What would have happened if Germany won the war?

[Onix]

No not that war. The first world war.

Every once in a while I muse on this, I think it would make a great RPG setting. It's really interesting to me because it's a very hard question to answer. It's also very hard to figure out what the social implications of Germany winning the war would be.

This isn't a new idea, people have mused on and debated it before.




So lets do something a bit different. Instead of what was likely to happen, what about what would be plausible? Here are some ideas.

The German Empire rallies around the Kaiser having successfully won the war. The propiganda engine that the Nazi party used is re-directed to prop up the nobility. Other countries take note and support is shored up for their failing nobility. The rise of democracy and socialism is curtailed.

The Socialist revolution happens not only in Russia, but also in a weakened Britain. The USSR and Britain become allies.

The US may or may not have entered the war, but once Germany wins, they ally with Germany. Remember that the official language of the US was almost German. US and German social ties were strong and even after the first WW the US and Germany were united in the eugenics movement. I see the potential for the US and Germany to team up.

Without a blockade on helium to Germany, the Hindenburg would have never exploded because it would have used non explosive helium. The Hindenburg slowly lands and the film crews are treated to a hilarious chipmunk voiced crew an passengers. The Zeppelin becomes the Aircraft Carrier of the next century.

So what do you see as possible in a Germany dominated Europe?

[SheikhJahbooty]

Early dirigibles had more problems than just hydrogen.

In order to make it light enough to carry cargo and passengers the whole thing was made out of inflammable materials.

Anyway, I don't see modern Europe and a Germany dominated Europe being too different.

Maybe if they took over all the schools, some local languages may have died out, Flemish, for example.

Maybe Germany itself would be very different.

But Germany is a crazy place. I feel like when we aren't looking they do a lot of drugs and play with poop, and then when they think anyone is paying attention they tell each other to act serious so then they goose-step around.

If Germany never suffered such testosterone crushing defeats would they be even more absurdist and playful? Or would they be more militant, since it seems to be working for them? And maybe they would be more militant, but then would they stay that way? Once they took over the governments of Europe would they get bored with that and go back to wearing leather pants and spilling beer on everyone?

[Rob Lang]

I'd like to think Germany would have become more imperialist and stamped its foot down on Europe. I imagine that France would be broken up into Feudal states followed by decentralisation. I think expansion would have gone east too - as far as the Ukraine.

I also think Germany would have done a load more mega-projects. Such as building a hydroelectric dam between Gibraltar and North Africa, widening the canal at Suez and digging the Channel Tunnel much earlier.

I think the romance languages would be dying out in favour of German. It wouldn't be outlawed but German would just become the language of business (which it often is in Europe, second only to English) and science too, perhaps. The Mark would be a single currency and no fuedal state would be allowed to overspend. Banks would be regulated.

War torn areas would be stamped into peace as it is wasteful to be at war.

Having re-read this, I'm making it sound rather attractive!

[Chainsaw Aardvark]

I would have to second the notion that dirigibles were rather limited. The crashes of the R-101 (which killed more people than the Hindenburg), and the Akron flying aircraft carrier and its sister ship - the Macron - did not bode well for the concept, and airplanes had a lot more room for expansion. A shame, but that's how it is.

Russia would prove troublesome no matter which way the war went. Part of the Soviet's institutional paranoia stemmed from the number of nations that tried to interfere with their revolution. So if its Tsarist Checka cracking down on unions, Bolsheviks, and Germans who let Lenin into the country, or the more historical NKVD - there is going to be some sort of backlash against outsiders.

Furthermore, Once the industrial revolution truly churns through the resources of Russia, it would be a site to behold. Heck, just think of the Russian army if it hadn't purged hundreds of generals, nor killed millions of Ukrainians before world war two began with the Holodomor famine. Not that I see Tesla Coils and War squid like the "Command and Conquer Red Alert" series, but Russia will want to be a world power, and for the first time, is facing another empire that stretches from the Baltic to the ocean.

Without Marshal Tito, the area of Yugoslavia is going to be a doubtful place. I would also wonder about the middle east.

More interestingly, up until about the late 20's coal is the major fuel source for ships, and cars are only beginning to rise in popularity, as are plastics. Think about the Ottoman empire and Oil Wealth. All sorts of fun speculation about whether it would hold together, or if we might have a three way power-block fight.