Serbia or Bulgaria?

[Revolutionary Todyo]

Working on a Central Powers victory scenario, one where they lose round two.

Anyway, a big, nasty, pan-Slavist Russian Nazi-analogue is now dominating Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Whilst carving up the spoils, the question arises, "What do we do with the Jugoslavs?"

For background info, Serbia was butchered and Bulgaria expanded along the usual lines. Whenever round two came along the Serbs rose in revolt against their AH client government and were quickly occupied. They conducted a brutal guerilla war against the occupying forces untill their liberation.
Bulgaria meanwhile initially sticks with the Central Powers, but swaps sides once the Russians break through Galicia and occupy East Thrace, thus allowing the Russian Black Sea Fleet into the Mediterranean and quickening the Ottoman capitulation.

So, who is most likely to come of best? The ineffectual but loyal allies, or the guys who betrayed their former allies but made a big difference in doing so?

Also if you want more details I can PM you, this will all be going towards a map so I don't want to give away everything righ now.

 

[Easterling]

So, who is most likely to come of best? The ineffectual but loyal allies, or the guys who betrayed their former allies but made a big difference in doing so?

I don't know how you feel about paralellism, but Serbia here looks like it would be an analogue of Poland in OTL, so they are likely to get screwed in the end.

 

[Revolutionary Todyo]

I don't know how you feel about paralellism, but Serbia here looks like it would be an analogue of Poland in OTL, so they are likely to get screwed in the end.

True, though the Russians would be less likely to brutally opress this in this scenario, they are "Brother Slavs" after all

 

[Dementor]

Working on a Central Powers victory scenario, one where they lose round two.
For background info, Serbia was butchered and Bulgaria expanded along the usual lines. Whenever round two came along the Serbs rose in revolt against their AH client government and were quickly occupied. They conducted a brutal guerilla war against the occupying forces untill their liberation.

It's interesting why the Central Powers leave Serbia as a client state instead of just dividing it between Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary as in OTL.
As for the question, it's difficult to answer without some additional information. Is Yugoslavia created as in OTL. If so, it's quite possible that the Russians might leave Vardar Macedonia to Bulgaria, as a way of maintaining the balance between the two countries.

 

[MacCaulay]

I misread this as Survival or Scabies?.

 

[Revolutionary Todyo]

It's interesting why the Central Powers leave Serbia as a client state instead of just dividing it between Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary as in OTL.
As for the question, it's difficult to answer without some additional information. Is Yugoslavia created as in OTL. If so, it's quite possible that the Russians might leave Vardar Macedonia to Bulgaria, as a way of maintaining the balance between the two countries.

Well I would think a client state would be easier to maintain then annexing a lot of very angry Serbs.

Yes some sort of *Yugoslavia will be created. My initial idea was to restore the 1914 Serb-Bulgar border whilst allowing Bulgaria to keep gains made off Romania, Greece and the Ottomans. However the result looked incredibly weird.
However, allowing Serbia to head a federation made of Croats, Bosnians, Slovenes and themselves might be enough to make them agree to keeping the current border.
Then again, they're as irredentist as this scenarios Russia, so they'd probably demand annexation of Bulgaria.

 

[Beedok]

Why not unite the Balkans into one massive federation, and sticking them with all Thrace, Greece and Romania to force all the Slavs to work together keeping that massive minority down?

 

[Kome]

Why not unite the Balkans into one massive federation, and sticking them with all Thrace, Greece and Romania to force all the Slavs to work together keeping that massive minority down?

Or better yet, just have Russia annex both of them.

 

[Revolutionary Todyo]

Why not unite the Balkans into one massive federation, and sticking them with all Thrace, Greece and Romania to force all the Slavs to work together keeping that massive minority down?

Something that size might have enough power to stand against Russia though. It could cut off the Romanian oil and close off the Meditteranean.
Plus I'm sure France or Britain would leap to its aid, meaning that Russia could get drawn into a major war it isn't ready for.

Or better yet, just have Russia annex both of them.

Too much effort. They're already reoccupying Ukraine, Belarus, Finland (imagine 500 Simo Hayhas and you'll have an idea of what that one's like), the Baltic states, Poland, a lot of Eastern Germany (which is also being de-Germanised, not pleasant), Central Asia, and the Caucus states. Whilst also trying to organise Arabia into a puppet state, finding a place to dump all the Jews they've picked up and fending off British and Japanese attempts to ferment unrest.

 

[Badshah]

Well I would think a client state would be easier to maintain then annexing a lot of very angry Serbs.

Yes some sort of *Yugoslavia will be created. My initial idea was to restore the 1914 Serb-Bulgar border whilst allowing Bulgaria to keep gains made off Romania, Greece and the Ottomans. However the result looked incredibly weird.
However, allowing Serbia to head a federation made of Croats, Bosnians, Slovenes and themselves might be enough to make them agree to keeping the current border.
Then again, they're as irredentist as this scenarios Russia, so they'd probably demand annexation of Bulgaria.

You still have a client state of very angry revanchist Serbs. I think the best likely outcome would be the absorption of Serbia into Austria-Hungary, and heavy reforms, whether they be the United States of Greater Austria style federalism, or the Triple Monarchy style divisionism. A manageable Jugoslav state could be formed easily with the inclusion of Serbia, and with the importance they'd hold in Vienna, dissent would be low.

 

[Revolutionary Todyo]

You still have a client state of very angry revanchist Serbs. I think the best likely outcome would be the absorption of Serbia into Austria-Hungary, and heavy reforms, whether they be the United States of Greater Austria style federalism, or the Triple Monarchy style divisionism. A manageable Jugoslav state could be formed easily with the inclusion of Serbia, and with the importance they'd hold in Vienna, dissent would be low.

Same difference IMO, only with the client state Austria has less cause to dirty their hands in putting down dissent as the Serbian government will do that for them.
Also, no matter how much reform is implemented, direct annexation of this rump Serbia is going to anger huge amounts of people, especially considering the conduct of AH troops whilst occupying Serbia, which AFAIK, was pretty bad.

 

[Bartholome de Fonte]

My initial idea was to restore the 1914 Serb-Bulgar border whilst allowing Bulgaria to keep gains made off Romania, Greece and the Ottomans. However the result looked incredibly weird.

And that ignores the Bulgarian aspirations on (Serbian) Macedonia which they got OTL during WWI anyway.

However, allowing Serbia to head a federation made of Croats, Bosnians, Slovenes and themselves might be enough to make them agree to keeping the current border.

I really, really doubt the Austro-Hungarian Government would empower Serbia (regardless if Serbia is a supposed puppet state or not) by giving them Bosnia.