World War One without the US

[1889]

If the US never entered WWI...

Would the war have ended a year early?
Would Russia have stayed a republic?
Would the US have ever really emerged as a world leader?

 

[bloodofages]

Mabye
No, what did America entering a war have to do with a what happens to the Russian goverment
The US is a world leader?

 

[Vietcong]

no,
whats america entering the war have to do with the revolution?
america was already a world power after it defeated spain in the spanish, american war.

 

[1889]

I think France was especially worn out by 1917 and without any hope of significant American aid would have tried to make the best of a bad situation and sought an armistice with Germany. Could an agreement have been reached however …?

The Russian situation is similar. Without the prospect of significant American support might Kerensky have pulled Russia out of the war and preserved his provisional government long enough to establish a liberal democracy.

American was economically a world power by the turn of the century but tended to be isolationist in its foreign policy. If WWI had ended without American involvement would that have discouraged those who advocated a more active role for America?

 

[bloodofages]

Yes

Once again what did American support have to do with Russia and establishing a democracy, i think the Monarch would have falling anyways and Russia would become the USSR. I think America support or not would have no effect.

 

[Adler17]

If the US did not enter the war France would have sued for peace as the whole army was in a desperate morale situation at least. In 1916 there was already a German attempt to end the war diplomatically, but it was rejected by the Entente. But now, without an army able to fight, at least psychically, the chances would be much greater.
In the East Kerensky only lost the support while still fighting. If he stopped that and made peace with Germany, he might have had good chances to form Russia into a liberal democracy.
Germany would have stayed a monarchy but a parlamentarian one. And an Austrian guy called Hitler would never have become such a man. Perhaps he would have ended as a small painter in Munich. Only known to very special art interests.

Adler

 

[steviejay]

It's an interesting question. I mean, with the victories in the east and Russia out of the war, all these battle hardened soldiers from the Eastern Front was pouring West in a very belated mirrored version of the Schlefflin plan (take one out, move all troops to fight the other)

I agree that France was in trouble, they had soldiers but Verdun and the like really took alot out of their morale, if they'd stayed in the war any longer or had takena nother crushing death toll thne I think open rebellion would have been possible.

Towards the end of WW1 almost everyone was on the brink of collapse, the war for Britain was costing millions of £ per day and the embargo on Germany was rather effective iirc the only major country not affected was the US so yes, I think that whether they entered the war or not, they would have become the super power that they did.

 

[Tee Kay]

Would the war have ended a year early?

No. But the events may have been different, eg France may not have enough troops in order to halt German advance in early 1918. But in the end it'd make little difference. Germany was on the verge of collapse anyway. The British blockade of their ports had been very effective, and by 1918 starvation and lawlessness set in. People had lost faith in their governments and lost the will to fight.

Would Russia have stayed a republic?

US joining the war had little impact in Russia. What make Russia into the Soviet Union was 1) Kerensky's insistance to continue the war and 2) return of the hardline totalitarian N. Lenin from Switzerland. He was the one who, via guns and propaganda led the previously disorganised radical communist factions to victory over democratic and moderate communist factions.

Would the US have ever really emerged as a world leader?

The US was already a world leader in 1917. Of all the major players in WWI the US had lost and gain the least from the war. However, had the US not joined the war, the League of Nations may have never been created, and the politicians back home may choose to continue isolationism

 

[steviejay]

but they did choose to continue isolationism. the US done very little on an international stage post-WW1. Wilson wished to join the league of Nations and that was why he got kicked out of office in the election. the US kept to themselves utnil FDR took them out of it kicking and screaming in the 30s.

