Cloze Exercise

End of the War

In Mar 1918, Germany launched the Spring Offensive () → huge gamble to crush Allies on W. Front. Aim = destroy British Army in N. France & push French to Paris. It failed.

Why did Ludendorff gamble all in March 1918?

1. America: US entry → huge manpower/resources. By spring 1918 = 10k US troops/week arriving. Needed to win b4 US power told.

2. Russia: Tsar abdicated Mar 1917. Oct 1917, Germany helped Lenin return → Bolshevik rev (Nov). Lenin wanted no part in imperialist war → Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (3 Mar 1918) = Russia left war, freeing 1m German troops.

3. Allies: Germany’s allies = collapsing. A-H starving, Ottoman troops deserting, Bulgaria threatened by Greece.

4. Blockade: U-boats failed to break UK. Blockade + bad harvest = Germany starving.

5. Stormtroopers: Germany had new tactics = elite ‘’ units + rolling barrage. Morale in British army low after Passchendaele & Cambrai → German generals believed UK might crack.

The Spring Offensive

Events

• Operation (21 Mar): attacked British 5th Army, aimed at Amiens.

• Operation Georgette (9 Apr): hit Portuguese near Hazebrouck → aimed at coast.

• Followed by: Blücher–Yorck (27 May), Gneisenau (9 Jun), Friedensturm (15 Jul).

• By Jun: Germans 50 miles from Paris → panic.

• Jul: Offensive stalled.

• 8 Aug: Allies counter-attacked. In 3 hrs broke front line. → ‘ Day’ of German Army. Took 29k prisoners, 338 guns, freed 116 towns/villages.

Why did the Spring Offensive fail?

1. Leadership: Poor planning. Attacks confused Allies but had no clear goal.

2. Exhaustion: Infantry had to advance on foot & fight → wore out.

3. Allies: Did not break. Retreated in order, had backup & infinite ammo.

4. Depletion: Stormtroopers hit hard early, but losses → later waves = poor troops.

5. Supplies: Outran support. Hungry troops looted depots → slowed advance.

The Hundred Days

Events

• Battle of : British 4th Army broke German lines w. tanks.

• Haig disobeyed Foch & launched new offensives (21 Aug: 3rd Army at Albert/ 26 Aug: 1st Army at Arras)

• Meuse-Argonne (from 26 Sep) + St Quentin Canal (29 Sep) = broke through the . → Gen. : “Army demands immediate armistice to save a catastrophe.”

• 11 Nov: Canadian troops took Mons (site of BEF’s 1st 1914 battle).

• Armistice: came into effect 11am, 11 Nov 1918. Last death = US soldier Henry Gunther, 1 min b4 armistice.

• Cost: Allies ≈ 700k casualties; Germany ≈ 750k (& many became POWs).

Why did the Hundred Days Campaign succeed?

1. Overall strategy: Fr. Gen Ferdinand made Allied plan unified from Mar 1918.

2. Combined arms: tactics + artillery.

3. Aircraft: Allies had 5:1 air advantage. Knew enemy positions.

4. Tanks: eg. Amiens (8 Aug) – Australian & Canadian Corps behind 534 tanks = rapid advance.

5. Americans: >1m, fresh. 1st full US-led attack = St (12–15 Sep).

6. German troops: demoralised, starving. 30k surrendered at Amiens alone.

End of the War

1. 6 Oct: A-H collapsed. Yugoslavia, Poland, Czechoslovakia declared indep.

2. 30 Oct: Turkey signed armistice.

3. 3 Nov: Mutiny – German navy mutinied, set up ‘soviets’. Bolshevist risings in Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin → scared Allies too = sped up armistice.

4. 7 Nov: Armistice talks began. Germany had asked US for armistice in Sep & again on 4 Oct.

5. 9 Nov: Kaiser & fled. German republic declared under Ebert.

6. 11 Nov: 11am, armistice signed in Compiègne train carriage. War ended.

