Without hindsight, was the Russian decision in 1914 to go to war the right one?

[stevep]

What about Russia? Did Russia have the capacities for USW against US ships, for instance, in the Pacific in regards to US commerce that would be meant to help Japan? Or at least to develop the capacities for USW over time?

Also, can you please respond to this thread of mine as well? Thank you:

An alt-WWI involving the Three Emperors' League on one side and an Anglo-Franco-Italo-Ottoman alliance on the other side?

What if the Three Emperors' League would have survived as a result of some kind of German-mediated deal or something between Russia and Austria-Hungary in regards to the Balkans, which in turn would have eventually caused the Franco-British to move closer together as well as to align more...

www.the-sietch.com

Sorry I misread your initial post as I was assuming that the US comes in against the Anglo-German bloc.

Not really for Russia. Between the defeat against Japan, their relative industrial/technological backwardness and geographical issues plus that the army must take overwhelming priority they lack any great capacity. If France was in an alliance with Russia and drawn into the war they might try going for USW but that would be a hell of a risk for them as their already in a desperate position.

 

[WolfBear]

Sorry I misread your initial post as I was assuming that the US comes in against the Anglo-German bloc.

Not really for Russia. Between the defeat against Japan, their relative industrial/technological backwardness and geographical issues plus that the army must take overwhelming priority they lack any great capacity. If France was in an alliance with Russia and drawn into the war they might try going for USW but that would be a hell of a risk for them as their already in a desperate position.

That makes sense. And Yes, were the US to enter the war, it very likely would be on the Anglo-German side, if at all. As you said, it's unlikely, but still more likely than the US entering the war against the Anglo-Germans since there's no way in Hell that the Brits would actually approve of anything that would significantly piss off the US and thus the Germans almost certainly won't try anything without their British ally's prior approval.

 

[WolfBear]

@History Learner What are your thoughts on the possibility of the Russians eventually conquering all of Persia in a TL where the Russians avoid Bolshevik rule, either with or without World War I? It would allow the Russians to have a naval base on the Indian Ocean, after all.