The Union Forever: A TL

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zeppelin247

any chance Belgium and the Netherlands now that it is obvious that France is going to loose will let troops pass through their land to attack the French maybe in exchange for a bit of French colonial land
 
Andristan

Andristan

Pulling a Romania from OTL could cost them just like it did Romania in 1916. If I recall my Keegan correctly, the Belgians had just finished modernizing their army in 1914, so this time around they would get butchered if they attacked, if there were any troops to resist them, that is.
 

Mac Gregor

zeppelin247 said:
any chance Belgium and the Netherlands now that it is obvious that France is going to loose will let troops pass through their land to attack the French maybe in exchange for a bit of French colonial land
Click to expand...

Interesting idea although i doubt they would do it. what do ya'll think?
 
The Great War: Western Europe March - September, 1910
  • Index

    • Mac Gregor

    The War against France​


    March- September, 1910​

    The Rhineland Pocket

    With the collapse of the south German states and the eviction of Entente forces east of the Rhine River by March of 1910 the Coalition was finally prepared to cross the Rhine and liberate Prussian territory that had been under French occupation since the summer of 1908. The first stage of the mammoth operation was an attack by the British Expeditionary Force under Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener and the Russian 7th Army under General Venyamin Belyaev across the Rhine around Mainz on April 3, 1910 in order to draw French troops south of the Mosel. Although effective in distracting the French, the British and Russians paid dearly for every yard gained. With the Entente’s attention focused towards the south, the Prussian 3rd and 4th Armies under Field Marshal Schlieffen and the American Expeditionary Force under Lt. General James F. Bell broke through the French lines north of Koblenz on May 5, 1910 and made a rapid advance west towards the Belgian border. By the end of the month the French 6th Army was effectively trapped with the Prussians on the eastern bank of the Rhine, Americans on their southern flank, and the neutral but vigilant Belgian and Dutch armies to their west and north. Cut off and low on supplies and ammunition the French 6th Army would surrendering on July 7th, 1910 after the army’s commander, Marshal Philippe Petain, killed himself upon receiving news of the collapse of Austria-Hungary. All in all, over 164,000 men would be captured in what became known as the Rhineland Pocket.

    The Brittany Debacle
    ​
    After the successful landings in Egypt in January of 1910, the British were adamant on recreating a similar amphibious operation in western France. The rationale behind such a bold plan was that a landing on France’s Atlantic coast would force the French to divert troops away from the front lines in Germany and Italy. Furthermore, the British believed that if they could capture a sizable port, such as Brest, then it would significantly ease their logistical troubles when the war moved into northern France. On June 8, 1910 a large British/Canadian force of over 90,000 men under the command of Field Marshal Archibald Blackwell began to land on the north side of the Breton Peninsula at Kerlouan. Although the landing met with initial success, French reinforcements prevented Blackwell from taking Brest. Over the next few months, Brest would be reduced to rubble by Coalition naval and aerial bombardment. However, determined French resistance and crippling supply problems prevented Coalition forces from ever advancing more than a few dozen miles inland. As the campaign dragged on Brittany became a byword for failure as the British were forced to throw more and more men into the battle just to maintain their beachhead. Perceived British incompetence and callousness did much to alienate the Canadian and Irish soldiers fighting for the crown, a legacy which would have important consequences after the war.

    Northern Italy

    With Italy having reentered the Great War in May, 1910 after a nearly 18 month hiatus; the Italians initially made good progress against the disintegrating Austro-Hungarians in the northeast. After liberating Venice and Verona by the end of June, Italian commander Generalissimo Lucchesi turned his armies east to rid northwestern Italy of the French invaders. The French 5th Army, then the primary Entente formation in Italy, was critically undersupplied and manned and as such was forced to fall back towards France. On July 26, 1910 Milan was liberated after a brief delaying action by the French. Milan however would prove to be the last of the low hanging fruit as stiff French resistance around Torino would force the Italians to settle into protracted trench warfare. It was during this stalemate during the late summer of 1910, that Lucchesi’s forces benefited from large amounts of American aid in the form of weapons and food. Also, the American 7th Infantry Division would land in Italy in August and distinguish itself in a number of engagements in the Piedmont region.

