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First Great War
WWImontage.jpg
(Clockwise from the top) The aftermath of shelling during the Battle of the Somme, Mark V tanks cross the Hindenburg Line, Template:HMS sinks after hitting a mine in the Dardanelles, a British Vickers machine gun crew wears gas masks during the Battle of the Somme, Albatros D.III fighters of Jagdstaffel 11
Date 28 July 1914 – 2 December 1917
(Template:Age in months, weeks and days/display)
Location Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, China, Indian Ocean, North and South Atlantic Ocean
Result Central Powers victory
Territorial
changes
Formation of new countries in Europe and the Middle East
  • Transfer of French, Belgian, and British colonies and territories to Germany
  • Independence of new nations in Eastern Europe
  • Expansion of the German, Turkish, and Japanese Empires
Belligerents
Central Powers:
Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary
Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg Turkey
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria (1915–1917)
Flag of Romania.svg Romania (1916–1917)
Entente Powers:
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Empire
Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg France
Flag of Russia.svg Russia
State Flag of Serbia (1882-1918).svg Serbia
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
Flag of Montenegro (1905–1918).svg Montenegro
Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the German Empire.svg Wilhelm II
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Franz Joseph I
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Charles I
Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg Mehmed V
Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg Three Pashas
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Ferdinand I
Flag of Romania.svg Ferdinand I
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg H. H. Asquith
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Lloyd George
Strength
Total: 26,482,321
Flag of the German Empire.svg 13,250,000
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg 7,800,000
Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg 2,998,321
Flag of Romania.svg 1,234,000
Flag of Bulgaria.svg 1,200,000
Total: 31,438,884
Flag of Russia.svg 12,000,000
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg 8,841,541
Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg 8,660,000
Flag of Japan.svg 800,000
State Flag of Serbia (1882-1918).svg 707,343
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg 380,000
Flag of Montenegro (1905–1918).svg 50,000

The First Great War (often abbreviated as FGW) was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 31 August 1917. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 57 million military personnel, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb Yugoslav nationalist, assassinated the Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, leading to the July Crisis. In response, on 23 July Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia. Serbia's reply failed to satisfy the Austrians, and the two moved to a war footing.

A network of interlocking alliances enlarged the crisis from a bilateral issue in the Balkans to one involving most of Europe. By July 1914, the great powers of Europe were divided into two coalitions: the Triple Entente—consisting of France, Russia and Britain—and the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy (the Triple Alliance was primarily defensive in nature, allowing Italy to stay out of the war in 1914).[14] Russia felt it necessary to back Serbia and, after Austria-Hungary shelled the Serbian capital of Belgrade on the 28th, partial mobilisation was approved.[15] General Russian mobilisation was announced on the evening of 30 July; on the 31st, Austria-Hungary and Germany did the same, while Germany demanded Russia demobilise within 12 hours.[16] When Russia failed to comply, Germany declared war on 1 August in support of Austria-Hungary, with Austria-Hungary following suit on 6th; France ordered full mobilisation in support of Russia on 2 August.[17]

Second Great War[edit | edit source]

Second Great War
WWImontage.jpg
(Clockwise from the top) The aftermath of shelling during the Battle of the Somme, Mark V tanks cross the Hindenburg Line, Template:HMS sinks after hitting a mine in the Dardanelles, a British Vickers machine gun crew wears gas masks during the Battle of the Somme, Albatros D.III fighters of Jagdstaffel 11
Date 1 July 1941 – 25 September 1944
(Template:Age in months, weeks and days/display)
Location Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, China, the Americas
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Allies:
Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary
Flag of Italy (1861–1946).svg Italy
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
Flag of Romania.svg Romania
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
Flag of Poland.svg Poland
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania
23px Finland

Other allies:
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
Flag of Norway.svg Norway
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark


Co-belligerents:
Flag of Japan.svg Japan

Axis:
Flag of Russia.svg Russia
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Empire

Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg France


Co-belligerents:
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1936; 1941-1974).svg Abyssinia

Commanders and leaders
Flag of the German Empire.svg Wilhelm III
Flag of the German Empire.svg Franz von Papen
Flag of the German Empire.svg Ludwig Beck
Flag of the German Empire.svg Erwin Rommel
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Otto I
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg George VI
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Winston Churchill
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Oswald Mosley
Strength
Total: 26,482,321
Flag of the German Empire.svg 13,250,000
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg 7,800,000
Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg 2,998,321
Flag of Romania.svg 1,234,000
Flag of Bulgaria.svg 1,200,000
Total: 31,438,884
Flag of Russia.svg 12,000,000
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg 8,841,541
Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg 8,660,000
Flag of Japan.svg 800,000
State Flag of Serbia (1882-1918).svg 707,343
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg 380,000
Flag of Montenegro (1905–1918).svg 50,000

