Russian trolls

[Smitty-48]

Even in the Second World War, the British didn't give a shit about the Continent, they didn't give a shit about France, all that was important was the route to India and the Far East beyond, Hitler was only a problem so long as he sat astride that, and he only sat astride that when Italy flipped to Germany's side, so Britain's entire war effort was basically about taking Italy and North Africa, and convincing the Americans to help, while delaying the American plan to liberate France, which the British did not prioritize at all.

[nmoore63]

You literally have nothing that backs up Britain being ok with a one power continent.

The British at this point were not so concerned with the Continent anymore, they had gone global, they were all about the Far East and India, the Germans wanted their Place in the Sun, they weren't looking to take India from the British, the British were more worried about the Americans at this point, American public opinion and Wall Street banks were far more important, the German Navy could be contained, so long as the British kept America onside.

bullshit

[nmoore63]

Even in the Second World War, the British didn't give a shit about the Continent, they didn't give a shit about France, all that was important was the route to India and the Far East beyond, Hitler was only a problem so long as he sat astride that, and he only sat astride that when Italy flipped to Germany's side, so Britain's entire war effort was basically about taking Italy and North Africa, and convincing the Americans to help, while delaying the American plan to liberate France, which the British did not prioritize at all.

you don't actually believe this do you?

[Smitty-48]

Even in the Second World War, the British didn't give a shit about the Continent, they didn't give a shit about France, all that was important was the route to India and the Far East beyond, Hitler was only a problem so long as he sat astride that, and he only sat astride that when Italy flipped to Germany's side, so Britain's entire war effort was basically about taking Italy and North Africa, and convincing the Americans to help, while delaying the American plan to liberate France, which the British did not prioritize at all.

you don't actually believe this do you?

That's the reality of Churchill's entire war plan, Italy was not in any way the Soft Underbelly of Europe and he knew it, but that was what he convinced FDR of in order to get FDR to fight the British fight to retake the route to India and the Far East beyond, even tho FDR's Generals were screaming at him that the British were scamming him into fighting for the Raj in India, because FDR was simply charmed by wiley ol' Churchill.

[Smitty-48]

The fact is, early on in the Second World War, the Americans did not trust the British, there was huge tension, the American military commanders wanted to cut straight to France and thought that fighting in the Mediterranean was entirely about the British and India and so they wanted nothing to do with it, and it was only the personal connection between Churchill and FDR what overruled them.

Churchill convinced FDR that cutting straight to France would be a "disastrous bloodbath" and Italy was the "Soft Underbelly of Europe", so they should bomb Germany instead while they fought for the Med in the meantime, and that's how he scammed him.

[nmoore63]

You misunderstand.
I wasn't talking about ww2. I was talking about what you were inferring about pre-ww1 Britain.

[Smitty-48]

Pre WWI Britain had already started to turn away from the Continent as the center of gravity, the British understood that America was the new center of gravity, America was the future not the Continent, and the greatest concern was not Germany whupping France in Franco-Prussian War II, the greatest concern was keeping the Americans onside with the British Imperial project, India and the Far East above all.

The British were already in a state which they called "Splendid Isolation", and the whole point was that they were following the American lead of staying on the sidelines and letting the Continentals fight while profiting from it, that is until, they mindlessly charged into the Franco-Prussian dispute, not for France, not for the Continent, just for tiny Belgium.

[Smitty-48]

They didn't call India the Jewel in the Crown for nothing, the Raj in India was the centerpiece of the British Empire, the prize above all prizes.

Why did the British go to South Africa? India, have to control the route round the Horn.

Why did they go to the Middle East? India, new faster route through the Suez.

Why did they fight for the Mediterranean and resist American efforts to liberate the Continent in WWII? India, India is the only thing to fight for here.

Why did they charge into the Franco-Prussian dispute for tiny Belgium? Not India, which is why it was the ultimate strategic blunder which cost them the Empire, including the Jewel in the Crown in the end.

[Okeefenokee]

Again, if not a world war then not a total war of annihilation, France is not crushed, it's Franco-Prussian War II, the French are defeated but not annihilated, the French capitulate, the Germans offer terms, the French give up overseas territories to the Germans, the Germans go home with their spoils.

Anglo-America would have very likely been the arbiter to negotiate the settlement, and Germany would be their new best friend, because Anglo-America loves a winner.

This.

But the Great War would have only been postponed.

[Okeefenokee]

you are kidding yourself with legitimate questions concerning the Great War.

German would have got huge chunks of Russia and France.

Britain would have allied against greater Germany just like they did greater France Napoleon.

There was always going to be said collision.

Even though it certainly didn’t have to happen then.

The big showdown was always going to happen. We saw it happen the way it happened. Another timeline would have seen it happen another way, but it was gonna happen.