What if Wilhelm II's Germany played the same trick on Russia and Britain that it played on Austria and France under Bismarck? By this I mean coaxing one powerful country while invading another, then subsequently invading the remaining one.
Here's a little example I thought of:
- The 1904 Dogger Bank incident is worse than OTL and results in war between Britain and Russia. Germany grabs the opportunity and finds an excuse to fight Russia as Britain's co-belligerent. France, considering its prospects, backs out of its alliance with Russia.
- Britain urges Germany to end the war with the balance of power intact. Germany refuses, and continues to push into Russia.
- After 3-4 gruelling years Germany and Russia sign a treaty similar to Brest-Litovsk, much to Britain's distress. Russia loses even worse to Japan than in OTL. This is in the mid-to-late 1900s.
- Germany consolidates its hegemony in eastern Europe and, intending to expand into Western Europe and challenge Britain's naval dominance, prepares for a war in the west while intensifying its naval buildup. Meanwhile Britain and France formalise an alliance, hoping to counterbalance Germany.
- War comes in the 1910s or '20s. Germany has an even stronger navy, a more experienced army and can focus solely on the west.
Do you think this is plausible? I'll be audacious and say that I reckon this (or something like it later on) could have happened with enough long-term planning and compromise on the part of the Germans. Britain wasn't alarmed by Germany's naval buildup until its fourth naval bill in 1908, whereas at the time it had serious reservations about Russia's expansion into China and possible threat to India.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Here's a little example I thought of:
- The 1904 Dogger Bank incident is worse than OTL and results in war between Britain and Russia. Germany grabs the opportunity and finds an excuse to fight Russia as Britain's co-belligerent. France, considering its prospects, backs out of its alliance with Russia.
- Britain urges Germany to end the war with the balance of power intact. Germany refuses, and continues to push into Russia.
- After 3-4 gruelling years Germany and Russia sign a treaty similar to Brest-Litovsk, much to Britain's distress. Russia loses even worse to Japan than in OTL. This is in the mid-to-late 1900s.
- Germany consolidates its hegemony in eastern Europe and, intending to expand into Western Europe and challenge Britain's naval dominance, prepares for a war in the west while intensifying its naval buildup. Meanwhile Britain and France formalise an alliance, hoping to counterbalance Germany.
- War comes in the 1910s or '20s. Germany has an even stronger navy, a more experienced army and can focus solely on the west.
Do you think this is plausible? I'll be audacious and say that I reckon this (or something like it later on) could have happened with enough long-term planning and compromise on the part of the Germans. Britain wasn't alarmed by Germany's naval buildup until its fourth naval bill in 1908, whereas at the time it had serious reservations about Russia's expansion into China and possible threat to India.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!