Central powers push to Moscow and St Petersburg in Operation Faustschlag

Could the central powers continue Operation Faustschlag and occupy Moscow and St Petersburg in a bid to destroy the Bolsheviks

How would successfully would they be

How would this impact the western front and the Russian civil war
 
Although important, Moscow is not as vital as Petrograd, that is the center of Imperial Russia, threaten it or take it and I believe you seriously if not mortally wound Russia. In an "East First" scenario I think more pressure gets put on moving towards Petrograd could force Russia out of the war earlier. In OTL, I am thinking of having Falkenhayn redirect effort East versus attempting to break the French, instead he sweeps Romania and drives into Russia, seeking a decisive battle that cripples the Russian ability to sustain the war, opening the door to a negotiated separate peace. I am uncertain if that can result but the payoff for Germany was breaking Russia, it had space but really not time, its war effort relied too much as Germany spreading thin and prioritizing France, but why? The Western Front was deadlocked and on the defensive the French held all the cards, the more "natural" German move was to be offensive where posible and that still to the East. If one can get Germany to hold defensive in France, I think the war is far better for Germany being fought Eastward, Russia facing a steady onslaught threatening Petrograd might fold soon enough to release the Germans from the deadly drain of a two front war.
 
Not sure if taking both cities would end the civil war. Assuming the course of history is the same, would there be a bigger Baltic States and Belarus?
 
The Bolsheviks controlled many cities to the east of those two, didn't they. Plus didn't their leaders have trains, planes, automobiles and horses to get out of town?

They’ve just lost like 90% of overall Russian war production and the majority of their railway system. Outside of the material aspect, it’s an immense blow to their legitimacy to lose the major cities of the nation, especially in regards to their place in the Revolution.
 
^ This

Considering that it was already a tough sell to agree to Brest-Litovsk, it wouldn't be unlikely for even the Bolsheviks, the anti-War faction, to say no to the treaty.

Of course should they manage to push to Moscow and Saint Pete's they could break the back of both the Bolsheviks and the Republican government in one fell swoop. Too bad by that point the war in the West, and thus WWI would be lost.
 

raharris1973

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They’ve just lost like 90% of overall Russian war production and the majority of their railway system. Outside of the material aspect, it’s an immense blow to their legitimacy to lose the major cities of the nation, especially in regards to their place in the Revolution.

I agree it will cost them some important assets, but, their various assets did not not have a stable of superior assets either. Who is in a good position to pick up the lost prestige? Collaborators of the Germans will also have very little prestige, especially once the Germans lose in the west.
 
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