    The Liberation of Luxembourg

    Following the victory in the Rhineland Pocket, the Coalition armies began pressing southwards. By the end of September, 1910 the American Expeditionary Force had liberated Luxembourg, and the Prussians, British, and Russians had forced the French back to their 1907 borders all along the front line. As the noose tightened around France, dissension was growing within the French army and public. Because Napoleon IV refused to negotiate with the Coalition due to their demand for his abdication, an ever-increasing number of Frenchmen began to view the Emperor as the ultimate obstacle to peace.

    gunnersDM2301_468x280.jpg

    Prussian Machine Gun in action around the Rhine River
    September, 1910    ​
    Formally known as the American Expeditionary Corps.
     
    Last edited:
  • Index

    • zeppelin247

    it will not be long now until the allies either approach Paris or a coup takes place and you know this landing in Brittany I do not think will be as bad as OTL versions as unlike in OTL were their is no main front against the Ottomans or even mcuh importance placed against them this attack actually is pinning down a very large amount of French troops that could be send to fight in the Rhineland or in Italy
     
    Andristan

    Andristan

    Great update, though I would argue that the French defenses would be stronger as the front lines approach the border, kind of a "don't let them get to the fatherland" deal. Also these Coalition advances seem to occur much easier than in WWI OTL, I think that the defense should exact much more of a toll on attackers than it seems to be doing.
    Keep up the great work!
     

    Mac Gregor

    Hey everyone, listed below is an incomplete order of battle for the upcoming Operation Titanic (Oct-Nov 1910 in Alsace-Lorraine). I am not sure who to have as the army commanders. Please submit who you think should be in command of the various armies and I will add them to my next installment.

    Coalition Order of Battle

    American Expeditionary Force (AEF): LTG James F. Bell
    1st Army
    3rd Army
    4th Army

    British Expeditionary Force (BEF): Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener
    1st Army
    2nd Army
    3rd Army

    Prussian Army Group A: Field Marshal Schlieffen
    1st Army:
    2nd Army:
    4th Army:

    Prussian Army Group B: Field Marshal Von Moltke
    3rd Army
    6th Army


    Russian 7th Army: General Alexi Brusilov [1]

    Entente Order of Battle

    French 1st Army:

    French 2nd Army:

    French 3rd Army:

    French 4th Army:

    [1] Replaced General Venyamin Belyaev
     
    Andristan

    Andristan

    I would push for Russian Gen. Nikolai Yudenich, mainly because he is my favorite Russian WWI gen. (besides Denikin) and after all he was a superior general than Brusilov, who just got lucky and was facing a worn out A-H army.
     

    Earl_of_Somerset

    Banned
    Coalition Order of Battle

    American Expeditionary Force (AEF): LTG James F. Bell
    1st Army:Robert Lee Bullard
    3rd Army:Frederick Funston
    4th Army:John Pershing

    British Expeditionary Force (BEF): Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener
    1st Army: Julian Byng
    2nd Army: John French
    3rd Army: Douglas Haig

    Prussian Army Group A: Field Marshal Schlieffen
    1st Army:Johannes Georg von der Marwitz
    2nd Army:Otto Liman von Sanders
    4th Army: Alexander Von Kuck

    Prussian Army Group B: Field Marshal Von Moltke
    3rd Army:Karl von Bulow
    6th Army:Oskatr von Huiter


    Russian 7th Army: General Alexi Brusilov [1]

    Entente Order of Battle

    French 1st Army: Ferdinand Foch

    French 2nd Army:Louis Franchet d'Esperey

    French 3rd Army:Jospeh Gallieni

    French 4th Army: Robert Nivelle

    (I choose people who served in OTL WWI and had more than 25 years army experience, except for americans)
     
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    rick007

    John Pershing:American born 1860
    Arthur Currie: Canadian born ???? (then again I don't know that much about Currie).
     
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