WI: WW1 OKW?

WI in the years leading up to WW1 the Prussian War Ministry evolved in a similar manner to how the pre WW2 Reichswehr Ministry evolved into the OKW, as a body tasked with coordination of the services from 1938?

When would be a opportune time for this to occur? Would it change German planning leading up to war, and would it influence German political decision making?

Further, in WW2 OKW pretty much took control of Command in the West, but in the East OKH retained control. Could a similar evolution occur in WW1, with Ober Ost remaining autonomous in the east but the OKW-analogue developing de facto control of the Army and Navy in the west? Or given the preponderance of German power deployed in the west would OHL reign supreme there and OKW-analogue control Ober Ost in the east as well as the Navy?

IOTL OKW allowed Hitler to retain control of the armed forces, would a WW1 OKW-analogue allow the likes of the Kaiser and Chancellor to retain control in WW1?
 
antwerpmarines.jpg


The Royal Marine Brigade and Royal Navy Division went back and forth over the Channel to Belgium 3 times between August and October 1914, yet the KM did nothing about it despite the problems is was causing the Heer.
 
It's the horrific Naval Command structure that I imagine an OKW-analogue could overcome, to an extent.

I don't think the Kaiser's Military Cabinet makes a good substitute for the OKW because Supreme Army Command (OHL) consisted of the Emperor's Military Cabinet, the Intendant General (responsible for supply), senior advisers in various specialist fields (Artillery, Engineers, Medicine, Telegraphy, Munitions and Railways) and representatives from the four German War Ministries. The KM was subordinate to the Kaiser, so had no direct representation on OHL.

The idea would be to have direct Naval representation on OHL so the Kaiser would at least have to justify why the navy wasn't fighting.
 

NoMommsen

Donor
Sry for being that late (hope not to be punished for necrothreading).

In theory the Great Headquater should or could have been such an overall command. With the Navy represented by ... TaDaah Tirpitz.
See here
 
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