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To go along with my earlier post, lets say that Ludendorff, the dictator of Germany in WW1 in all but name is killed in, lets say, a car crash. This would be in early 1918, lets say January. The final offensives are planned, but without Ludendorff's insistence on holding Belgium in the peace and a semi-competent strategist at the helm, could Germany manage to negotiate peace?

Several things would have to happen, MICHAEL and GEORGE or GEORGETTE would have to succeed in taking the rail hubs at Amiens and Hazebrouck. I am reading Zabicki's seminal work on the 1918 offensives and these would be necessary to cause the allies to even begin to think about peace. This would cripple the allied supply situation in the British sector and most likely cause a massive pull back to the channel ports.

Now, assuming that this goes down with reasonable efficiency (ie. no more than the casualties suffered OTL, preferably less), what would the French do? Would Clemanceau ever consider peace and would the French soldiers be demoralized seeing their ally defeated and appearing to be leaving the continent?

Assuming that the hardliners in the German government can be reined in, could a reasonable peace be achieved (ie status quo in the west, maybe Lorraine to France)?
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