In the end history is simply a explosive chain reaction. One single event, not matter how small and insignificant it may seem at the time, may or may not turn out to be just the right trigger to start an event that can radically change the world for years, decades, even centuries to come. These "gunpowder" events, are the cornerstones of history. They can also lead people to wonder "What if...?" Well, friends, I have often sat and wondered "What if..?" about a great many things, and this is probably the most explosive of all the "gunpowder" events I have thought about.
What If...? France's pleas to Austria and Bavaria had gotten through, and Prussia had lost the Franco-German War, therfore not allowing a unified Germany to form?
Part I - The Franco-German War
Chapter 1 - July 30, 1870 to August 7, 1870
Chapter 2 - August 9, 1870 to August 16, 1870
Chapter 3 - August 30, 1870 to September 9, 1870
Chapter 4 - September 25, 1870 to October 16, 1870
Chapter 5 - October 18, 1870 to November 10, 1870
Chapter 6 - November 12, 1870 to December 11, 1870
Part II - PostWar Europe
Chapter 7 - Prussia, France & Britain
Chapter 8 - A Renewed Rivalry & Prussia in Turmoil
Chapter 9 - A Race Starts
The Jutland War
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Part II - The Second Napoleonic Age
Chapter 12 - The Great Powers 1871-1875
Chapter 13 - Germania 1871-1875
Chapter 14 - Eastern Europe 1871-1875
Chapter 15 - The United States 1871-1875
Part III - The Industrial Age
Chapter 16 - European Tensions 1875-1885
Chapter 17 - Balkan Tensions 1875-1885
Chapter 18 - The Russo-Turkish War & The Congress of Paris
Chapter 19 - The Brussels Conference
Part IV - America, Japan and A Brewing War
Chapter 20 - An American Empire
Chapter 21 - The European Boiling Point & The Russo-Japanese War
Part V - The Great Eastern War
Chapter 22 - June 28, 1906 to August 19, 1906
Chapter 23 - August 24, 1906 to December 2, 1906
Chapter 24 - December 3, 1906 to January 1, 1907
Chapter 25 - January 28, 1907 to April 4, 1907
Chapter 26 - April 7, 1907 to April 30, 1906
Chapter 27 - May 8, 1907 to July 12, 1907
Chapter 28 - July 15, 1907 to October 10, 1907
Chapter 29 - October 15, 1907 to December 6, 1907
Chapter 30 - December 18, 1907 to March 17, 1908
Chapter 31 - March 19, 1908 to April 1, 1908
Chapter 32 - April 2nd, 1908 to May 1, 1908
Chapter 33 - May 6th, 1908 to June 22nd, 1908
Chapter 34 - July 8th, 1908 to August 25th, 1908
Chapter 35 - August 30th, 1908 to September 24th, 1908
Chapter 36 - September 30th, 1908 to October 26th, 1908
Chapter 37 - October 28th, 1908 to November 22nd, 1908
Recap: 1870-1914
Recap: The Franco-German War & Postwar Europe
Recap: The Great Eastern War
Part VI - A Peace Resting on Quicksand
Overview: The Winter of 1909
Chapter 38 – The Russian Revolution Part One: Unrest and Revolt
Chapter 39 - A "Worsening Situation"
Chapter 40 – Gunboat Diplomacy
Chapter 41 - A Giant Awakens?
Chapter 42 – The Last Throes of Trotsky’s Bolsheviks & Reform
Chapter 43 – Europe 1915-1925
Chapter 44 – The Crisis of April & The Great Egyptian Rebellion of 1935
Chapter 45 – The Suez War, Part 1
Chapter 46 - The Suez War, Part 2
Chapter 47 - The Suez War, Part 3
Chapter 48 - The Suez War, Part 4
Chapter 49 - The Suez War, Part 5
Chapter 50 –The Treaty of Lisbon
Chapter 51 - The Divide Grows
Chapter 52 - The Spanish Conflict
Chapter 53 - Spain in Flames & The Re-Emergence of Prussia
Chapter 54 – The Means to an End
Chapter 55 - Storm Clouds & America
Chapter 56 – The Essen Agreement
Part VII - Fall Grün
Chapter 57 - First Blood in the West
Chapter 58 – Blitzkrieg!
