re: OT History "What If" Discussion: Germany Wins WWI in 1914

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The question largely hinges on what terms the war was ended and how the peace was orchestrated. Clearly the conditions for the rise of National Socialism in Germany will not exist as Marxism and leftism will be of no threat to power in Germany. Likewise, it's hard to imagine that either Germany or Britain would not work with extreme determination to establish a stable French government opposed to Marxist forces that might seek a power grab in France's destitution. I can see France, Britain, and Germany remaining traditional powers rivaling each other for influence as was the case in prior European periods. I think relative stability would ensue as the horrific nature of the war generally changed minds about the feasibility of war to achieve minor gains without balooning into catastrophe due to industrialization and the advent of more destructive armaments.

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I agree. I think the fact that had the war ended in late summer 1914 this would have meant the bitterness that we know of WWI would have never materialized. There would have been no trenches, No Somme, No Verdun. Britain & Germany especially would have wanted to get back to "business as usual" as quickly as possible. I do think they'd make stride to stabilize France, with Germany perhaps treating France in 1914 much in the same manner they did in 1940. On thing I do think that would emerge once the situation in Europe stabilized, is a sort of cold war between GB & Germany while they vied for the position of premier world power. How the alliances and politics of this cold war played out is anyone's guess. Who would the US side with? What about an emerging Japan? And what of the "sick old man of Europe", the Ottoman Empire? Would GB or Germany set their sights on them?

Russia on the other hand is a bit of an interesting story. In my version of history they would have sued for peace basically before they really got the war going good in the East. And unlike in GB, there already was winds of revolution brewing in Russia. Would have the humiliation of allowing Germany to win a war basally before Russia even mobilized fully have lead to more unrest? Would that have been enough to topple the Romanov Dynasty?

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That being said, I think the really interesting areas to watch would be the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Balkans region. Hitler himself railed against Austro-Hungarian Empire and it's untenable political situation given the tremendous variety of ethnic nationalities subjugated under the Hapsburgs. This was an observation he had prior to the outbreak of the war, leading him to make an appeal to serve with a Bavarian outfit instead of his much loathed homeland.

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I think it's anyone's guess how things would have played out in the Balkans. It's such a muddled region that literally anything could have happened. In fact, it's entire possible that in an effort to maintain it's grasp on power, the Hapsburg dynasty could have launched it's own "holocaust" against the Slavic peoples in it's dominion. Now how this would have rippled through history is a good question. Would Russia, the longtime "champion" of all the Slavs, have stood by and done nothing? What about Germany?

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Obviously the age of empire would have continued on, perhaps much longer than it did in the real life course of history, but that period was destined to come to a head at some point. If it was had to do over again, I think essentially every major belligerent nation's leadership would say the war was a mistake (with the possible exception of Churchill) and should have been averted. There was no great moral crusade to be had nor imminent ideological threat posed by one of those nations against the other.

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I think the age of empire could actually have seen a resurgence in that a victorious Germany would see their win over Britain as further proof they truly did deserve their "Day In The Sun". I think there could be seen conflicts in the Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and even perhaps Central & South America over control of key colonies. These conflicts could play a key role in the cold war I mentioned above.

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Obviously there are infintie variables but I certainly don't think the world would be thrown into some terrible course had Germany won WWI. Though the victors do love to fear monger and exaggerrate the importance of their cause to history.

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Good point. And the more I think of it, the more I believe it's highly possible ours would be a more stable and safe world had Germany won in the summer of 1914.

No, we're back on top.

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And the more I think of it, the more I believe it's highly possible ours would be a more stable and safe world had Germany won in the summer of 1914.

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Possible and maybe even probable. But the huge question that is unanswered is who develops the atomic bomb and what do they do with it? Germany would likely be first, as a guess. Russia might be toast in the 50's.

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What would our world look like today?

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IDK if Germany was fighting for conquest or for economic dominance. If Germany had won, the dying monarchies of Europe would have had a breath of new life. The end of colonialism may have been delayed or prevented. There would have been no humiliating Treaty of Versailles. The economic discontent of the pre-Hitler era might not have happened, and Hitler may have died an obscure paperhanger. No SS. No Gestapo. No Holocaust. But Communism might have had more room to operate. Brutal Stalin may have become expansionist anyway.

Bump

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Possible and maybe even probable. But the huge question that is unanswered is who develops the atomic bomb and what do they do with it? Germany would likely be first, as a guess. Russia might be toast in the 50's.

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I'd imagine that Germany would be the first to develop it being that they had the best scientific minds at that time. Remember that Einstein only left Germany due to the Nazis. Had Germany won WWI in the summer of 1914, the Nazis would have never existed.

Keep in mind, WW1 thrusted us to tWorld power. If the Germans would have one, who knows how we would've ended up.

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And because we keep them in check, Europe has been at peace for a long time. 'Merica.

The problem, any time the Germans are organized, it's a large issue for the world. They're the smartest humans on the planet, and create dangerous toys.

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They wouldn't have bombed Pearl Harbor ... that's for sure

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Well, perhaps they may have. Remember that the German's held a number of Pacific Islands before losing them in WWI. There is a chance that a victorious Germany would eventually clash with the US, an emerging world power and potential rival to continued German expansion in the Pacific. Then again, it could be the British who would eventually bomb Pearl Harbor. For that matter you could see something like a joint American/German fleet attacking Hong Kong or Singapore. The possibilities are mind boggling.