Deleted member 1487
Well, Mackensen is unlikely as he is essentially Falkenhayn's man. He was a very good general and in combination with Falkenhayn smashed Romania up but good. Having him in command would be just like having Falkenhayn back. Maybe Groener? He took over the slot after H-L left and was of a similar school of though as the Duo. Though he as much (MUCH) more thoughtful and skilled than the his predecessors and might very well come to quickly realize that the Hindenburg program was nonsense. As the rail chief he already has intimate knowledge of how OHL works and is well acquainted with the capabilities of the German army having been in place since the beginning of the war.
There is also the possibility that the OberOst command team could take over. Leopold and Hoffmann would be a terrific team. Hoffmann at least was the brains behind H-L in the East, and in his memoirs he mentioned how much respect he had for Prince Leopold of Bavaria as a soldier, so they might work very well together. Hoffmann was pretty damn close to one of the best officers that the Germans produced during the war and having him in the slot of high command, you might get much better results that with either Falkenhayn or H-L. Though he was an outspoken supporter of the Duo while they were in charge in the East, namely because they let him run the show, he quickly turned against them when their incompetence began to show. He might very well change his views when he takes over command of OHL, as he never served in the west and was unfamiliar with the difficulties of that theater. But he is NOT going to treat it as Ludendorff did, essentially the same as the East. I have to check his book on how he felt about the U-boot campaign, which would be a crucial factor for anyone taking over.
You might want to talk to Tom B, he is pretty well versed on WW1 and is probably the only other person on the board that has an interest in these PODs.
There is also the possibility that the OberOst command team could take over. Leopold and Hoffmann would be a terrific team. Hoffmann at least was the brains behind H-L in the East, and in his memoirs he mentioned how much respect he had for Prince Leopold of Bavaria as a soldier, so they might work very well together. Hoffmann was pretty damn close to one of the best officers that the Germans produced during the war and having him in the slot of high command, you might get much better results that with either Falkenhayn or H-L. Though he was an outspoken supporter of the Duo while they were in charge in the East, namely because they let him run the show, he quickly turned against them when their incompetence began to show. He might very well change his views when he takes over command of OHL, as he never served in the west and was unfamiliar with the difficulties of that theater. But he is NOT going to treat it as Ludendorff did, essentially the same as the East. I have to check his book on how he felt about the U-boot campaign, which would be a crucial factor for anyone taking over.
You might want to talk to Tom B, he is pretty well versed on WW1 and is probably the only other person on the board that has an interest in these PODs.