Chapter 59 - Attack and Retreat
Chapter 60 - Once More Into the Breach
Our little endeavor into the What If? begins on the flat plains of Northern Europe. For months conflict had been brewing in Europe. In Paris, an extremely ambitious Napoleon III had been looking warily at King Wilhelm of Prussia, or more importantly, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Tensions between these two military powerhouses had been brewing since 1867, when Prussia and the North German Confederation blocked France's purchase of Luxembourg from The Neatherlands.
In early 1870 the Spanish Throne had no apparant heir. Otto von Bismarck, eagerly offered Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, a distant cousin of King Wilhelm of Prussia to the Spanish throne. A Furious Napoleon III immediatly sent a Telegram to Berlin instructing that either Prussia will cease it's current course or war will be declared.
Prussia kept it's current course.
July 19, 1870
Napoleon III of the Second French Empire declares war onto The Kingdom of Prussia under King Wilhelm and Otto von Bismarck. Almost immediatly, the North German Confederation backs Prussia by Declaring war on France. The Southern German States of Bavaria, Baden, and Württemberg, and Saxony always in competition with the North German States, are more reluctant to join any cause. It seems that it will take some persuasion to sway these small Kingdoms.
July 21, 1870
The first of Napoleon's diplomats begin discussions of alliance in Vienna. Kaiser Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, still furious over Austria's humiliating defeat in 1866 listens intently to the alliance proposal.
In Munich and Dresden, similiar discussions are also underway. In both cities, the Frenchmen beat their Prussian counterparts by scarce hours. This will prove to be extremely lucky for the French as the war continues.
July 28, 1870
Napoleon III joins up with the 100,000 strong Army of the Rhine in Metz. The French army is full of well-trained Regulars, some of which have fought in the Crimea, Italy, Algeria, and Mexico. The Army of the Rhine is expected to grow dramatically as French Mobilisation continues. However, unknown to Napoleon, the Germans are mobilising much faster, as the entire Prussian Army is made up of conscripts.
To Be Continued....
What If...? France's pleas to Austria and Bavaria had gotten through, and Prussia had lost the Franco-German War, therfore not allowing a unified Germany to form?
Part I - The Franco-German War
Chapter 1 - July 30, 1870 to August 7, 1870
Chapter 2 - August 9, 1870 to August 16, 1870
Chapter 3 - August 30, 1870 to September 9, 1870
Chapter 4 - September 25, 1870 to October 16, 1870
Chapter 5 - October 18, 1870 to November 10, 1870
Chapter 6 - November 12, 1870 to December 11, 1870
Part II - PostWar Europe
Chapter 7 - Prussia, France & Britain
Chapter 8 - A Renewed Rivalry & Prussia in Turmoil
Chapter 9 - A Race Starts
The Jutland War
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Part II - The Second Napoleonic Age
Chapter 12 - The Great Powers 1871-1875
Chapter 13 - Germania 1871-1875
Chapter 14 - Eastern Europe 1871-1875
Chapter 15 - The United States 1871-1875
Part III - The Industrial Age
Chapter 16 - European Tensions 1875-1885
Chapter 17 - Balkan Tensions 1875-1885
Chapter 18 - The Russo-Turkish War & The Congress of Paris
Chapter 19 - The Brussels Conference
Part IV - America, Japan and A Brewing War
Chapter 20 - An American Empire
Chapter 21 - The European Boiling Point & The Russo-Japanese War
Part V - The Great Eastern War
Chapter 22 - June 28, 1906 to August 19, 1906
Chapter 23 - August 24, 1906 to December 2, 1906
Chapter 24 - December 3, 1906 to January 1, 1907
Chapter 25 - January 28, 1907 to April 4, 1907
Chapter 26 - April 7, 1907 to April 30, 1906
Chapter 27 - May 8, 1907 to July 12, 1907
Chapter 28 - July 15, 1907 to October 10, 1907
Chapter 29 - October 15, 1907 to December 6, 1907
Chapter 30 - December 18, 1907 to March 17, 1908
Chapter 31 - March 19, 1908 to April 1, 1908
Chapter 32 - April 2nd, 1908 to May 1, 1908
Chapter 33 - May 6th, 1908 to June 22nd, 1908
Chapter 34 - July 8th, 1908 to August 25th, 1908
Chapter 35 - August 30th, 1908 to September 24th, 1908
Chapter 36 - September 30th, 1908 to October 26th, 1908
Chapter 37 - October 28th, 1908 to November 22nd, 1908
Recap: 1870-1914
Recap: The Franco-German War & Postwar Europe
Recap: The Great Eastern War
Part VI - A Peace Resting on Quicksand
Overview: The Winter of 1909
Chapter 38 – The Russian Revolution Part One: Unrest and Revolt
Chapter 39 - A "Worsening Situation"
Chapter 40 – Gunboat Diplomacy
Chapter 41 - A Giant Awakens?
