Talk:The Great War (Chinese Meiji)

Summary of the conflict
 * Initial Alliances: Russia, US, Britain, France, Italy VS Germany, Austria, Ottoman, China, Japan (according to treaties and pacts)
 * War Outbreak: Russia, US, Britain, France VS Germany, Austria, Ottoman, China, Japan (Italy turns neutral)
 * Sometime during the war: Russia, US, Britain, Italy VS Germany, Austria, Ottoman, China, Japan (France is defeated, Italy for some reason joins the losing side)
 * End of war in Europe: Russia, Italy VS Austria, Ottoman, China, Japan (Germany makes peace with Brit and US)
 * End of War: China is dismembered, as is [I assume] Austria, Germany, and Ottoman Empire (because post-war China loses frontier provinces and assumes Wilson's 16 Points are like the OTL 14 Points Agreement). BUT how did they end up losing the war? They were clearly winning and posed to win.

How to start a world war... initial questions to be answered:
 * 1) What were the causes of the war?
 * 2) What were the alliances like?
 * 3) What were the goals of the warring parties?
 * 4) What were the theatres of war?

Chinese Empire
1. Causes
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with Russia (Russian Far East, Siberia, Central Asia)
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with France (Indochina, esp Annam)
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with Britain (India Raj and Siamese Canal)
 * Conflict with United States over immigration policy

2. Alliances
 * with Japan (Sino-Japanese Mutual Protection Treaty 1889)
 * with Germany (Treaty of Leipzig 1894)

3. Goals
 * protect China Proper from foreign threats by securing buffer frontier provinces
 * keep Asia for Asians - prevent colonization by Europeans and US
 * protect the rights of Chinese citizens overseas and in exclaves
 * continue high economic growth to lift citizenry out of poverty

4. Theatres of War
 * Petropavlovsk (Russia)
 * Kuye-Sakhalin (Russia)
 * Lake Baikal (Russia)
 * Tannu Uriankhai (Russia)
 * Kashgar Uyghuristan (Russia)
 * Afghanistan (Russia & Britain)
 * Nepal (Britain)
 * Sikkim (Britain)
 * Bhutan (Britain)
 * Yunnan (France)
 * Vietnam (France)
 * Taiwan (Britain & France & US)
 * East China Sea (Britain & France & US)
 * South China Sea (Britain & France & US)

Japanese Empire
1. Causes
 * Conflict with United States over immigration policy
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with United States over the Philipines
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with Russia (Aleutian Islands, Kuril Islands)

2. Alliances
 * with China (Sino-Japanese Mutual Protection Treaty 1889)

3. Goals
 * Securing resources for economic growth
 * Keep Asia for Asians

4. Theatres of War
 * Petropavlovsk (Russia)
 * Kuye-Sakhalin (Russia)
 * Taiwan (Britain & France & US)
 * East China Sea (Britain & France & US)
 * South China Sea (Britain & France & US)
 * The Philipines (United States)

Russian Empire
1. Causes
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with China (Central Asia, Siberia, Russian Far East)
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with Ottoman (Central Asia, Crimea, Caucasus)

2. Alliances
 * with France (Franco-Russian Mutual Defence Pact 1892)
 * with United States (Honolulu Pact 1906)

3. Goals
 * Defend interests of Slavs in Europe (such as Serbia)
 * Recapture Crimea
 * Recapture Petropavlovsk
 * Capture Kuye-Sakhalin
 * Capture a year-round ice-free port in the Pacific (such as Haishenwei)
 * Expand influence into Mongolia, Manchuria, and Muslim Uyghuristan

4. Theatres of War
 * Petropavlovsk (China & Japan)
 * Kuye-Sakhalin (China & Japan)
 * Lake Baikal (China)
 * Tannu Uriankhai (China)
 * Kashgar Uyghuristan (China)
 * Afghanistan (China)

Ottoman Caliphate
1. Causes
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with Russia (Caucasus, Crimea, Central Asia)
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with Britain (Egypt, Persia, India)

2. Alliances
 * NONE?

What happened to the Ottoman Empire?

Germany (Prussia)
1. Causes
 * See OTL

2. Alliances
 * with Austria (Triple Alliance 18xx)
 * with Italy (Triple Alliance 18xx)
 * with China (Treaty of Leipzig 1894)

3. Goals
 * See OTL

4. Theatres
 * See OTL minus German colonies in the Pacific, because they dont have any there

Austria-Hungary
OTL

France
1. Causes
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with China (Vietnam, Indochina)

2. Alliances
 * with Great Britain (Entente Cordiale 1904)
 * with Russia (Franco-Russian Mutual Defence Pact 1892)

3. Goals
 * expand Indochina territory and influence
 * kick Germany's ass

4. Theatres
 * Vietnam against the Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese
 * Taiwan against the Chinese

Great Britain
1. Causes
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with China (British Raj, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan)

2. Alliances
 * with France (Entente Cordiale 1904)

3. Goals
 * consolidate the Raj in India
 * check on Oriental expansion
 * kick Germany's ass

4. Theatres
 * Indian-Chinese border (incl. Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan) against the Chinese
 * Afghanistan against the Chinese
 * Naval battles in the East and South China Seas
 * Taiwan against the Chinese

Italia
OTL, and some modifications?

United States
1. Causes
 * Conflict over spheres of influence with Japan (Philipines)
 * Xenophobia against Chinese and Japanese citizenry

2. Alliances
 * with Russia (Honolulu Pact 1906)

3. Goals
 * check on Oriental expansion

4. Theatres
 * The Philipines against the Chinese and Japanese
 * Naval battles in the East and South China Seas
 * Taiwan against the Chinese

Choseon
1. Causes
 * Locked in by alliances

2. Alliances
 * with China (Oriental Customs Union)
 * with Japan (Oriental Customs Union)

3. Goals
 * maintain national sovereignty
 * economic growth

4. Theatres
 * Participates in Chinese and Japanese battles in the Russian Far East
 * Participates in naval battles in East China Sea and Taiwan

Vietnam
1. Causes
 * Conflict with France over imperialist encroachment of territory

2. Alliances
 * none...

3. Goals
 * maintain national sovereignty
 * get the French out of its territory

4. Theatres
 * Vietnam

Siam
1. Causes
 * Conflict with France over imperialist encroachment of territory
 * Grievances over British, Chinese, Japanese control of Kra Canal

2. Alliances
 * satellite state of France

3. Goals
 * maintain national sovereignty
 * control the Kra Canal

4. Theatres
 * Kra Canal
 * Malaya
 * Yunnan