Had Germany won World War I, how much immigration would it get afterwards?

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Futurist
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Had Germany won World War I, how much immigration would it get afterwards?

#1

Post by Futurist » 29 Oct 2017, 09:02

Had Germany won World War I, how much immigration would it get afterwards?

Basically, I am curious about this considering that a victorious Germany would probably try creating a kind of proto-European Union in the form of Mitteleuropa and considering that Germany was one of the wealthiest countries in Europe during this time (something that would only be enhanced by a German victory in World War I). In addition, what also fascinates me is that former colonial powers (France, Britain, and Russia) get a lot of immigration from their former colonies in real life and thus I am wondering if the same thing could have happened with Germany in relation to Eastern Europe. (Similarly, due to it being a global leader of sorts, the U.S. gets a lot of immigration in real life; thus, I am wondering if a Germany which is the undisputed leader of Europe after a WWI victory could have likewise gotten a lot of immigration over the next 100 years.)

In addition to this, I am wondering if the turmoil in the former Austria-Hungary could have caused many people there to try immigrating to Germany in order to have a better life. Indeed, I have heard from Kotromanic that Austria-Hungary might have collapsed even if the Central Powers had won World War I if the war lasted to 1917 or beyond.

Anyway, any thoughts on all of this?

jesk
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Re: Had Germany won World War I, how much immigration would it get afterwards?

#2

Post by jesk » 29 Oct 2017, 17:40

There was no sense to immigrate to Germany. From advantages only food. The TV, the computer, the microwave oven, the car all this has appeared then.


maltesefalcon
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Re: Had Germany won World War I, how much immigration would it get afterwards?

#3

Post by maltesefalcon » 29 Oct 2017, 22:00

Would there still be a Great Depression? That was a prime motivator of emmigration in the ten years up to WW2.

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T. A. Gardner
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Re: Had Germany won World War I, how much immigration would it get afterwards?

#4

Post by T. A. Gardner » 31 Oct 2017, 00:48

Probably not that much. The US was likely to still come out of the war a big winner economically. They could return to business with Germany as they'd done prewar so France and Britain losing doesn't hurt the US economically one way or the other. The big advantage Germany gets in a win is they can keep a big chunk of Eastern Europe, even Russia if they want.

There'd still be a depression. All the major European players were broke following the war. Germany winning doesn't change that. Throw in the Spanish Influenza epidemic... If anything, immigration to the US would still be the most likely path most were taking.

The other interesting thing in a German win outcome is, do they demand their overseas colonies back?

maltesefalcon
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Re: Had Germany won World War I, how much immigration would it get afterwards?

#5

Post by maltesefalcon » 31 Oct 2017, 02:28

Good reply above. But its really hard to be specific because someone pulled another What If out of their ass with no explanation of how it occured. (We are seeing way too much of this lately.)
If the German, Austria-Hungary alliance managed to pull off a Schlieffen style victory in 1914, then many of the IRL dominoes will not fall.
Ottomans probably will stay out. Russia finished. Balkans subdued at least temporarily. Japan not in play, so no loss of Pacific colonies. Victory over France and BEF means German Afrika probably safe. Italy was not pro Allies-only lured in with promises, so no losses to Italy either.
USA did not join until 1917 IRL so they are out too.
Its the best scenario I can think of where Germany wins and the continent is not bled white of money and manpower.

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T. A. Gardner
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Re: Had Germany won World War I, how much immigration would it get afterwards?

#6

Post by T. A. Gardner » 31 Oct 2017, 21:12

maltesefalcon wrote:Good reply above. But its really hard to be specific because someone pulled another What If out of their ass with no explanation of how it occured. (We are seeing way too much of this lately.)
If the German, Austria-Hungary alliance managed to pull off a Schlieffen style victory in 1914, then many of the IRL dominoes will not fall.
Ottomans probably will stay out. Russia finished. Balkans subdued at least temporarily. Japan not in play, so no loss of Pacific colonies. Victory over France and BEF means German Afrika probably safe. Italy was not pro Allies-only lured in with promises, so no losses to Italy either.
USA did not join until 1917 IRL so they are out too.
Its the best scenario I can think of where Germany wins and the continent is not bled white of money and manpower.
One way I could see a German win in 1918 is the launch the Kaiser Offensive(s) and the French army mutinies, refusing to fight. At the same time, British morale at home collapses as the population questions why they're fighting when France has all but quit themselves. The British and French sue for a peace that is negotiated.

Germany agrees to giving up some of their occupation of Eastern Europe, regains some or all of their colonial possessions (no doubt angering Japan to no end doing so), agrees to withdraw from France and Belgium returning to some sort of pre-war border. British-French relations take a nose dive and Russia and their civil war become a serious issue for everyone involved.
Japan makes a play to invade and hold a big chunk of Siberia and the US moves to stop that. The Germans continue to occupy much of Western Russia saying they're just trying to stabilize things... With their fingers crossed behind their back... and that when the civil war ends they'll leave. The Austro-Hungarians and Balkans slowly dissolve into chaos as they were doing before the war. The Ottomans still get kicked to the curb and Britain and France divide up their empire gladly exchanging giving Germany back their overseas possessions for that.
I could see in the 20's and 30's a South Africa that is increasingly friendly to their German neighbors and growing more distant from Great Britain and the Commonwealth in that.
With the Germans retaining their fleet and in the 20's and 30's having say an 8 to 10 battleship core, the RN will definitely be challenged at sea in another match up when it occurs. That would also mean the Germans continue to have a Pacific Squadron and significant presence in that region of the world. That could lead to some interesting politics too.

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