Lenin Dies in February 1918

When Trotsky returned from negotiations with the Germans on February 22, 1918, he and many of the Bolsheviks still wanted to continue the war with Germany. Unlike many of hist comrades, Lenin wanted to end the war at all costs. What if Lenin dies at a most inopportune time and isn't able to force Trotsky and the pro-war Bolsheviks to end the war? The Germans demanded that their demands be met within 48 hours, if they don't get what they want can the Germans take Petrograd? If they do, what does that means for the Bolsheviks? Who will take power with Lenin's death?
 
So the Communists resist.

So the Germans can advance really wherever they want based on OTL performance at this point even with small forces. I can't imagine they would want to take Petrograd with its large population to feed. So I imagine they advance to the OTL treaty line, and liberate Finland as usual.

If they wanted to continue to advance (and forgo the west front offensive) the Caucasus and South central Asia, offer oil and friendlier less dense populations plus a vague threat to British India (I think von Hoffman favored something like this) and a chance to liberate their POWs. This may be the best, capture swaths of territory, loot these areas for strategic supplies, keep soldiers in the east where the food is, demobilize enough soldiers for agricultural work back home, forgo a west front offensive and make the best peace you can with the Allies.

The only other option is to seize Petrograd and Moscow, overthrow the government and try to install a puppet but once again lots of people to feed.
 
Even when WWII Germany officially tried to not feed people, practically, people were fed actually, because food made it in to the Soviet cities somehow or the population just left, or the Germans figured out eventually they needed some people producing stuff in those places.

WW1 Germany won't starve people officially and even if they aren't trying to deliver food to the city, food will get to the cities because market forces mean its sold at high prices or people leave for the countryside, even if there is hunger and some starvation death, people are still eating the food, meaning less can go back to Germany which is already short.

Better for Germany to occupy the Kuban and places where there there is a traditional food surplus and no big cities.
 
If you want your victory parade to make the front page you hold it in London, not Stoke on Trent.

You don't have to officially starve the cities, all you have to do is leave it up to the locals to feed themselves. If they don't it's their own fault.
 
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