The Austrian Painter

Over at the FB Alternate History Group and interesting discussion about a different outcome for WWI.

The war in some form was inevitable, the question for me is what if Germany's Schleiffen Plan had worked?

Well, we can expect that Germany would have taken the Longwy-Briey Iron basin near Metz but probably little other French territory. What would they want with Lille?

The important point here is that without a drawn out WWI and a defeated Germany the entire 20th century is different.

Imagine now, its 1964 and Germany is commemorating the 50th anniversary of its great victory at the Marne. To the West, the military government of the economically anemic France sends a representative. The Austro-Hungarian Confederation is well represented with ambassadors from all of the Slavic nations within. The president of the Free State of Poland attends the ceremonies of its closest ally against the Russian menace. The President of Russia attends as well.

The English speaking peoples are ambivalent. Britain has long moved passed its minor defeat in Belgium and has for the last 50 years concentrated on its empire. There is talk that Parliament may cede its reserve powers to the Dominions. While India has been granted Dominion status, the great British empire in Africa thrives. America is indifferent to the anniversary and consumed with consolidating it's resent gains after the Third Pacific War against Japan.

In Nuremberg a kindly old Austrian painter, well liked in the neighborhood and known to do quick portrait sketches for children, celebrates his 75th birthday.