Can Germany grab Central Asia from Russia in 1918?

There would simply be no point in doing this in 1918. Making peace with Russia (so that troops could be transferred to the west) was the priority. German (de facto) control of Ukraine had to be part of the settlement in the East because Germany needed Ukrainian grain to win the war. By contrast, weakening Russia's hold on Central Asia would be of no immediate benefit to Germany. If Germany ultimately wanted to get still more land for itself or its allies from Russia, the logical thing to do would be to wait until after war in the West was won, whereupon she could always add to her Brest-Litovsk demands...
 

CaliGuy

Banned
The Germans could give parts of the Caucasus to the Ottomans and then take it back later when the Ottomans collapse. After the likely Ottoman genocidal rampage in Georgia, and stories of Bolshevik violence to the north as well as German + Coalition anti-Bolshevik propaganda, then the German Empire won't seem as bad in comparison.
Can't Germany pressure the Ottomans to behave themselves in Georgia, though?

Also, this isn't only about public image; rather, it is also about who has the stronger military forces in this region.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
There would simply be no point in doing this in 1918. Making peace with Russia (so that troops could be transferred to the west) was the priority. German (de facto) control of Ukraine had to be part of the settlement in the East because Germany needed Ukrainian grain to win the war. By contrast, weakening Russia's hold on Central Asia would be of no immediate benefit to Germany. If Germany ultimately wanted to get still more land for itself or its allies from Russia, the logical thing to do would be to wait until after war in the West was won, whereupon she could always add to her Brest-Litovsk demands...
What about if the war in the West ends in a stalemate, though? Would further territorial gains in the East be off-limits to Germany in that case (since that could result in a renewed declaration of war on Germany by Britain and France)?
 
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