Lets say after the Battle of Amiens in 1918 the Germans decide to evacuate France and Belgium to the German 1914 fontier line. They do this to create reserves some of which are sent to Italy (6 divisions), and Salonika (3 divisions) a divsion to the Dardanelles and a regiment to Palestine to bar the "back doors".
After Amiens Ludendorf realizes the war is lost (as in OTL) but here he figures if Germany can hold out until 1919, the peace dicated will be an American peace which might not be too bad (and maybe, perhaps wishful thinking, Germany can keep some easter gains as compensation).
Ludendorf doesn't want Germany to be drawn into a war of attrition on the western front and also needs to be able to keep ownership of the newly acquired eastern resources to keep the war going.
At the same time the submarine war is shut down as a waste of resources, the Navy's job is to hold the Baltic and Black seas and nothing else.
It is announced through the Dutch that Germany will evacuate Belgium and France as "good will" torward a compromise peace without any demolitions if not molested during the retreat. At the same time the stoppage of the submarine war is announced as a good will measure. Germany was going to do these things anyway in this TL but might as well try to make somthing out of it.
Could Germany hold out in this TL until well into 1919?
After Amiens Ludendorf realizes the war is lost (as in OTL) but here he figures if Germany can hold out until 1919, the peace dicated will be an American peace which might not be too bad (and maybe, perhaps wishful thinking, Germany can keep some easter gains as compensation).
Ludendorf doesn't want Germany to be drawn into a war of attrition on the western front and also needs to be able to keep ownership of the newly acquired eastern resources to keep the war going.
At the same time the submarine war is shut down as a waste of resources, the Navy's job is to hold the Baltic and Black seas and nothing else.
It is announced through the Dutch that Germany will evacuate Belgium and France as "good will" torward a compromise peace without any demolitions if not molested during the retreat. At the same time the stoppage of the submarine war is announced as a good will measure. Germany was going to do these things anyway in this TL but might as well try to make somthing out of it.
Could Germany hold out in this TL until well into 1919?