Suppose the United States joined the Central Powers instead of the Entente. What would be the subsequent effects, both political and cultural? Would the US gain part of, if not all of, Canada? Would they gain any of the British colonies in the Caribbean or Latin America?
WI: USA on the Central Powers
- Thread starter Pokemon Master
- Start date
Well, first, we'd need a good reason, and that would probably require a pre-1900 POD. Maybe either the British or the French does something to piss the USA off, like violating the Monroe Doctrine or supporting the Confederacy. By the time 1900 rolls around, we could have a very different alliance system, with the USA allied against the British/French.
Well, I currently have a timeline in the works where a "Balfour Telegram" is sent to Mexico that proposes British assistance in regaining the American Southwest.
Why would they need Mexican help? All they would get would be a weak (IOTL) ally and a powerful enemy. You need a way earlier POD for this to not be ASB.
cubefreak123
Banned
There should almost be a sub-category for this like there are for Sealion threads. In any case, the US would eventually beat whoever they end up fighting in the western hemisphere (be it Canada or Mexico). There would likely be some territorial changes but you'd probably see the US forcing big reparations out of the Entente.
To make it clearer, think the Zimmermann Telegram but with Britain instead of Germany.
No, that was already obvious. The point was that although the Zimmermann telegram was incredibly stupid, it still had some kind of logic since the US was Britain's biggest trading partner, since by 1917 the US was decidedly pro-Entente, and since the point of the Telegram was that Germany had decided to start up unrestricted submarine warfare which the US was not real cool with (we know this is the point of the Telegram since the Telegram says so).
To reverse all that and give a similar incentive to the Brits, you need a POD that is probably pre-1900. Add in also that British diplomacy tended to be less incompetent, at least as regards the US, which as a naval, Atlantic power had mattered to it for much longer and which it had taken much more of an interest in.
But if ASBs somehow magically had the US come in on the Central Powers side, its grim for the Entente and they might try a negotiated peace. Financing and trade to Britain and France are cut off, there is a lot of land warfare between the US and Canada, and the Atlantic becomes much more dangerous for shipping and sees a lot of naval clashes, but neither the US nor Britain are strong enough to blockade the other. Nor do I see a big decisive naval battle unless the British get desperate (possible) or the US gets really stupid (less likely).
I could easily be mistaken but weren't relations between Germany and The U.S pretty much shot by 1904ish? Even earlier maybe? I know Theodore Roosevelt wasn't fond of The Kaiser in the least and the feeling was mutual. So if what i'm saying is accurate you would most likely need a pre 1900 pod. Maybe a more tense Venezuala crisis that doesn't quite come to blows?