WW1: What if Russian Empire sided with Germany

If the Russian Empire had sided with Germany in World War I, the entire geopolitical landscape of the 20th century would have been drastically altered. The war itself would have played out very differently, likely resulting in a decisive victory for the Central Powers much earlier than 1918. Here’s how events could have unfolded:

1. Pre-War Shifts: Why Would Russia Side with Germany?
For Russia to align with Germany instead of the Entente, several major diplomatic or internal changes would need to occur before 1914:

No Anglo-Russian Rapprochement (1907): If Anglo-Russian tensions over Persia and Central Asia had remained high, Russia might have stayed closer to Germany and Austria.
Different Russian Leadership: If a pro-German faction gained influence in the Russian court (perhaps through a stronger Germanophile stance from Nicholas II or the Romanov family), Russia could have remained aligned with the Germanic powers.
Austro-Russian Balkan Agreement: A compromise over the Balkans could have prevented the Russo-Austrian rivalry. If Austria-Hungary made territorial concessions or agreed to a co-dominion system in Serbia, Russia might not have supported the Serbs.
With Russia shifting to the German camp, France and Britain would have been severely weakened in terms of allies.

2. 1914: The War Begins—Russia Fights for the Central Powers
No Eastern Front for Germany: Without the massive Russian front, Germany wouldn’t need to divide its forces, allowing it to focus its entire military strength on France.
France Is Doomed: With all German forces pouring into Belgium and northern France, the Schlieffen Plan would likely succeed. Paris could fall within months, leaving Britain isolated.
Britain’s Position Becomes Difficult: With Germany dominant on the continent and Russia as an ally, Britain's intervention might be too little, too late.
Meanwhile, Russia would have likely turned its attention toward the Ottoman Empire and the Balkans:

Russia Might Still Attack the Ottomans: Even though aligned with Germany, Russia’s long-term goal was control over the Bosporus and Constantinople. There could still be a Russo-Ottoman conflict, albeit a negotiated one with Germany’s mediation.
Austria-Hungary Faces No Eastern Threat: Without fighting Russia, Austria-Hungary could devote its forces entirely to the Serbian front, quickly crushing Serbia and eliminating the Balkan theater.
3. 1915-1916: The Entente Collapses
France Falls by 1915: With Germany throwing everything at the Western Front, the French army would have been overwhelmed. A peace treaty, possibly similar to the Treaty of Frankfurt (1871), would be imposed on France, potentially leading to large territorial concessions.
Britain Left Isolated: Without a strong land ally in Europe, Britain would have little chance of mounting a serious counterattack. It might resort to naval warfare and blockades, but without France and Russia, Britain would struggle to keep Germany at bay.
Italy’s Position Changes: Without the promise of Austrian territory from the Entente, Italy might stay neutral or even join the Central Powers.
The Ottomans Survive Longer: If Russia is on Germany’s side, the Ottoman Empire avoids a two-front war against both Britain and Russia. While they may still struggle in the Middle East, they wouldn’t face a direct Russian invasion from the Caucasus.
4. 1917-1918: The Central Powers Dictate the Peace
Britain Might Sue for Peace: If Germany decisively defeats France and dominates continental Europe, Britain might have to accept a negotiated peace, especially if Germany can offer economic incentives or allow British colonial dominance to continue.
Russia’s Status Improves: By aligning with the victors, Russia could secure strategic advantages, such as access to the Balkans, influence in Persia, and possible gains against the Ottomans. The Russian Revolution of 1917 might not happen, as war exhaustion wouldn’t be as severe.
A possible peace settlement could include:

Germany taking Alsace-Lorraine and possibly other French territories.
Austria-Hungary annexing Serbia and consolidating its empire.
Russia gaining influence in the Balkans or Constantinople with German approval.
The Ottoman Empire maintaining its territorial integrity.
5. The Aftermath: A Very Different 20th Century
No Communist Russia: Without the devastating losses and economic collapse from the war, the Bolshevik Revolution might never happen. The Russian monarchy or a more stable constitutional government could remain in power.
Germany Becomes the Global Superpower: Without the Treaty of Versailles and the economic ruin of the 1920s, Germany remains a dominant force.
No Rise of Hitler: Without a humiliating defeat in World War I, no Treaty of Versailles, and no economic collapse, the conditions for Adolf Hitler’s rise to power might never exist.
The British Empire Declines More Slowly: Without a drawn-out war, Britain’s imperial decline might be delayed, leading to a different decolonization process.
No World War II (At Least in the Same Way): Without a defeated, vengeful Germany and an expansionist USSR, the Second World War as we know it wouldn’t happen. However, new conflicts (such as between Germany and Britain, or a potential German-American rivalry) could arise later.
Final Verdict: A German-Led Europe and a Different Global Order
If Russia had joined Germany, World War I would have been shorter, more decisive, and completely changed the 20th century. The Central Powers would have emerged victorious, likely leading to a world where Germany and Russia dominated European geopolitics. The Soviet Union would probably never exist, and World War II might have been entirely different—or not happened at all.

