WW1 WI: Russia remained Neutral

Russia was firmly enveloped in the politics of Europe. You need a POD before that to call it off.
Even in Nicholas personally calls it off, it'll have a temporary effect at most.
However, it's interesting. Just get a POD in the 1800s.
 
The Russian intelligentsia, aristocratic class and army are so appalled by the failure of their Tsar to stand up to the Austro-Hungarian bullying of a a fellow Slavic nation, that they are forced to launch a coup against him, followed by an immediate declaration of war on the Central Powers - assuming that there is still a war being fought.


OR

With a likely German victory over France, Germany will simply turn around and throw everything it has at Russia with a DOW in 1915, possibly ending the war for Russia by 1916.
 
WI Nicholas gets a rare moment of Sanity and does not declare war on austria hungary?

Ah, it's a big bother then that he never did declare war on them.

In fact, both Germany and Austria declared war on Russia first.

Russia only declared on Turkey, but that's because the Goeben shelled Russian ports.
 
If Russia had not mobilized and the Central Powers had accepted that the Czar was not going to war there would have been no WW1. Austria would have been allowed to crush Serbia.

France would not have fought for the Serbs as such, especially in this context.

I guess that radical Pan Slav elements would have been angry in Russia, maybe things would have later been different.
 
Could Russia afford to not mobilize with the Germans (i.e. Austrians guaranteed by Germany) mobilizing already?

I think they really were in a bit of a bind considering the events of the last few years. But yes, they could trade away Serbia for another couple of years of preparation. I don't know if that'd be enough.
 
No World War in 1914

I concur with Derek Jackson.

If Russia failed to mobilize in response to Austria-Hungary's mobilization against Serbia following the assassination of Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand, then there would have been no World War I--at least not in 1914. France only entered the war because of its anti-German treaty alliance committments to Russia, and Great Britain followed France into the war.

Still, given the tense climate of national/imperial rivalries in Europe in 1914, a major war was likely to break out eventually. Germany and Austria-Hungary feared growing Russian power, given its rapid industrialization since the mid-1890s. If Germany attacked Russia, then France and eventually Great Britain would have been drawn by their treaty committments (with Russia and each other) into a general European war against Germany and its Central Power allies.
 
Ayup. No war.

Without the Russians, Austria just grabs Belgrade and humiliates the Serbians. Everyone moves on with their lives.
 
You have to remember that Russia had more than just sentiment sunk in Serbia. The whole "conceding the Balkans" thing wasn't just symbolic. If Austria crushes Serbia (and Montenegro), you have the Bulgarians easily satisfied by the CP, Romania still pretty pro-German as of 1914, and then the Ottomans. The Russians are shut out of the region, and German influence in the Near East is secured. The straits are out of Russia's capacity to influence.
 

yourworstnightmare

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If Russia wasn't offering full support to Serbia in case of war, WW1 would not have happened (at least not as a war over some foolish things in the Balkans).
 
WWI is delayed but time is not on Germany's side.

By mid-1915 Russia's rail network has grown sufficiently to cut Russian mobilization time in half, which might mean the Germans are forced to abandon hope of knocking France out of a hypothetical war before Russia can really get moving.

It is also true that Germany might regain sanity and realize that the naval buildup is losing ground to the British while torquing London off but I doubt it.
 
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