Search results

Survival of the fittest depends on the circumstances as to what qualifies as 'fittest'. It doesn't necessarily mean the strongest or smartest. Often the most corrupt and parasitical are likely to come through as their willing to throw anyone else under the train to get through. Which could...

Damn, replied to Bubba but missed your post. Disagree with a number of your assumptions and conclusions. However as you say we're basically going nowhere.

Because people fear success by a potential opponent even if that may be more fear than actual threat. It would be a resource sink in terms of holding the region and probably a diplomatic disaster but as you say there are significant economic benefits for Russia from owning the straits as you...

I suggested Montenegro because its already a belligerent and while it would be difficult forces and equipment sent there would aid the Serbs. Definitely Greece would be a better option if you could get it to joining the EPs but with the advantage of hindsight while there was strong political...

Well option 2 is definitely a no go given Bulgarian hostility towards Serbia and Turkish hostility towards Russia. Option 1 is better if Greece was co-operative, and might also deter at least one of the others joining the CPs at least for the moment. Going via Montenegro has serious...

Maybe, but the Salonika operation was favored due to the rail line connection to Serbia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonian_front#Triple_invasion_and_the_fall_of_Serbia Possibly but without direct British support and with Italy probably staying neutral an attempt to press Greece to...

True although they could do something such as Gallipoli as they would probably have reserves with no major threat to them on the western front. Going to be tough while trying to keep an eye on the Austrian fleet as well as whatever happens to Goeben but not impossible I would have thought...

OK thanks. :) Its the best way although there are some options. Plus even OTL the French made some progress. [albeit not as much as hoped for and at terrible losses]. A lot will depend on how much they feel oblidged to continue attacking to try and take pressure off Russia, how quickly...

All too true unfortunately. I would agree that Bulgarian entry would doom the Serbs and also that its likely in this scenario that it could occur in autumn 1914. [Only delay might be if the Austrians are so confident of victory that they decide not to listen to Bulgarians approaches]...

No problem. I've already spend far more time than I wanted today replying and I have the advanage of being retired - and bone idle. Distinctly so. Also possibly some of the scandals about the Catholic church, especially in Ireland, have undermined its former role as a core part of the...

Did he actually say that? It does make a change to the normal respresentation of him as being rabidly anti-German. Not to mention somewhat less diplomatic. As long as we don't let you get hold of any gold rings. :p On the last point I have read a number of sources that suggests there...

Very true. I have seen it suggested, albeit by someone with some serious hates towards certain figures, including one with the initials LG, ;) that the primary reason that SF was so successful in the 1918 election was because so many loyalists and moderate Catholic Irish were unable to vote...

I'm talking about the way a lot of people thought at that time. We could argue whether this was based on facts or propaganda but there were fears on all sides about aggression and the CP aggression here would have triggered a lot of feeling in the EP. Partly it was a perversion of Darwin's...

Bubba Interesting. I was working on the assumption that Russia would heavily defend the Polish salient for political reasons. However a withdrawal to "the line of the Niemen and Bug Rivers" would probably suit the Russians better in this scenario as it shortens both their lines and their...

No problem. I have the advantage of being retired which helps a lot in the amount of time I can spend on-line. I would have to disagree here. Even apart from the mutual hostility dating from 1870 there was the strength of the perversion of Darwin's ideas that were widely spread around the...

If France backs down due to French socialists deciding they prefer Germany overwhelmingly dominating Europe to France being an independent state then their likely to lose support pretty rapidly. If they fight you suggest they will suffer a lot less than OTL although the resulting economic...

SG Your assuming that everything goes favourably for the Germans. That France either decides to desert its primarily ally or is crippled by internal discontent with the idea of opposing Germany becoming the overwhelmingly dominant power in Europe. That Russia either backs down - in which...

The rest of that wiki quote continues Allowing a German/Austrian crushing of Russia would leave France very exposed. Both to a later German attack and to the point that it had deserted an ally of long standing which would make other unwilling to trust French promises. In the event of a...

Actually it wouldn't end power politics in Europe, even if things go as dramatically well as the supporters of a German super empire want. Which is exceptionally unlikely. Even if Germany wins quickly and applies the draconian terms that were proposed in the September plan a quick victory also...

If your replying to me yes I'm thinking pretty much about what happened OTL. As I've said elsewhere there were differences about post-war aims and what was needed to protect France but there was widespread unity in waging the war, as occurred initially in all countries and it only really...