"If Germany Had Won World War 1..." Topic

"In a way, this is a more interesting hypothesis than the more commonly asked question about what the world would be like if the Germans had won World War II. Several historians have noted that both world wars should really be considered a single conflict with a long armistice in the middle. If this viewpoint is valid, then the official outcome of the first phase of this conflict may have been important for reasons other than those usually cited…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Worth reading.

Glad you enjoyed it my friend!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

……Europe would continue to be the leading continent on Earth.

Well, what was left of it…..

More than left the winners….

The question is when.

A German victory in 1914 would entail very different "end of war conditions" than one in 1918. By 1918 both Asutria and Russia were gone and largely out of the war. A German Victory over France would probably not have imposed territorial loss on France, reparations yes. On the other hand a German Victory in 1914 would possibly had territorial re-alignments, but both Russia and Austria would have survived, though weakened.

WW2 then or not?… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Dear Tango

I'd say probably not. Even by the spring of 1915 the course would have been clear and the carnage would have been shocking. I think a different way would have been found. Even by the spring of 1915 it would have been clear that Tsarist Russia and Hapsburg Austria were now second rate powers and that probably should include France as well, which it was clear even by then could not survive without England.

Lets assume Germany took Paris by November 1914. Kaiser Wilhelm would have been crowing like cock-of-the-walk, but the problem for him and Germany would be that, having taken Paris, the pressure to make Peace (and git while the gitting was good) would be unendurable. It would have been no 1870 and mopping up through the winter to say a peace by June in 1915 would have imposed problems of holding war gains that the German were not prepared to do, nor was anyone, without adopting the morals of brutal occupying forces like the SS in Poland and latter in France. Europe was not ready for that demonic morality in 1914. Besides, the Kaiser would have had his flashy-splashy triumph, and would be on to other things. In the east, the collapse of France would have necessitated the collapse of Russia, but even more the Germans would have had to prop up Austria. Territorial adjustments MIGHT have given the Germans Warsaw, as in the last Polish Partition but not much more. The issues of central and south east Europe would have moved to the fore.

The breakup of the Austro-Hungarian empire would have advanced apace, and the question would be for all world powers, Britain, France, Germany, AND Russia to either prop it (Austria) up as some sort of federated state to prevent all these small states falling apart, or simply stand by and watch the Balkans degenerate into anarchy as each little minority declared war against each other. The only likely course I feel would be that Hungary, haven broken free of Austria, would become the major successor state in every way, especially as it had no compunction whatsoever of attempting to recreate its medieval kingdom embracing any number of restive and hostile minorities, and showing a positive talent for oppression and brutality not matched since.. well… the huns.

Russia I do not think could postpone it's reckoning with its own revolutionaries, though a somewhat earlier "Provisional Government" might have been able to resist the Bolsheviks.

Interesting letting your fancy roam free, but largely a matter that cannot be prognosticated with any certainty.