Imaginary Maps

In this alternate timeline, the Central Powers had a more succesful 1915, starting with a more comprehensive victory at the econd Batle of Ypres, continuing with the Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive (especially at Jaslo and Rzeszow) and finally a more decicise Serbian Campaign. For 1916 Germany believes that Russia can be knocked out and therefore adopts a defensive strategy in the West to absorb the larger Somme Offensive of the Entente.

In this alternate 1916 campaign, Chief of the German General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn abandons the Verdun concept and instead focuses on the destruction of Russia as the decisive act of the year. Reinforced by German formations not consumed at Verdun, Germany launches the Eichhorn Offensive, named after General Hermann von Eichhorn, commander of the German 10th Army and de facto operational leader of the central thrust.

The German plan relied on coordinated advances along a broad arc from the Baltic to the Pripet Marshes. In the north, Army Group Lauenstein moved from the Mitau sector, gradually compelling Russian forces back toward Riga. South of it, the German Eighth Army drove toward Daugavpils, securing the crossings of the Daugava and unhinging the Russian defensive line protecting the Baltic hinterland. The Tenth Army, the offensive’s central spearhead under General von Eichhorn, pushed through Molodechno and Borisov and advanced along the main rail and road corridors toward Minsk. This thrust struck the seam between the Russian Tenth and Second Armies and proved the most strategically significant element of the campaign. To the south, the German Twelfth Army and the mixed German-Austrian Südarmee attacked near Baranovichi and the marshy Polesia region, exploiting weakened Russian dispositions and preventing any coherent counterstroke. Army Group Linsingen and the Austro-Hungarian armies further south, though not part of the main effort, fixed large Russian forces by retaking ground lost in 1915 and threatening Lutsk and Tarnopol, thereby preventing Russia from shifting reserves north to stabilize the Minsk axis.

The Russian North-Western and Western Fronts attempted to slow the advance by reinforcing the threatened sectors with forces initially planned for offensive actions in the south, but their reserves were uncoordinated and their leadership strained by the rapid loss of key railway junctions. Cities such as Molodechno, Borisov, Minsk, and Daugavpils fell one after another, and German units probed toward the line running from Polotsk to Vitebsk. The Russian armies, though not destroyed, were compelled into a deep withdrawal toward Smolensk and Gomel. In the Baltic, the retreat created a long salient that threatened Riga, while in the center the loss of Minsk dismantled Russian logistical coherence in Belarus.

By late summer the offensive had reached the limits of its operational reach. Supply lines were extended, the terrain east of Minsk favoured defense. The Russians were deeply shaken but not yet collapsing. The loss of Minsk and the deep retreat was the last straw for the Tsar as supreme commander and would lead to a political shakeup in Petrograd, including peace feelers via neutral Sweden, Siwtzerland and the United States.

The scenario is simple. Instead of bothering with nature preservation and environmental impact studies or long term knock on effects, the planned construction of the Markerwaard polder continues as planned, with works beginning around 1970, about two years after the Flevopolder was completed. Construction of the Markerwaard polder (and the much smaller IJpolder) took until the early 1980s to complete. The first bits of infrastructure and housing construction started in late 1980s, right around the time when the entire thing officially became a province.

Today the city of Almeredam is a major commuter town for Amsterdam. The direct rail connection via Warderwaard to Hoorn also cuts down on commuting times from there, making it viable for people to live in Hoorn and work in Amsterdam. Similarly the planned extension of the northern metro line to Almere, which was historically scrapped due to the enormous costs of tunneling under the IJ, is now built across the IJpolder.

Now everything is awesome and the housing crisis is definitely solved. Just nine more new cities to go...

In this alternate timeline, the Central Powers had a more succesful 1915, starting with a more comprehensive victory at the econd Batle of Ypres, continuing with the Gorlice-Tarnow Offensive (especially at Jaslo and Rzeszow) and finally a more decicise Serbian Campaign. For 1916 Germany believes that Russia can be knocked out and therefore adopts a defensive strategy in the West. Over the winter of 1915–16, the German Second and Seventh Armies construct a new fortified defensive system, the "Somme-Stellung", running roughly west of Bapaume and then south toward St-Quentin and Laon. Forward positions on the front line are held lightly and designed for elastic defense and a fighting withdrawal.

