Can The Entente still win without Britain?

[GeoJuggernaut]

If Germany doesn't go through Belgium the whole drain of the front toward Belgium is gone, and the French army has a lot more men/artillery available on a much shorter remaining front.

What about attacking through Luxembourg?

 

[GeoJuggernaut]

This seems plausible. I'm pretty sure it was actually the plan in OTL.

The Schlieffen Plan!

 

[Onkel Willie]

However, it also means no attack through Belgium, so Northern French Industry is available. It might also mean, depending on the German strategy, a front on the Rhine, if the Germans do gamble on attacking Russia First and have less troops in defence in Alsace than OTL.

A front on the Rhine seems unlikely. In a scenario where Germany opts for a Russia-first strategy, preparations for that will be made years beforehand. Germany already had defences on their border with France, and they'll only see way more investment ITTL.

 

[Malta]

The issue with having a Russian Front war is still the issue that Paris is a lot closer to Berlin then Moscow. It seems in many ways the German army being bogged down was unexpected.

 

[Onkel Willie]

The issue with having a Russian Front war is still the issue that Paris is a lot closer to Berlin then Moscow. It seems in many ways the German army being bogged down was unexpected.

It only takes a Chief of Staff who thinks that Russia only needs a few proper beatings to surrender, or somebody who thinks a prolonged war cannot be avoided, like Von der Goltz