11 Intriguing Ways World War I Could Have Turned Out Differently

The First World War may have have featured unchanging battleground and attritional strategies , but that does n’t mean the course of events from 1914 to 1918 could n’t have unfolded differently . Here are 11 events that could have changed the effect of the Great War .

Listed in roughly chronological order .

1. No Russian Mobilization in 1914

Had it not been for the Russian mobilization of July 1914 , the Great War might not have ever happen . By induce to the defense of its Slavic ally , Serbia , Russia limit German plan into motion . Earlier , Germany had issued a “ clean check ” to Austria - Hungary , promising to amount to its assistance should Russia interfere with its movement to tame Serbia . But after relations between Russia and Germany soured , and as Russian troop scrambled along the Austrian border , Germany believed it had no choice to but to roll out its Schlieffen Plan — a scheme wherein France , an friend of Russia , was to be get the better of prior to launching an all - out assault on Russia ; the idea was to forestall a warfare on two fronts , which is on the dot what stop up happening anyway .

Russia mobilise for several reason . It was await to re - assert itself after an embarrassing frustration to Japan in 1905 . It was also the era of pan - Slavism , in which dreams of independent slavic states fueled fast-growing foreign policies . But from a purely strategic view , there was no critical reason for Russia to come to Serbia ’s vindication . The Tsar ’s actions turned a regional Balkan conflict into a global inferno . But perhaps deliberately , it thwarted the plan of Austria - Hungary to expand its aging Empire into a tripartite res publica — the never - achieved Austro - Hungarian - Balkan League .

2. Britain Stays Out of the War

As Europe prepared for warfare during the July Crisis , it was not right away obvious that Britain was going to join in . But when the million - strong German ground forces ploughed through indifferent Belgium , Britain sprang into action , formally entering into the fray . Though it was scarcely ready at the metre , Britain ’s contribution to the Western Front and the result naval encirclement on Germany proved to be decisive ; France would have very likely fallen without Britain ’s assist .

There are two scenarios under which Britain could have appease out of the warfare . First , Germany could have avoid stimulate Britain by not sending its army through Belgium and invading France directly ( though Britain would have likely declared war anyway to protect its friend and vital northerly ports ) . Alternately , Britain could have stay on out of the state of war merely for the sake of staying out of it . As historiographer Niall Ferguson argues , the intervention was “ the big error in modern account . ” He grant that Britain would have renegue on on its commitments to uphold Belgian neutrality , but that realism in foreign insurance has a “ long and distinguished custom , not least of which in Britain . ”

3. The Schlieffen Plan Results in German Victory

This is one of the big “ what ifs ” of chronicle : What if Helmuth von Moltke and his general stave had succeeded in reaching Paris in September 1914 ? Indeed , such an assertion is not altogether excessive . Some historians contend that the Schlieffen plan would have worked if Moltke had followed Schlieffen ’s original plan . Had the proper wing not been depleted , Germany ’s first Army would not have been forced off from the sea , the British Expeditionary Force would have been overwhelmed , and the Gallic armies would have been trapped between Paris and the Gallic easterly frontier .

With France flow and the British routed , it ’s unmanageable to say what would have happen next , but it ’s secure to assume Germany would have given Russia hell out in the East . Unlike the situation 27 twelvemonth later , Germany would have in all likelihood overcome Russia give the blue body politic of its military machine . Together with Austria - Hungary , the two nations would have rule over a massive European empire . What ’s more , a quick victory by the fundamental power would have presented a terrible blow to democracy , while reaffirming autocratic political values . Indeed , the First World War was more ideological than many people realize .

4. Italy Joins the Central Powers

When war broke out in August 1914 , Italy hold a policy of neutrality — this despite its previous alignment with Germany . Over the result month , both the Entente and the Central Powers urgently tried to get Italy on their side , offering sweet rewards for victory . Italy adjure its meter , wait for the best offering — and to get a better common sense of who might actually win the conflict . Italy decide to join the Entente under the condition of the secret 1915 Treaty of London under which it was forebode huge territorial gains at the disbursement of Austria - Hungary . Unabashedly , the Salandra administration take on that its decision arose from pure ego - interest , or “ consecrated egoism . ”

But allow ’s take over for a moment that the Central Powers were able to make a good offer , or that the Italian government honored its commitment to the Triple Alliance . With Italy on the side of the Central Powers , the warfare would have unfolded quite other than . Rather than having Italy fight against Austria - Hungary , the two nation could have joined together to clean up the Balkans and then launch unified crusade against Russia on the Eastern Front . Some Italian troops could have also been sent to the Western Front , or help out the Turks . It ’s unmanageable to bang if the warfare would have terminate differently ( credibly not ) ; Italian troop were plagued by poor generals , lack of experience , and a dearth of grave equipment . One affair ’s for certain , though , the warfare would have drop back on substantially longer — perhaps long enough for the belligerent commonwealth of Europe to suffer complete social and political collapse .

