If the Rhine were to hold, which it definitely would for years imo they would need to either go through the Alps, Greece or the Zagros mountains

I don't think Americans would take suicide charges into mountains as well as Italians did

also never forget that entete had bottomless suplies of Guano for gunpowder production. germs had to use expensive sythetic gunpowder they made it at a loss and it was crippling their battered economy

It's not that expensive to make nitrogen using the Haber Bosch technique since after the war it replaced Guano across the world

And became the source for Nitrogen in fertilizer etc.

yes because it was made cheaper by then.

Germany's economy wasn't going to be its end. Not after gaining that many trade partners in the east

They would continue printing bonds and whatnot

Only major issue I see is that abandoning the Rhineland would seriously fuck up war production

A lot of ore and coal deposits there

And industry, though that could be relocated in part

Though abandoning the Rhineland would not be without an economic upside since it's very urban and feeding it would then be an issue for the Entente, not Germany

as if entete would even give them anything beyon starvation rations lol

I somehow doubt Americans and Brits would be fine with that

Don't replace Falkenhayn. H&L gutted the German economy, announced unrestricted submarine warfare, and launced the Spring Offensive

Yet no one ever talks about Falkenhayn

anyways to conclude Austro hungary was on verge of collapse by 1918.after thy implode entete would launch a lightning invasion of austria and then push into german lowlands from there

so no not even the rhine defence would save germany 8n this scenario

That's ignoring the reasons for Austria Hungaries "collapse"

First of all food shortages which would be adressed through eastern gains and the loss of the Rhineland

Beat Italy on the Piave, take Venice, and knock them out of the war. That helps you right there

Secondly military pressure from the Entente in Greece and Romania

Which can be handled if Germany sent more men freed up through a better defensive line in the west and no spring offensive

Come to think of it, Italy never entering the war helps the CP in huge ways

I don't know if they could manage to outright defeat Greece but they could stabilize the front since the Balkans are one huge ass series of easily defendable terrain

Beating Italy would be hard to do because of the mountainous terrain of the Alps

Then taking Venice might not make them capitulate, at least I don't think so

And Venice and its surroundings are much harder to dfened because tanks could be effectively deployed by the Entente

Unless the central powers at that point build some tanks too giving them more of an offensive capability

But I wouldn't know by when they would be able to have tanks or if they even would make any if they give up the Rhineland

I mostly think that the war could be "won" by staying on the defense and making it supremely painfull manpower wise to advance further on the central powers

After which you would have to gradually get Entente members to drop out with token concessions

The real question would be when the first major participant after America drops out the war

I think Italy and France are too belligerent to give up easily, Italy because of the sunk cost fallacy, France because it would hold the Rhineland

So I think the first one after America to go simply because of war weariness would be Britain through a negotiated peace

Say they get Germany's colonies or whatever and something from the Ottomans

If Britain is out so is Belgium imo

Japan would also drop out easily for German colonies in the Pacific and Tsingtau

Leaving only France and Italy as major participants

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