In Mar 1918, Germany launched the Spring Offensive (KAISERSCHLACHT) → huge gamble to crush Allies on W. Front. Aim = destroy British Army in N. France & push French to Paris. It failed.

Why did Ludendorff gamble all in March 1918?

1. America: US entry → huge manpower/resources. By spring 1918 = 10k US troops/week arriving. Needed to win b4 US power told.

3. Allies: Germany’s allies = collapsing. A-H starving, Ottoman troops deserting, Bulgaria threatened by Greece.

4. Blockade: U-boats failed to break UK. Blockade + bad harvest = Germany starving.

5. Stormtroopers: Germany had new tactics = elite ‘STORMTROOPER’ units + rolling barrage. Morale in British army low after Passchendaele & Cambrai → German generals believed UK might crack.

The Spring Offensive

Events

• Operation MICHAEL (21 Mar): attacked British 5th Army, aimed at Amiens.

• Operation Georgette (9 Apr): hit Portuguese near Hazebrouck → aimed at coast.

• Followed by: Blücher–Yorck (27 May), Gneisenau (9 Jun), Friedensturm (15 Jul).

• By Jun: Germans 50 miles from Paris → panic.

• Jul: Offensive stalled.

• 8 Aug: Allies counter-attacked. In 3 hrs broke front line. → ‘BLACK Day’ of German Army. Took 29k prisoners, 338 guns, freed 116 towns/villages.

Why did the Spring Offensive fail?

1. Leadership: Poor planning. Attacks confused Allies but had no clear goal.

2. Exhaustion: Infantry had to advance on foot & fight → wore out.

3. Allies: Did not break. Retreated in order, had backup & infinite ammo.

4. Depletion: Stormtroopers hit hard early, but losses → later waves = poor troops.

5. Supplies: Outran support. Hungry troops looted depots → slowed advance.

The Hundred Days

Events

• Battle of AMIENS: British 4th Army broke German lines w. tanks.

• Haig disobeyed Foch & launched new offensives (21 Aug: 3rd Army at Albert/ 26 Aug: 1st Army at Arras)

• Meuse-Argonne (from 26 Sep) + St Quentin Canal (29 Sep) = broke through the HINDENBURG LINE. → Gen. LUDENDORFF: “Army demands immediate armistice to save a catastrophe.”

• 11 Nov: Canadian troops took Mons (site of BEF’s 1st 1914 battle).

• Armistice: came into effect 11am, 11 Nov 1918. Last death = US soldier Henry Gunther, 1 min b4 armistice.

• Cost: Allies ≈ 700k casualties; Germany ≈ 750k (& many became POWs).

Why did the Hundred Days Campaign succeed?

1. Overall strategy: Fr. Gen Ferdinand FOCH made Allied plan unified from Mar 1918.

2. Combined arms: INFILTRATION tactics + artillery.

3. Aircraft: Allies had 5:1 air advantage. Knew enemy positions.

4. Tanks: eg. Amiens (8 Aug) – Australian & Canadian Corps behind 534 tanks = rapid advance.

5. Americans: >1m, fresh. 1st full US-led attack = St MIHIEL (12–15 Sep).

6. German troops: demoralised, starving. 30k surrendered at Amiens alone.

End of the War

1. 6 Oct: A-H collapsed. Yugoslavia, Poland, Czechoslovakia declared indep.

2. 30 Oct: Turkey signed armistice.

3. 3 Nov: KIEL Mutiny – German navy mutinied, set up ‘soviets’. Bolshevist risings in Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin → scared Allies too = sped up armistice.

4. 7 Nov: Armistice talks began. Germany had asked US for armistice in Sep & again on 4 Oct.

5. 9 Nov: Kaiser ABDICATED & fled. German republic declared under Ebert.

6. 11 Nov: 11am, armistice signed in Compiègne train carriage. War ended.