WWI questions

EMTSATX

Banned
We have on this board a plethora of just excellent Alternate WWII TL.

I'm looking for the more overlooked War.

Most of the Central Powers questions are specific questions rather than stories. Can someone recommend their favorite Central Powers victory in story form.

I have recently taken a much larger interest in WWI after discovering some family connections.

I realize most of us on this board come from nations that were victorious. But, since WWI lacks the obvious bad guy "Nazis". We're a century after the fact. Would it have been horrible and a disaster for humanity had the Central Powers won.

Finally, if for one reason or another America does not reach France in 1917 and participate in the 1918 campaigns, does the French Army collapse or the German Army?

I always find it hard to believe that the war could have reached German soil from the Western Front. I realize the blockade was starving the German people. But with no America entry is it as effective?
 
There's a buffet of PoD's to pick from WWI, it's an interesting course of events.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/favorite-pods-wwi.342834/
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If the americans don't join the war, i'd reckon the entente still has a chance of winning. Though it would most probably be a conditional surrender from Germany. Either that, or they get crushed by the germans, who manage to use the resources and men from the Brest-Litovsk treaty more efficiently.
The germans also had a chance of semi-winning even with the americans just joining the war -- back in the Amiens Offensive, they could cut anglo-french connected supplies through flanders in half and manage to get an advantage.
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I don't think a CP victory would necessarily lead to tyranny. "Tyranny" is a vague word, especially when the population supports the tyrant.
It also depends on when the CP tips the balance to their victory. If it's before 1917, there's a chance for monarchism and semi-absolutism to remain alive and well in Europe -- the germans would also enact near-total economic and military domination over continental Europe. If the victory is during or after 1917, there's a chance for Germany to democratize in the future, given how much the german populace suffered in the war and how severe were Wilhelm II's insanity and depression.
 
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EMTSATX

Banned
@GauchoBadger funny you mention Amiens. I watched a BBC film this afternoon that was about a fictional tank crew that made me think of my questions.

For those of you who have Netflix, checkout "our world war" it is a 3 part miniseries by the BBC. Each episode is independent and based on war diaries. It was quite enjoyable.
 
Can someone recommend their favorite Central Powers victory in story form.

Wiking's 'Marne without Moltke' and my 'A Dagger held at the throat of England' are variations on the theme of the CP winning the Race to the Sea and thus the war.

Would it have been horrible and a disaster for humanity had the Central Powers won.

Many people will tell you that it would have been and point to this and that example of why, but I don't believe that. Bethmann Hollweg knew that the Prussian 3 class suffrage could not endure and deny millions of veteran the vote after the war, he convinced the Kaiser of this and the Kaiser made an announcement for reform on 7 April 1917, so the Prussian political system would liberalise after victory. What's more the harsh terms of Brest Litovsk were moderated somewhat in August 1918 with the Treaty of Berlin, the politicians being a lot less manic in this regard than the military men. But perhaps most importantly the situation where a coalition of great powers attempts to hold down a proto-superpower, an unsustainable environment if there ever was one, instead a superpower will be exerting its natural supremacy over the great powers.

Finally, if for one reason or another America does not reach France in 1917 and participate in the 1918 campaigns, does the French Army collapse or the German Army?

Given France had parts of the army mutiny in 1917 and decided to await tanks and the Americans, whereas Germany was able to undertake a devastating offensive in early 1918 my guess is that without the Americans it is the French who would collapse first. Keep in mind that the biggest Americans contribution until mid/late 1918 was financial, France had run out of liquid assets to back loans with in mid/late 1916 and Britain was about to run out in April 1917 when the US Treasury came in and guaranteed war loans of $3.5 and $4 billion.

I realize the blockade was starving the German people. But with no America entry is it as effective?

Given the financial situation I think the Entente may have folded before the blockade really began to starve people in Germany.
 
The US produced vast amounts of war material from 1914 onwards.

Are there any number on that? I know the US built a good number of sub-chasers but also that the AEF used French and British artillery. Were there theatres/campaigns that used a good chunk of US gear, like how some places in WW2 used Lend Lease gear?
 

Deleted member 1487

Absent the US declaration of war, those factories shut down as orders dry up due to the Entente being broke, and unsecured loans being banned. Everything about around June of 1917 is affected. 2nd Arras probably goes the same, but it will start feeling the impact after a few weeks of fighting.
Unsecured loans were not banned, the Wilson administration just said they wouldn't secure them for the Entente, so anyone making the loans was on their own if they didn't have collateral. US factories probably don't shut down entirely, but they fire a lot of people. IIRC only JP Morgan was willing to continue some credit, but it seemed like that was drying up, especially as all others cutting the Brits off of further credit would make that a very poor investment on Morgan's part going forward. Politically by April-May things are going to be politically felt as US good stop rolling in.
 
Looks pretty good with small stuff like ammo and small arms but not so great with artillery and aircraft.
 
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