Lead Up To German Surrender

• Russia Leaves

  • Tsar abdicates, revolutions
  • March 1918 Russia sign treaty and leaves war
• USA Joins

  • April 1917
  • US one of the richest countries, huge supplies to boost war effort
  • 50,000 US troops arrived per week from June 1918
• War at Sea

  • British blockade made food and goods scarce
  • blockade alongside harvest failure brought revolution in Germany
• Allied Leadership

  • March 1918
  • Foch's new approach of launching attacks at different points rather than one attack proved successful at 100 Days Offensive
  • Foch became new Commander-in-Chief of Allies, strategy now coordinated
• Ludendorff's Spring Offensive

  • March-July 1918
  • plan of attack against British to force Allies to surrender before US arrives
  • involved use of stormtroopers carrying guns, grenades, hurricane bombardment
  • British were outnumbered and confused, 55,000 casualties
  • Germany advanced 60km but lost 220,000 men, supplies left behind, US troops arriving, no clear long term objective
  • salient in German frontline which made them vulnerable, Allies counterattacked, pushing Germany back to River Marne
  • cost Germany 500,000 men
• Hundred Days Offensive

  • Aug-Nov 1918
  • Allies launched counterattacks using Foch's strategy
  • Allied troops with over 400 tanks, took 11km of land on the first day, Germany lost 30,000 men, pushed back to Hindenburg Line (last line of defence)
  • Oct 1918 Allies had broken through and Germans in full retreat, accepting the end