5. The Allies Invade Normandy — World War II Style

In their rush to give a third front and apace ping the Ottoman Empire out of the warfare , Allied planners found a naval campaign in 1915 in the Dardanelles that , after break down to meet its initial objectives , retrogress into the catastrophic Gallipoli Campaign , an eight month ordeal that resulted in 252,000 casualties on the confederative side — and for absolutely no amplification . It was a military and political disaster that be Winston Churchill his job as the First Lord of the Admiralty . historiographer regard Gallipoli as a precursor to the Normandy Campaign of June 1944 . But unlike Operation Overlord , the amphibian landing place at Gallipoli was a haphazardly planned and ill - equipped venture . In his Christian Bible , Gallipoli : The closing of the Myth , historian Robin Prior piddle the case that the campaign would have bomb in any incarnation .

But what if they had landed in Normandy rather ? Like the intrusion rolled out by Allied personnel in the subsequent state of war ? It ’s certainly a plausible trace . With the warfare stalemated along the Western Front , the Entente could have caused the Germans considerable problems by unfold up a new dramatic art of operations in northerly France . The British Navy maintained sea laterality during the war , and could have well transported mass of men to the Normandy ( or Callais ) coast . The Germans , relegate sufficient intelligence , would have been see entirely off guard .

Admittedly , this is highly speculative stuff and nonsense . Given the archaic land of engineering at this degree in military story , and afford what happened at Gallipoli , it ’s no guarantee this crusade would have make . The logistical demands alone would have precluded such an invasion from occur until 1916 or later . Moreover , it would have been very difficult — if not impossible — to justify the deflection of resources away from the independent theatre , and for the Allies to contend with Germany ’s superscript internal line of communication ( in this warfare of contrition , Germany would have been able-bodied to supply its troop at a considerably quicker rate ) .

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6. Germany Doesn’t Declare Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Yes , it was the Zimmerman Telegram that ultimately press the United States into the First World War — but a strong face can be made that , if it was n’t for Germany ’s uranium - gravy holder campaign against its merchant shipping fleet , the U.S. might not have entered into the fray .

Things were count very raw for Germany in 1917 . With triumph on nation doubtful , Kaiser Wilhelm reincarnate his push for unexclusive submarine warfare — an effort to crush the current of merchant transport to its enemies . As it retain a justificatory posture on the Western Front , the supreme army command endorse the German navy blue ’s vox populi that nonsensitive atomic number 92 - boat warfare against the British and Americans at ocean could result in a German triumph on body politic by the fall of 1917 . Germany ’s prime minister , Bethmann Hollweg , revere that such action would counteract the United States . He was right .

If the U.S. had n’t joined the war , it would have get behind on for at least another year or two — or even more . There would have been no Michael safari in 1918 — a last ditch effort by Germany to terminate the state of war before U.S. troops could make a difference — thus keep up Germany ’s fighting office .

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7. Peace is Negotiated

Peace could have happened at nearly any time during the war . In fact , it would have been prudent for Germany to push for peace terms after the First Battle of the Marne in 1914 — a in truth decisive battle that ultimately set the point for Germany ’s frustration . Molke himself have it away Germany was finished even at this early stage , assure the Kaiser , “ Your Majesty , we have lose the warfare . ”

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1917 would have been another upright year to call it quits . With no death in spate , with no ethical drug for end the war , and with far-flung societal ferment , it would have made complete good sense for any of the belligerent land to say enough is enough and end the war . With the battle lines drawn , Germany would have extended its territory along the 440 naut mi long front . It would have continue its willpower of Alsace - Lorraine , and become the lasting resident of much of Belgium . In the East , Poland would have rest partition off between Russia and the primal powers . A cold warfare would have settle in among the antecedently war Carry Nation .

But none of these scenario ever unfolded .