Would this world be better or worse? That depends on your perspective.

When you do backstab path in TGWR

WW1: What if Russian Empire sided with Germany // This really needs a part two!

Queen Victoria was the, important parent, fuck the King of Prussia.

you are agreat youtuber but i currently want to open a alternative history youtube channel and i am looking for an ai voice that looks very similar to humans so can you please tell me which ai voice you used in this video

Good video as always, keep going

the ending that should have been (?)

А ще има ли субтитри на български език

Where did you get the european post war map?

With French and British loosing the war, American loans to Europe were lost also. USA goes into depression, its ascend to superpower status would delayed for at least two decades.

My great grandfather, a General in the Hungarian Empire along with his cousin as a General in the Czar's Army, were responsible for the immigration of over 10,000 Ruthenian families. They both knew that WW1 was coming. And that France was the "deep state" Communist instigator of WW1 as a revenge against Germany for France's devasting lose during the 1870's Franco-Prussian War. One war leads to another that leads to another that leads to another…..ENDLESS WARS!! Today we are ALL suffering from the effects of World War 1.

Well Otto von Bismarck literally formed the Dreikaiserbund in 1873 and it was dissolved in 1887. This was an alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia. However the alliance fell apart after disagreements between Russia and Austria-Hungary. If Kaiser Wilhelm II had not dismissed Bismarck in the 1890s, and held a conference similar to the Berlin Conference between Russia and Austria-Hungary over who gets what in the Balkans and potentially including Italy into the fold, then the Central Powers would be even more powerful and WW1 would be more like a Franco-German war in which the Germans would win undoubtedly. Why I suggest inviting Italy to this conference you may ask? Because Italy had claims to Albania and Greece prior to Mussolini, and guaranteeing them these lands in exchange for surrendering their territorial claims over Austria-Hungary would butterfly effect away the Italians siding with the Entente over these territories. Plus with Russia in the alliance, Italy would never attempt to challenge the Central Powers as the Germans are not fighting on a two front war anymore, and would see opposing the Central Powers as suicide and would also see an easy expansion of their empire in multiple areas such as the Americas, Africa, and Asia, as well as regaining the former Italian lands taken from France such as Savoy and Nice. The Central Powers could've expanded their alliance even further if they included the Ottomans and Swedish into this alliance by guaranteeing the Ottomans the reconstruction of their empire as well as guaranteeing them the Arabian Peninsula and for Sweden, guaranteeing them the return of Norway and Saint Barthelemy, as well as potentially, Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands if Denmark joins the Entente which they wouldn't.

а защо няма да има субтитри на български език

15:51 They also had a Fedorov Avtomat, an early automatic rifle that fires 6.5mm Japanese Arisaka ammo. And in this universe, the Fedorov Avtomag produce time increases a lot and German Empire gets inspire a lot of this rifle and they adopt it or build their own.

Germany worst mistake was sealing alliance with Austro-Hungary. It went against everything German forefathers stood for: "Germany cannot fight a two front war"; "France needs to be isolated". What part of that Willem II didn't read?

that one island that Japan had half of they would take it and all of western parts of antitolia would fall to the Greeks/Bulgarians

Bro you are the best channel ever😊😊😊😊 how are you not at 20 million subs 😊😊 keep it up😊

@zvallid hi, thank you for your good video. Btw, may you share me where did you find/make the map at 3:12 ， 20:11 and 5:12？

I was about to go to sleep untill i saw zvalid uploaded

WHY would germany wage marine warfare at all, let the inselaffe have the german colonies, If germany had russia as their ally the resources of a continent would be in their hands. The germans would of course still demand danzig abd the baltic corridor and the sudenten land. But with russia on their side there would be no axis and italy would be left out.

That makes zero sense. For Germany, World War 1 was solely about defeating the Tsardom and becoming the predominant power in Central & Eastern Europe. (Austria consolidating the Balkans to take Constantinople from the Ottomans later, again to beat out the Russian Tsardom, was a nice bonus)

A Russian-German alliance makes about as much sense as a German-Israeli alliance in World War 2.

What would ww2 be like if the Russian empire sided with germany in ww1.

What if Alexander II and Queen Victoria DID marry in 1830s? It could actually happen and could lead to personal union between Britain and Russia, who were rivals at the time