The Entente launches its major offensive in July 1916, on a broader front than historically. The British Third and Fourth Armies attack between Gommecourt and the Albert–Bapaume road. The French Sixth Army attacks strongly south of the Somme. The French Tenth Army opens a parallel offensive from the direction of Compiègne and Soissons, exploiting the absence of Verdun and France’s greater available strength.

The opening attacks achieve deeper gains than in real history. German forward zones fall back under pressure, inflicting casualties but avoiding encirclement. By mid-August, the Entente has seized much of the German first and second positions.

Through August and early September, the German command conducts a controlled withdrawal. Finally, the Péronne bridgehead becomes untenable.

By late September, German forces evacuate Péronne, demolishing the bridges and withdrawing behind the Somme-Stellung. The Entente tries to exploit the withdrawal, but the new German line—built on reverse slopes, with deep dugouts and integrated artillery zones—proves far harder to penetrate.

Franco-British forces reach but cannot break the new German positions before autumn rains set in.

By mid-October 1916, the offensive ends. The Entente has achieved large territorial gains—more than in the historical Somme—yet the German army has preserved its structure and manpower by trading ground for strategic freedom in the East.

The 1916 Somme offensive is viewed as a partial Entente success. Significant ground is gained (Péronne, the Oise line, much of the old German first and second positions). There is no decisive breakthrough, as the Somme-Stellung holds. German losses are lower than in the real 1916 campaign thanks to the early implementation of elastic defense. French morale is still higher without Verdun draining resources, despite heavy casualties to retake the Somme region.

It sets up a frustrating stalemate, with the Entente planning an even larger 1917 offensive and Germany completing its decisive operations against Russia on the Eastern Front.

When we think of fantasy maps we tend to think of Christopher Tolkien’s classic Middle Earth one (although I always liked the one in The Return of the King with all the contour lines), or the various maps of Westeros in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. You all know what I mean. Barker, though, said in 2022 that “I have no desire whatsoever to create a Middle Earth. None. I have a desire to create fifty Middle Earths, and draw the roads between them – and that’s a very different thing. I think that fantastic worlds can be smothering to the creative impulse.”1

To any reader of his fiction, this is self-evident. Barker almost never revisits a world that he has created. The exceptions – which I’ll look at first – are the children’s series Abarat and the dream sea Quiddity in The Great and Secret Show and Everville: and in each case – albeit in different ways – the world he describes on the return is not the same as it was the first time. To map a thing is to say that it is fixed, and Barker constantly resists such ossification.

Following the alternate Gorlice Tarnow offensive in the summer of 1915, the Central Powers finally start planning for an offensive against Serbia in earnest. Angered by Austrian floundering the German OHL under Falkenhayn dispatches one of its most competent generals in Mackensen to take command. Due to the Habsburg Empire contributing more troops than it did historically - Italy is still neutral at this point - an agreement is struck that Mackensen de jure shares overall command with Archduke Eugen, who in practice just co-signs and rubber stamps Mackensen's orders.

With the 5th Austro-Hungarian army approaching from Bosnia and Bulgaria joining on the side of the Central Powers, Serbia is defeated a bit more decisively than it was historically. Importantly the Serbian retreat is cut off by the Austrian 5th Army under Pflanzer-Baltin who manages to occupy the passes to Albania before the bulk of the Serbians can retreat that way. In the following large encirclement about 100.000 more Serbians are captured as POWs than historically.

While the Entente still lands two divisions in Salonika, as it did historically, there is no Serbian army to reconstitute to bring the fight back to the Bulgarians. Therefore no Salonika front ever seriously forms. To the contrary the Salonika incident leads to Venizelos being discredited in Greese and authority remaining with the King, who insists that only strict neutrality can save Greece. The ongoing occupation of several Greek islands and a small Entente presence in Salonika even against the will of the Greek government becomes a problem for the Entente propaganda. It is hard to maintain the line that it is fighting for the self determination fo the small countries when it is occupying parts of a small nation without consent.

Likewise Italy, still neutral at this point in time, lands some forces in Albania to protect its interests there. While not at war (yet), a tenous Albanian front forms where terrible logistocs mean that Austrians and Bulgarians on one side and Italians on the other mostly just stare at each other angrily while dying of Malaria and other diseases.

Continuing my new little series on a more grounded approach towards a more favourable outcome of WW1 for the Central Powers, here’s the next entry focusing on the Gorlice Tarnow offensive of 1915.

