WHAT IFS

Français : Plan Schlieffen et Plan XVII en 1914 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thought the end of the lesson raised two great "what ifs":  what if Austria-Hungary had defeated Serbia within a month?

What if the Germans had been able to implement the Schlieffen plan as it was originally intended to be followed, without having to send troops East to protect its borders against Russia as a consequence of Austria-Hungary moving the bulk of its army south to Serbia?  What if the Schlieffen plan had worked rather than been compromised and diluted and France had capitulated within 6 to 8 weeks? 

Would the First World War had amounted to either a minor local difficulty which could have been sorted at Conference level. Would it have resulted in German hegemony without the loss of 9 million lives?  Would it even have avoided the rise of Hitler?

Would a short war and a speedy peace  have been a good thing in the long run? 

I  am retiring to my chamber. Enjoy pondering!

Steve