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Germany ’s militaristic leader found the prospect of a negociate settlement appalling , as did many of France ’s leader . Far too much had been lost at that dot to simply call it quits . Victory was take for necessary to justify and and avenge the sacrifices , no matter of the toll . Moreover , once the United States go into the war , victory for the Allies was all but assured .

But that ’s not to say some did n’t try out to seek peace . After the death of Franz Josef , the new emperor of Austria - Hungary , Charles I , secretly approached France to negociate peace , but nothing came of it . Germany ’s Ludendorff , when he learned of it , was so tempestuous he actually considered declare war on his friend .

8. Germany Attacks During the French Army Mutinies

Unbeknownst to Germany , wad of Gallic troops , feed up with how the state of war was going , conducted a large scale mutiny from April to May 1917 . Imagine what would have pass off if they launched an all - out rape during that small window of chance .

It all start after the loser of the Nivelle Offensives , and the calamity at Chemin de Dames in particular . French soldier had been promise a breakthrough , but instead get a demeaning defeat . Weary from warfare , the soldier left their posts one by one , demanding better ration and extended leaves . It was n’t a full - on refusal to fight ; rather , it was a kind of work - to - convention action . At its height ( and historiographer only learned this about this in 1967 thanks to the work of Guy Pedroncini ) , well-nigh 50 French division were impress . Of its 113 foot division , 43 % were go through mutinous conduct of varying arcdegree .

But the Gallic government suppressed the news so as to not alert the Germans , or aggravate the place any further . General Petain managed to appease and calm his scout group , and the spot was resolved . Had he not done so , a similar situation could have rise in France that did in Russia , leading to widespread social fermentation and gyration .

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9. Lenin Isn’t Sent to Russia by the Germans

Not only would this have change the track of the Great War , it would have dramatically deepen the skin color of the twentieth 100 .

spent and cast down from warfare , the czarist autarchy was bring down in February 1917 . A tentative political science was set up under Alexander Kerensky , a restrained socialist who take a firm stand that Russia would bear on its commitment to the war . But in an astounding stroking of maven , Erich Ludendorff transported Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin and his acolyte from Switzerland to Russia in a sealed train . get laid full well that Lenin was oppose to the warfare , Ludendorff ’s Leslie Townes Hope was that he would find a style to assume power — and assume mogul he did by merit of a putsch in October 1917 . Platforming on the slogans , “ heartsease , bread , land , ” Lenin end Russia ’s involvement in the Great War . It was an astounding German triumph , one that bump Russia out of the war .

Had Lenin not been sent to Petrograd , it ’s safe to assume that Kerensky would have continued the state of war , though under very difficult condition . This would have force the Germans to maintain sufficient forces on the Eastern Front — troops that were bad needed in the West .

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Ironically , it would be Adolf Hitler ’s Third Reich that , a poop of a century later , would fall to defeat at the hands of the Soviet titan his forebearers created during the Great War .

10. Revolution in France, Revolution In Germany

After the fall of Tsarist Russia , a sentience of apprehension emerge across Europe . No state was left unaffected by the specter of socialist rotation , France and Germany include . Had the state of war been more ill oversee , and had soldier and doer been pushed ever more so to the brink , these countries could have very well fallen to socialistic — or even communist — revolution . This would have resulted in a vastly unlike outcome to the warfare and very different post - war Europe , indeed .

11. Germany Refuses to Surrender in 1918

Such is the fantasy of the “ Stab in the Back ” conspiracists who trace in the wake of the warfare . bewildered and surprised by the “ sudden ” surrender , some Germans believed the commonwealth still had considerable fight left in them . It was earlier in the year , after all , that Operation Michael produced some of the most substantial gains memorialise by the Germans during the warfare .

But it was only after much obstinate deliberation that Ludendorff and Hindenburg finally decided to call it quits in November 1918 . With Germany dismantle bare of its resources , and its population starving , exhausted , and entering into the former stages of an Influenza epidemic , the hawkish leader in conclusion — and reluctantly — cede .

But what would have pass if they had n’t ? What if they insisted on a Nazi - esque Götterdämmerung in a heroic fighting to the finish ? First , the war probably would n’t have ended in 1918 ( the electioneering season was coming to a close ) , but it would have most certainly ended in early 1919 . confederative troop , who were utilizing unexampled combined operational tactics , were agitate steady send on . finally , they would have hand the German border , hold each Ithiel Town one by one until they took Berlin . It would have been a terrible pile , with aggregated soldier and civilian injured party on both sides — and for absolutely nothing .

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