The Second Great War (often abbreviated to SGW or GWII) was a global war that lasted from 1941 to 1944. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 50 million people from over 20 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. The Second Great War was one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, marked by 20 million casualties. It included massacres, genocides, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

The defeated Triple Entente of the First Great War were severely punished by the victorious Central Powers in various treaties following the war. Britain, France, and Russia were forced to cut down their military size and pay war reparations to the Central Powers. Reactionary and revanchist factions began to take power in the defeated nations. Russia was the first, with General Mikhail Diterikhs's appointment as Prime Minister in 1928. France followed and elected François de La Rocque as President in 1930. Britain was the last with Winston Churchill's Conservatives winning in 1936. As all of the former Central Powers nations had been weakened during the 1920s, the defeated Entente pressured German Chancellor Otto Wels to rescind the arms restrictions and suspend inspections. In 1938, Britain, France, and Russia signed the Tripartite Pact, also known as the "Petrograd–London–Paris Axis". Following this, German Chancellor Franz von Papen signed the Quadruple Alliance with Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Turkey.

The war shortly after the death of Wilhelm II, when Russia demanded that German troops leave Ukraine and Finland. Chancellor Franz von Papen refused and shortly after, Russia moved its armies into Ukraine. Germany deemed this an act of war and formally declared war on the Russian Empire. Russia's allies soon declared war on Germany, while Germany's allies declared war on the Axis. The Axis would catch the Allies by surprise, with the French pushing Germany across the Rhine and the Russians moving as far west as Königsberg and nearly all of Poland. The British would launch successful invasions of the Netherlands and Norway during the summer, while Denmark would fall in the winter. The war reached a stalemate after the Russian advance stopped at the Battle of Breslau and the Japanese attack on British Hong Kong in March 1942, forcing the British to divert forces to the Pacific War. In September 1942, the Germans would successfully cross the Rhine into Cologne and Koblenz, breaking the year-long stalemate in the west. To the south, the Italians and Austro-Hungarians would deal a harsh blow against the French and British at Verona in October 1942.

By March 1943, the Axis Powers were mostly driven out of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The German Army, under the command of Ludwig Beck launched their invasion of Norway in April, code-named Operation Claus. General Erwin Rommel would lead his offensive against the French in the same month, pushing the Axis as far west as Meaux by summer. Paris would fall to the allies on July 5, and President La Rocque would be captured a week after. With France pushed out of the war, the allies turned their attention to the east, where the war had reached a stalemate in Poland. The shift of manpower east would help turn the war in Germany's favor, and following the Second Battle of Warsaw, the Russians were forced into retreat. In the west, the Luftstreitkräfte mounted continuous bombing raids over Britain, devastating the capital city of London.

Wars[edit | edit source]

Start Finish Name of Conflict Belligerents
Victorious party (if applicable) Defeated party (if applicable)
1914 1917 First Great War Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary
Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg Turkey
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
Flag of Romania.svg Romania
Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg France
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom

Flag of Russia.svg Russia

1917 1925 Russian Civil War Flag of Russia.svg Tsarists
Foreign Intervention:
Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria
Flag of Romania.svg Romania
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom (until 1917)
Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Victorious in their respective countries:
Flag of Finland (1918-1920).svg Finland
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania
United Baltic Duchy flag.svg Livonia
Flag of Poland.svg Poland
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine
Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1918–1937).svg Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Other Soviet Republics
1936 1939 Spanish Civil War Flag of Spain (1938–1945).svg Nationalists
Supported by:
Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg France
Flag of Russia.svg Russia
Flag of Spain (1785–1873, 1875–1931).svg Monarchists
Supported by:
Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary
1941 1944 Second Great War Allies
Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany
Flag of Austria-Hungary (1869-1918).svg Austria-Hungary
Flag of Italy (1861–1946).svg Italy
Flag of Romania.svg Romania
Co-belligerents:
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
Flag of Norway.svg Norway
State flag of Iran (1933–1964).svg Persia
Flag of Finland (1918-1920).svg Finland
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria (1942–44)
Flag of the Ottoman Empire.svg Turkey (1942–44)
Client and puppet states:
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
Flag of Poland.svg Poland
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania
United Baltic Duchy flag.svg Livonia
Tripartite Pact
Flag of Russia.svg Russia
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British Empire

Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg France (1941–43)