All my knowledge is based on history lessons several years ago as a result feel free to pick at any inconsistancies

 

[Adler17]

The question is, what if the US did not join ww1. In France there were already uprisings and mutinities in 1917, which could hardly be subpressed. One main argument was, the US would enter the war. If that did not happen, I am sure until 1918 another rebellion would have brought France to surrender. But even if France can hold its position until 1918, there were more German soldiers available from the east at that date. Then, without US help, France was finally doomed.
Yes, Germany was also in a bad shape, but a collapse would not happen before 1919. As the Germans were only fighting on enemy soil in that time, in France, the morale was better than the French.
However I am sure if the US did not enter, France would have started peace negotiations in the 2nd half of 1917, at least at the beginning of 1918, when it was clear German soldiers would come from the east. When the danger of a too great defeat was too great.

Adler

 

[1889]

I wonder then how the war would have ended.

I think Germany would have tried to push on to Paris then forced a peace on France that strip it of most of its colonial possessions.

Germany would have left Belgium in return for similar concessions from Britain.

Japan would have had to return its captured territory in the Pacific and China.

Austria and the Ottomans would have also acquired land, but collapse soon after any way.

Without the question of “war guilt” coming up reparations would probably be much lower. If that happened could the Great Depression have been avoided?

If Wilson’s 14 points had never been legitimized during the peace process might nationalist movements in many colonial areas been delayed?

 

[.Shane.]

.. this forum needs a fiction forum.

I swear most of the "history" threads are just exercises in bad fiction.

 

[1889]

Yes, its shameful. Who does the OP think he is anyway?
But since your here do you think Russia would have stayed a democracy?

 

[Revolutionary]

1. possibly

2. no American influence either way

3. World leader? perhaps if a second world war took place or something similar and the US was among the victors.

As for the other consequences I'm mostly in agreement with Adler

 

[1889]

I find it hard to believe that possibly shortening the war by a year would have had no impact on the Russian revolutions and since many of you agree that America's failure to show up may have done just that, I don't understand why so many feel America's decision to join the war made no ripple in Russia.

Besides that the US and other allies sent huge amounts of supplies and even some soldiers who fought against the Bolsheviks all through 1918 and 1919while the peace conference was meeting in Paris. Less war in Europe means more troops to fight in the Russian civil war.

 

[.Shane.]

But since your here do you think Russia would have stayed a democracy?

lol, I don't really care. You might as well ask "what would happen if Frodo Baggins replaced Kaiser Wilhelm?' or "what if instead of Lenin, Darth Vader took power in Russia." They're just as possible as everything else in this thread.

 

[1889]

I doubt Frodo Baggins would have allowed things to escalate into WWI so Darth Vader would most likely never have attained power in Russia.

I imagine that Frodo would have nurtured strong ties with England however so war may still have come with the two towers, namely France and Russia.

 

[.Shane.]

I doubt Frodo Baggins would have allowed things to escalate into WWI so Darth Vader would most likely never have attained power in Russia.

I imagine that Frodo would have nurtured strong ties with England however so war may still have come with the two towers, namely France and Russia.

I love it! Don't forget to include a time-travelling Hitler and Ghengis Khan.

Tx for being a good sport. Sorry if my comments were a bit... overly harsh.

 

[joycem10]

lol, I don't really care. You might as well ask "what would happen if Frodo Baggins replaced Kaiser Wilhelm?' or "what if instead of Lenin, Darth Vader took power in Russia." They're just as possible as everything else in this thread.

Vader and Stalin have alot in common, except for the whole force-choke thing, and the light saber thing, and the slaughtering sand people (maybe analagous to slaughtering Ukrainians?) thing...

 

[Nobody]

Would Russia have stayed a republic?

I don't remeber exactly but wasnt there a russian general named Kornilov who was angry about the conduct of the war and marched against the provisonal goverment. Didnt the provisional goverment let some communists out of prison to help put down the coup, and new communists then seized power?

So if america didnt enter the war..... and if the war ended early..... then maybe the russian general wouldnt have tried anything..... communist not let out the jails.... no revolution.

Or how about if the peace between russia and germany had been made (because of americas non-entry into the war) then the germany intelligency might have not helped sneak lein back into russia and start a revolution. I dont the germans actually liked communists.