WI: Mexico joins the central powers in WW1?

Well, this is how you get an Amiwank scenario of the United States grabbing large portions of Mexican Territory.

This might still meet Germany's objective--as the United States crushes Mexico, those same forces aren't in France fighting them. I'm not sure whether there would be a last-ditch offensive against France, and I'm less sure that if attempted it would be successful.

As soon as Mexico gets bulldozed and whatever is left of it signs a peace treaty (Yes, Amiwank territory grabs are probably forthcoming), the US forces are moving into France. It is possible, however, that the 1918 French-UK offensives that were planned turn out to be the decisive battle that leads to huge holes forming in French and British lines--and Germany might well be able to grab Paris in a counterattack.

But its a slim hope at best...
 

yourworstnightmare

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Well, this is how you get an Amiwank scenario of the United States grabbing large portions of Mexican Territory.

This might still meet Germany's objective--as the United States crushes Mexico, those same forces aren't in France fighting them. I'm not sure whether there would be a last-ditch offensive against France, and I'm less sure that if attempted it would be successful.

As soon as Mexico gets bulldozed and whatever is left of it signs a peace treaty (Yes, Amiwank territory grabs are probably forthcoming), the US forces are moving into France. It is possible, however, that the 1918 French-UK offensives that were planned turn out to be the decisive battle that leads to huge holes forming in French and British lines--and Germany might well be able to grab Paris in a counterattack.

But its a slim hope at best...

With no Yanks on the front, there could be a negotiated peace, with Germany taking minimal losses.
 
As others have said, I'm pretty sure Germany wasn't expecting Mexico to actually beat the US in a war, but merely to distract US efforts from Europe. I imagine WWI-era Germany would have no problem sacrificing Mexico if it gave them a better chance of winning the war in Europe, and fewer American soldiers/supplies on the Western Front will help the German situaiton (how much is debateable).
 
With no Yanks on the front, there could be a negotiated peace, with Germany taking minimal losses.
Why though? It's not like the British and French were on the verge of asking for an armistice just before the US entered the war. And with Haig in charge of the BEF I can't see how losses can be minimal on either side.
 

yourworstnightmare

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Will not happen immidiately, but in the end neither side would be able to achieve complete victory, and the Germans suffering from the British blockade would in the end ask for a peace where neither side would lose face.
 
But surely if the Germans are starving from the blockade and are the ones asking for peace then the Brits and French hold the advantage in negotiations.
 
Is there a chance that Mexico could have won its war with the United States? Hell no.

But if you think about it, a bunch of Renaults flying the Stars and Stripes and shooting at Mexican Calvary is a pretty cool image.

As I remember it Patton actually took part in the Pershing Expedition against Pancho Villa.
 
Will not happen immidiately, but in the end neither side would be able to achieve complete victory, and the Germans suffering from the British blockade would in the end ask for a peace where neither side would lose face.
I dont think that things would procede too differently from our history. The entente was on the verge of collapse IOTL, but Germany even more so.

IMO we see a progression of events somewhat like this: Mexico declares war on the United States, and launches Columbus type border raids. America declares war on mexico, followed shortly by one on germany. The peacetime army is deployed south of the Rio Grande, and procedes to demolish any resistence in its path, while the US begins raising larger numbers of troops to fight in mexico and, eventually, france. Lack of American troops on the front lines will mean thinner entente lines, but the kaiserschlacht fails roughly as IOTL, approximatly at the same time as the first meaningful contingents of American forces are deployed to the western front. The final allied offensives are delayed or less successful to a certain degree, but are roughly comparible, given how the British and French were still shouldering the brunt of the burden in the west (italy may be somewhat worse off, with the entente unable to reinforce them, but once the german divisions are withdrawn things will revert back to normal). At this point the germans probably sue for peace rather as in OTL. For any gains that they have made at this point, they are now faced with the prospect of facing the untapped potential of the US in the battle after they have exhausted themselves in the battles of 1918. Their strategic position is the same as in OTL, and any additional losses inflicted on the British and french can be compensated for by fresh (but probably seasoned from mexico) american troops.
 

yourworstnightmare

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I don't think the Germans even expected the Mexicans to go to war. I think it always was more about tricking the Yanks to attack Mexico. The Germans knew war with the US was on it's way, and did a clumsy attempt to distract the Yanks elsewhere.
 
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