The first entry focused on a more comprehensive German victory in the second battle of Ypres in April 1915. By collapsing the salient there. Moving on from there the Central Powers are able to exploit a dithering Italy to form a larger group for the historical Gorlice Tarnow offensive. The first battle of that offensive that goes differently is the Battle of Jaslo, where Austro-Hungarian forces smash through the Russian defenses in the southern sector.

Moving on from Jaslo and the primary breakthrough between Gorlice and Tarnow, the Russian Third Army is now in full retreat and trying to regroup. Mackensen's Eleventh Army, Boroevic's Third Austro-Hungarian Army and elements of the reserve under Böhm-Ermoli move towards Rzeszow. Mackensen moves some of his most experienced troops (First and Second Guards) to the southern end of his part of the front to help Boroevic's troops regain composure after Jaslo. These fresh troops cross the Wisok east of Jaslo and threaten to encircle the remaining Russians in that sector when they cut the railway connection near Wisniowa from the north. The Russian 7th and 9th Corps begin a chaotic retreat. On the road towards Rzeszow two Russian divisions are shattered. The rest meet up with the retreating 5th and 12th Corps in the city. At this point Böhm-Ermoli's fresh reserves form a second pincer to the north taking Glogow and then crossing the Wislok to cut the railway and road connection east at Lancut.

The Battle of Rzeszow has more or less destroyed the Russian Third Army as a coherent fighting force for the foreseeable future. This forces the 8th Army to move further north and spread thinner in order to cover the gap in the front. In comparison with the historical Gorlice Tarnow Offensive the results are different but not drastically so. The Russian army is in a situation where it has to evacuate Poland and most of Galicia. Historically it was able to retreat mostly in good order and present multiple new defensive lines. In this scenario the retreat is more chaotic and larger formations are surrounded and taken prisoner. The 8th Army will also have to face more of the German attacks in the next weeks, making it harder for Russia to form a coherent offensive force for 1916 around that army.

I hope this scenario is still mostly grounded and realistically achievable given the outcome of Jaslo just a few days earlier. From what I could find out it mirrors what the OHL and AOK had planned to do but couldn't due to sending forces (including Gen. Boroevic, one of the few bright spots of Austrian command) to the Isonzo to combat Italy.

Continuing my little series on a more grounded approach towards a more favourable outcome of WW1 for the Central Powers, here’s the next entry focusing on the Gorlice Tarnow offensive of 1915. The first entry focused on a more comprehensive German victory in the second battle of Ypres in April 1915. By collapsing the salient there, the Germans can free up one or two more divisions for operations in the east. Additionally, and more importantly this event makes Italy think twice before entering the war on the side of the Entente. Italy delays its entry and remains on the proverbial fence for a little while longer.

Continued Italian neutrality allows Austria-Hungary to keep an additional 10-12 divisions focused on Russia and Serbia for the moment. Crucially the large calibre Skoda artillery pieces starting to roll out of the factory can remain at and continue go to the eastern front instead of the Isonzo for now. This allows Austria-Hungary to have a more active role in the historical Gorlice Tarnow Offensive.

Historically Mackensen's Eleventh Army punched through Russian lines between Gorlice and Tarnow starting on 2 May 1915. This map depicts the (fictional) southern extension of that punch, carried out by Boroevic's Third (Austro-Hungarian) Army. Just a day after Mackensen's main push the Austrian artillery starts attacking the Russian positions south of Nowy Zmigród. After losing Stary Zmigród the Russians retreat towards Debowiec. At the same time the Austrian 10th Corps pushes up against the Wisloka river. After intense hand-to-hand fighting the Austrians manage to take the hills north of Jaslo while their artillery superiority allows them to advance towards the Jasiolka river from the south.

At this point the Russian command structure begins to falter and a shattered retreat by parts of the 24th Corps and the bulk of the 7th Corps leads to the bulk of the retreating 24th Corps caught within the city. What's left of the Russian forces tries to regroup east of the Jasiolka river with a new position headquartered at Krosno (off-map). This engagement would see Russian losses of around 15,000, of which around 8,000-10,000 POWs, and the capture of about 40 artillery pieces. Meanwhile Austrian losses would be around 3,000, mostly dead and wounded. (Both sides have understrength divisions after the intense winter fighting here.) General Leontiy Vladimirovich Irmanov, commanding the 24th Corps, is encircled along with the bulk of his 48thth and 63rd divisions.