Chapter 42 – The Last Throes of Trotsky’s Bolsheviks & Reform
Chapter 43 – Europe 1915-1925
Chapter 44 – The Crisis of April & The Great Egyptian Rebellion of 1935
Chapter 45 – The Suez War, Part 1
Chapter 46 - The Suez War, Part 2
Chapter 47 - The Suez War, Part 3
Chapter 48 - The Suez War, Part 4
Chapter 49 - The Suez War, Part 5
Chapter 50 –The Treaty of Lisbon
Chapter 51 - The Divide Grows
Chapter 52 - The Spanish Conflict
Chapter 53 - Spain in Flames & The Re-Emergence of Prussia
Chapter 54 – The Means to an End
Chapter 55 - Storm Clouds & America
Chapter 56 – The Essen Agreement
Part VII - Fall Grün
Chapter 57 - First Blood in the West
Chapter 58 – Blitzkrieg!
Chapter 59 - Attack and Retreat
Chapter 60 - Once More Into the Breach
Our little endeavor into the What If? begins on the flat plains of Northern Europe. For months conflict had been brewing in Europe. In Paris, an extremely ambitious Napoleon III had been looking warily at King Wilhelm of Prussia, or more importantly, Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Tensions between these two military powerhouses had been brewing since 1867, when Prussia and the North German Confederation blocked France's purchase of Luxembourg from The Neatherlands.
In early 1870 the Spanish Throne had no apparant heir. Otto von Bismarck, eagerly offered Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, a distant cousin of King Wilhelm of Prussia to the Spanish throne. A Furious Napoleon III immediatly sent a Telegram to Berlin instructing that either Prussia will cease it's current course or war will be declared.
Prussia kept it's current course.
July 19, 1870
Napoleon III of the Second French Empire declares war onto The Kingdom of Prussia under King Wilhelm and Otto von Bismarck. Almost immediatly, the North German Confederation backs Prussia by Declaring war on France. The Southern German States of Bavaria, Baden, and Württemberg, and Saxony always in competition with the North German States, are more reluctant to join any cause. It seems that it will take some persuasion to sway these small Kingdoms.
July 21, 1870
The first of Napoleon's diplomats begin discussions of alliance in Vienna. Kaiser Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, still furious over Austria's humiliating defeat in 1866 listens intently to the alliance proposal.
In Munich and Dresden, similiar discussions are also underway. In both cities, the Frenchmen beat their Prussian counterparts by scarce hours. This will prove to be extremely lucky for the French as the war continues.
July 28, 1870
Napoleon III joins up with the 100,000 strong Army of the Rhine in Metz. The French army is full of well-trained Regulars, some of which have fought in the Crimea, Italy, Algeria, and Mexico. The Army of the Rhine is expected to grow dramatically as French Mobilisation continues. However, unknown to Napoleon, the Germans are mobilising much faster, as the entire Prussian Army is made up of conscripts.
To Be Continued....
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