Co-belligerents:
Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Flag of Saudi Arabia (1938–1973).svg Saudi Arabia (1942–43)
1941 1946 Pacific War Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg United States
Flag of the Republic of China.svg China
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom (1942–44)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
Flag of Japan.svg Japan

1920s Arms Race[edit | edit source]

  • No Washington Naval Treaty = Arms race between U.S., Germany, and Japan
  • Japan renews alliance with Britain in 1921
  • Germany and the United States in small cold war with each other
  • Japan emerges as power in East Asia

Nations[edit | edit source]

Australasia[edit | edit source]

Flag Nation Capital Government OTL equivalent Head of State
Eureka Flag.svg Australia
Republic of Australia
Canberra Unitary presidential constitutional republic Australia, Papua New Guinea TBD
NZ flag design Silver Fern (Red, White & Blue) by Kyle Lockwood.svg New Zealand
Republic of New Zealand
Wellington Unitary parliamentary republic New Zealand Patsy Reddy

Asia[edit | edit source]

Flag Nation Capital Government OTL equivalent Head of State
Flag of the Republic of China.svg China
Republic of China
Nanjing Federalism parliamentary constitutional republic Republic of China (1912-1949) TBD
Flag of Japan.svg Japan
State of Japan
Tokyo Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy Japan, Karafuto Prefecture, Kuril Islands Naruhito
Flag of South Korea.svg Korea
Korean Republic
Seoul Unitary presidential constitutional republic Korean Peninsula Moon Jae-in

Europe[edit | edit source]

Flag Nation Capital Government OTL equivalent Head of State
Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy.svg Danubia
Federation of the Danube
Vienna Federalism parliamentary constitutional monarchy Austria-Hungary, Montenegro, parts of Serbia, Malta Charles II
Flag of France.svg France
Kingdom of France
Paris Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy Pre-WWI France, excluding Nord, Pas-de-Calais, Savoy, and Alpes-Maritimes Louis XX
Flag of the German Empire.svg Germany
German Empire
Berlin Federalism parliamentary constitutional monarchy German Empire, Luxembourg, parts of Belgium Frederick IV
Flag of Italy (1861–1946).svg Italy
Kingdom of Italy
Rome
Flag of the United Empire Loyalists.svg United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain
London Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy

North America[edit | edit source]

Flag Nation Capital Government OTL equivalent Head of State
Flag of Canada (1964).svg Canada
Federal Republic of Canada
Ottawa Federal presidential constitutional republic Canada Joyce Murray
Flag of the United States.svg United States
United States of America
Washington, D.C. Federalism presidential constitutional republic United States, Cuba, Polynesia, Micronesia, and parts of Melanesia Marco Rubio

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 1914 – POD The Italian government, after negotiations with both sides of the war, decides that they will remain neutral in the conflict, citing the popular opposition to war. As a result, the Central Powers do not have to divert forces to fight in Italy.
  • 1915 – The Kingdom of Romania enters the war in favor of the Central Powers, seeing the tide of the war and the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires promising Moldava for the Romanians.
  • 1917 – German forces score a crushing victory at the Battle of Verdun. As Paris is within miles of the advancing German Army and the withdrawal of Russia, France sues for peace. Three days later, the United Kingdom follows suit. The snap election sweeps out the Liberal National Government and Bonar Law's Conservatives take control.
  • 1918 – The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Treaty of Oldenburg, and the Treaty of Koblenz effectively end the war. (Soviet) Russia is forced to relinquish claims on the Baltic states, Congress Poland, Ukraine, Finland cede Moldava to Romania, cede Armenia to Turkey, and pay reparations to the Central Powers. The Treaty of Oldenburg forces France to demilitarize the region northeast of the River Somme, then southeast to the Rhone. The French would also cede French Equatorial Africa to become part of Mittelafrika. The Treaty of Koblenz would assert German hegemony over Belgium, cede the Congo to Germany, release Ireland from British rule, and force Britain to pay reparations to Germany and Austria-Hungary.
  • 1919 – Threatened by ongoing civil unrest, Wilhelm II signs the new German constitution, reforming the German Empire into a British-styled parliamentary monarchy. The Chancellor is no longer appointed by the monarch and the first election under the new constitution takes place. Otto Wels and his Social Democratic majority take control of the Reichstag and Wels becomes Chancellor.
  • 1920 – President Charles Evans Hughes wins reelection as President of the United States. He campaigns as a nationalist and runs against the German, British, and Japanese Empires, calling them threats to the United States.
  • 1921 – The United States begins to modernize and expand its navy.