Historically Jaslo didn't see much action and was taken by the Austrians after the Russians retreated in mostly good order after losing the Gorlice-Tarnow-Line. This ahistorical outcome, achieved with more Austrian forces and artillery available to support the offensive widens the gap in the Russian line. It also deprives Russia of forces that historically acted as a rearguard for later retreats. Lastly the southern road towards Rzeszow is now wide open, allowing Boroevic's Third Army to move north in a pincer movement with Mackensen's Eleventh Army, threatening to repeat the Battle of Jaslo in Rzeszow on a larger scale.

I hope this scenario is still mostly grounded and realistically achievable given the outcome of Ypres just a few weeks earlier. From what I could find out it mirrors what Austria had planned to do but couldn't due to sending forces (including Gen. Boroevic) to the Isonzo to combat Italy.

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/08/getting-lost-in-fictional-maps-narnia-middle-earth-westeros-twin-peaks-oz-zelda/

https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2022/08/mapping-the-land-of-utopia/

This map explores a different outcome of the historical Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. A common trope in alternate history is asking if/how Germany could have won the First World War. The answer usually boils down to either a different kind of war won within the first few weeks/months, a different runup to the war in which the various nations diverge from their historical positions or some hand waving or even asb approaches during the war as we know it.

This fictional outcome of the Second Battle of Ypres has Germany partially follow the advice of Fritz Haber, the inventor of modern gas warfare and nobel prize winner, by allocating two additional divisions as reserves to the offensive and finally by planning the gas attack as a breakthrough instrument rather than a trench clearer. The Germans get lucky with the wether and have favourable winds in the morning of 22 April instead of the afternoon.

These factors combine to allow them to overrun the Frenth 87th territorial division and 45 colonial division (as they did historically) but als move along the Gheluvelt road from the east and finally, taking serious losses, also capture the St. Julien road by the evening of 22 April. This completely cuts of the 1st Canadian division and severely restricts the 28th British division. Entente leadership suffers from miscommunication and logistical problems (like they did historically). Despite attempts at an orderly retreat along the Frenzenberg road the 1sth Canadian and the bulk of the the 28th British division are cut off on 23 April. This marks the largest encirclement on the Western Front after trench warfare was established there.

While in no way strategically significant, the Entente still loses two entire divisions and a further two are badly mauled. With reinforcements the front stabilises along the Ypres canal. The Germans, while victorious, still lack the reinforcements to force a breakthrough and settle for their tactical victory with the capture of the Ypres salient fully achieved.

I wanted to explore a somewhat plausible scenario in which the First World War happens just like it did historically but small differences compound in order to develop in a different direction. I believe that the Second Battle of Ypres is a good point to start with:

• Ypres was the first large scale use of gas warfare, the effectiveness of which was underestimated by the Germans. Dulled by the experience of trench warfare they historically advanced in a shallow manner and had too few men in reserve to properly exploit the broken front. They were also unlucky that nightfall prevented further advances towards the St. Julien road.

• Italy was still on the fence. While it was clearly moving toward the Entente an upset to that alliance could perhaps postpone that decision. A more comprehensive German victory would be seen by contemporaries as the Central Powers finding a way to overcome trench warfare and regain the initiative - even if that wasn't the intention of the German Empire. Italy historically joined the war in May 1915, forcing Austria-Hungary to divert over 200k additional troops to that front.

• A straighter front along the Ypres Canal would allow the Germans to send an addition 1-2 divisions east for their summer offensive against Russia. Likewise a dithering Italy would allow Austria-Hungary to commit more forces to the Russian and Serbian fronts, perhaps achieving greater success there with German guidance in the process.

Great thank you to the Warfare History Network. I used both their insightful article on this battle as well as their map of the historical battle as starting off points, although I had to map a slightly larger area of operations due to the larger extent of this battle compared with the historical one.

Author @jjpamsterdam@feddit.org

Communist Rep. of Turkey (with a autonomous zone for the Laz)

Kurdish Socialist Republic

Iranian Socialist Union

United Arab Socialist Republics (with an autonomous region for the druse)

Republic of Cyprus (Fully closed off to the world, they say it’s cus “they are the last bastion of neoliberal euro-‘socialist’ hellanic democracy” or whatever)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/450477/pentguard-city-map-pack?src=hottest_filtered