Here's my second serious timeline. My Mongolia one is on hold but I think was OK for a first go.
POD: January 19, 1917: The 'Zimmermann Telegram' is not intercepted by British intelligence.
- In March of 1917, just as in our timeline, the 'Febuarary Revolution' breaks out in Russia and the Czar abdicates. Moral is at an all time high for the central powers and many feel that they can win the war.
- With the Central Powers seemingly in a position to achieve victory, president Venustiano Carranza, leads Mexico into war with the United States. His hopes were threefold. 1, that he could unite the people of Mexico against a common enemy, 2, that he could form valuable alliances with the central powers and 3, that he could add the developed areas of South-west America into Mexico, believing they could become valuable.
- On March 11, the day of his presidential inauguration, the Mexicans launch a surprise attack, crossing the Rio Grande into Texas. With very few US troops in the state they make a bee-line towards the capital at Austin. It soon became clear that the army couldn't be stopped by conventional means before they reached the capital as the US troops needed more time to mobilize and arrive.
-The capital may have been taken if it had not been for Brig. General Charles Justin Bailey, who was visiting Fort Bliss at the time of the invasion. He declared himself field commander in Texas after the fighting broke out, an act which the White House agreed to temporarily confirm. He then used a combination of chlorine gas, which he retrieved from it's holding place in a warehouse in central Texas, and 'farm to farm' fighting (essentially he would place machine gun nests in barns and on the sides of rodes) to slow the advance.
- US reinforcements arrive in Austin and fight off the Mexicans and launch an immediate counter attack. The Mexicans regroup and fortify south of the Nueces River, digging trenches and using the river to slow the US. This begins the 'Battle of South Texas.'
- Between March 25-30 the US heavily bombards the Mexican side of the river with artillery. On March 31 the US attempt to cross the river. The ensuing combat would cause 10s of thousands of casualties but the US would gain several footholds across the river. The fighting would spill over into April 1st until the Mexicans finally gave the order to retreat in the early morning.
- Over the next few days the US pursued the Mexicans relentlessly and finally, by April 10, the Mexicans are pushed out of Texas. Carranza, now loosing popularity rapidly, comes out into the open and declares that the war was at the request of the central powers and that it was for the good of the future of Mexico. The Central powers and Wilhelm II vehemently deny this and condemn the actions of Mexico, as well as offer aid to the US for the war effort once the war in Europe was completed.
- In his famous speech soon after Woodrow Wilson declares that the US would remain neutral in Europe as long as they were not attacked and stated that he now saw the Central Powers in 'a different and much better light.'
- The aftermath of this speech led to a cascade in Europe. First Italy, on April 19th, having lost hope now that American intervention was out of the question, surrenders their lands north of the peninsula proper in exchange for peace. Then in Britain many considered the war now essentially lost. On April 25th the single largest protest in British history occurs, demanding an end to the war, as a result the Queen dismisses the government and appoints a pro-peace government. Using their clear leverage the Central Powers force Britain into a treaty on April 30th where, in exchange, the British provided French military intel.
- On April 31st Germany launches a major offensive and breaks the French trench system and finally moves the war into the open. On this same day Wilhelm II announces his ambitions for Germany to annex France and create a European super-state.
- May 1, the Mexican's agree to terms of surrender in which they are to pay reparations to the US and surrender the lands of Baja California. Soon after the US congress decides to divide California into two states, California in the north, with it's capital at Sacramento, and Baja in the south with it's capital in San Diego.
- As May progresses the Central Powers hammer France and much of the French army begins deserting, considering the war a hopeless cause. Finally on May 29th several army commanders coup the president and surrender to Germany and the Central Powers in exchange for equal rights in this new empire to Germans. They also annex Belgium and the Netherlands. The areas that were Russia remain the same as in OTL. WW1 is now essentially over and Austria-Hungary sets up puppet governments in the Balkans, hoping this will work better then reclaiming them. Europe (minus Russia) now looks as such.
And there's my first post. Any feedback would be most welcomed just as last time. Thanks in advance.