I wonder how different history would be, if World War 1 never even happened!

WWII I think would have definitely been different or avoided altogether, but I don't know what impact it would have had on Korea or Vietnam since those wars were fought with communism as a major player on one side and the Soviets were already heading that direction regardless of what happened in Europe. So, communist influence of the USSR may have still influenced North Korea and the North Vietnamese regardless and still have caused issues if you exclude influence in the region from the Imperial Japan.

What would be different is that Germany may not have been under such incredible oppression from the other European nations under the terms of the Paris peace conference. That is the ultimate catalyst (I think) for the second uprising of the German people with the extremism of the Nazi party and Hitler. He was their savior from all the oppression from the rest of Europe. Had the PPC been more supportive of a rebuilt and reformed Germany, boosting their economy instead of forcing reparations and pounding the nation into an un-repayable debt, the political landscape may have been completely different. Germany may have even been an ally in fighting the subsequent wars. Fascist Italy may have also failed since they fed off of the German fascist movement.

Great question, very interesting!

Good reply

To a certain extent, yes. Germany and Russia would both have better futures if WWI. Germany would never have had to pay any of the war reparations it had to pay under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Without any war at all, the Kaiser would have remained in power, perhaps eventually establishing a parliament. Even when the Great Depression still happens, Germany isn’t utterly destroyed by it, meaning Hitler and the Nazis have no path to power. Without Hitler, there’s no European theatre for WWII, no fascist Spain, no Holocaust, no Israel, and no East and West Germany. There may still be a war in the Pacific against Imperial Japan, but not a World War, just more regional conflict.

Russia meanwhile is a bit harder to predict. It was still a bit of a backwater country when it entered WWI. The Czar was quite unpopular as well as the war, plus a famine sealed the deal for the February Revolution, the provisional government, and the rise of Communism. Without WWI, Russia will probably overthrow the czar when the famine hits. However without the loss of WWI, Lenin doesn’t have the opportunity to start the October Revolution and create the Soviet Union. Without the Soviet Union, there isn’t the threat of communism to scare the west into a situation like the Cold War. This would likely result in more social programs in western countries since they wouldn’t likely be viewed as evil socialism. Of course, without the Soviet Union or WWII, there’s no competing ideologies that trigger divided countries like Germany, Korea, or Vietnam, therefore, there’s no Korean or Vietnam wars. There’s also no Space Race or Race for Nuclear arms. Alternate history is hard to predict though.

Good perspective! I dont claim to be a huge history buff, but I'm happy to see you hit some of the same points I did. I'd say you may have even corrected a couple of mine. As you said, alternate history is hard to predict, but fascinating all the same!

Thanks. I can't say for sure that's what would happen, but it's what I see as the most likely scenario.

Maybe not avoided but definitely different probably

Maybe

(According to some historians.)

There is no telling on these things. Things would have gone differently and some modern treaties standing for peace now would never have been signed either. What is true is that the fiasco of WWI did feed Hitler for his propaganda from WWII. Now idiots like him can always raise to power if they want to, and the question is if Hitler could have found other ways to get to power. Also note that it's not only bad stuff the two world wars brought us. Some of the best inventions are done during war. The computer was originally invented to decipher encrypted German messages, so that wouldn't be there if WWII never happened... In theory... I know less about WWI, but there too some things must have happened that worked beneficial, which way otherwise not have happened and be food for wars later....

In other words, the way the story went leading WWII now may not have happened if WWI never happened since the fiasco of WWI was the lead to WWII in the current timeline, but what can never tell what could have happened in an alternate timeline that could lead to an alternative of the war we now know as WWII. If people really want war, they'll always find a reason to have it, and if a mistake from the enemy isn't made to justify it.... One will be found anyway or be enforced. The only thing that is sure is that things will have been different.

world war 2 wouldn't have happened because it would have been the first one.