WW1: Bulgaria joins the Allies
- Thread starter oshron
- Start date
Have Greece join the Central Powers. Then the Entente gives Bulgaria a free check to rape Greece to pieces. Throw in some territory in Marmara as well (Erdine and Kirklareli province sound good) to keep the Bulgarians satisfied with minimal gains in Serb Macedonia. Also throw in some mention of Southern Dobruja.
Serbian-Bulgarian tag team would probably be able to hold Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans off indefinitely as long as they're getting support from the allies. Probably knock out and occupy Greece as well.
Romania then becomes key. Whether they join the CP or the Entente (latter is more likely imo) it opens up a huge front to Serbia and Bulgaria's north. An allied Bulgaria (and surviving Serbia) might be able to prevent Romania's embarrassing defeat in this tl then.
Austria-Hungary is gonna be hurting due to having to keep the Romanian and Serbian fronts open longer.
In the Middle East, the Ottoman Empires might find themselves in some trouble in the Caucuses and the South as they throw more forces at Bulgarian defensive positions. Bulgaria's too close to Istanbul for them to not take priority.
End result: Extremely good for the Entente. Romania and Serbia might avoid falling. Austria-Hungary has to overextend itself even more fighting and bleeding out on four fronts. The Ottoman Empire faces difficulties as well. Bulgaria is happy. Serbia is happy more or less. Greece is... well, Greece is fucked. Italy, Bulgaria and Serbia are all gonna want pieces of it.
Post war Turkish war of Independence might be fun. There's no Greece, but the frontline of the conflict is now Istanbul depending on how committed Bulgaria is to the idea of Istanbul as an international zone.
Not sure about Russia, they're probably still doomed to revolution.
Serbian-Bulgarian tag team would probably be able to hold Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans off indefinitely as long as they're getting support from the allies. Probably knock out and occupy Greece as well.
Romania then becomes key. Whether they join the CP or the Entente (latter is more likely imo) it opens up a huge front to Serbia and Bulgaria's north. An allied Bulgaria (and surviving Serbia) might be able to prevent Romania's embarrassing defeat in this tl then.
Austria-Hungary is gonna be hurting due to having to keep the Romanian and Serbian fronts open longer.
In the Middle East, the Ottoman Empires might find themselves in some trouble in the Caucuses and the South as they throw more forces at Bulgarian defensive positions. Bulgaria's too close to Istanbul for them to not take priority.
End result: Extremely good for the Entente. Romania and Serbia might avoid falling. Austria-Hungary has to overextend itself even more fighting and bleeding out on four fronts. The Ottoman Empire faces difficulties as well. Bulgaria is happy. Serbia is happy more or less. Greece is... well, Greece is fucked. Italy, Bulgaria and Serbia are all gonna want pieces of it.
Post war Turkish war of Independence might be fun. There's no Greece, but the frontline of the conflict is now Istanbul depending on how committed Bulgaria is to the idea of Istanbul as an international zone.
Not sure about Russia, they're probably still doomed to revolution.
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Yeah, Greece in the Central Powers is the thing that will tip Bulgaria over to the Allies/Entente for sure. Bulgaria at first wanted neutrality, seeing no-one as an ideal ally, though maintaining good relations with the core CP (Germany and A-H), while still disliking the Ottomans. Both Entente and the CP tried to court Bulgaria into joining their respective camps and the Entente COULD have succeeded, since they offered Vadar Macedonia to Bulgaria in case the war went in the Entente's favor (and about 1/2 of it regardless, see the map below). If Serbia yields to the Russians (yes, they did demand this from the Serbians) and thus the Macedonians you can easily have them join the Entente. Since that isn't going to happen portions of Turkish Thrace and all of Greece west of Vardar (the river, also known as Axios, entering the Aegean Sea near Thessaloniki, again, see the map) might do the trick.
Sure. The Gallipoli attack succeeds. Bulgaria joined the CPs when it was clear the attack had failed.
If it succeeds, Bulgaria will jump on the Allied bandwagon and invade Thrace, hoping to grab as much territory as possible, and even perhaps Constantinople.
At least that's my guess. I don't actually know anything concrete about Bulgaria's plans (if any) for an Allied victory at the Straits.
I do know that Bulgaria seized nearly all of Thrace in 1913, but lost it in the Second Balkan War.
Gallipoli is a bit of a catch-22 for both the Entente and Bulgaria. The more successful the Entente are doing the more inclined Bulgaria will be to join them. But on the other hand the more successful they are doing the less the Entente will see the need to court Bulgaria's favor at the expense of Serbia, Greece or Romania, which would discourage Bulgaria from getting involved in the mess that was WW1 (joining the CP isnt really an option with the fall of Istanbul). So successful Gallipoli would result in Bulgaria staying neutral, still a net gain and HUGE aid for the Entente tho.
Also Constantinople is a no go. First of all its already been promised to Russia. Second of all for Bulgaria its too good to be true, the last time they got a deal that good they had been cock blocked so bad they were still feeling it in 1915.