The German people grew increasingly tired of the war, and they had to end it quickly or risk open revolt. The British and French faced the same problem. Because of this both sides started to plan a major final offensive.

In 1917., the Russian Revolution marked the end of the Russian Empire. In the opening months of 1918., the treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed between the Russians and the Central Powers. It was an uneasy compromise that pleased neither side, and from an objective standpoint, the Germans gave the Russians suprisingly good peace terms. In truth, both sides needed their troops badly. The Germans needed their soldiers on the Western Front for the final push, and the Russians needed their forces to fight in their Civil war.

In this time, the most recent Entante offensives to break the Italian and Salonika Fronts failed, so the Entante had no other choice but to face the Germans head-on on the Western Front. The battles on the western Front seemingly stopped completly while the Germans and Entante prepaired for one huge war-deciding offensive. With the continued millitary build-up on the Western Front, civil unrest grew. Many saw the lack of battles as inaction, and an open revolt seemed to be only months away.

The Central Powers were being battered on all fronts. The Ottoman Empire was cracking on the seems and bleeding on all sides. The Salonika Front was almost broken in the last offensive, and the Italian Front was a bloodbath. The counteroffensive against the Italians gained ground, but Austria-Hungary was on the verge of collapsing due to mass unrest amongst the many nations demanding their own countries. The only thing that could save the Central Powers was conquering Paris.
The Entante was in a similar dead-end situation. Although they had the Ottomans in a chokehold, it could take months before they penetrated the Turkish defences and entered Asia Minor. The Salonika offensive was an utter disaster, and the Italian Front was almost broken three times since the start of the counteroffensive. The only way to end the war is to defeat Germany. If it falls, its allies will follow.

On the 12th July 1918., the Entante started their offensive. It came just one week before the planned German offensive. In the first week oft he „Endgame offensive“, the Entante made progress. But soon, they were stopped and the battle became a bloody brawl. It was the most bloody battle of the war, with a death toll of two and a half million soldiers on both sides. It was the final battle of the Great War, but not in the sense its creators had intended. The Central Powers and Entante were forced to sit at the negotiating table. Even if the leaders of the Central Powers and the Entante wanted to continue the war, they didnt have the resources, manower or public support to do so. With the mediation of Wilson, the Central Powers and the Entante signed the Zurich Peace Treaty, which was a compromise that pleased nobody. The treaty of Zurich failed to pacify Europe, and was the basis for many conflicts, most notably the Second Great War.
 
Top