The Hundred Days (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Zoe Wade
The Hundred Days - Timeline & Summary
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The Hundred Days Allied Advance of 1918 was a key turning point in the First World War. It lasted 95 days from 8th August 1918 to 11th November 1918. It followed Germany’s Spring Offensive earlier that year. After the Germans pushed deep into Allied territory, they became overstretched and exhausted, leaving them vulnerable to a powerful counter-attack by the Allies.
The Allied Advance was successful because fresh American troops joined the fight, and the Allies worked together more effectively under the new leadership of General Ferdinand Foch. Who became the Allied Commander-in-Chief in 1918. The Allies used new tactics like coordinated attacks with tanks, infantry, and aircraft. They steadily pushed the Germans back, recapturing lost territory and breaking their morale.
The consequences were devastating for Germany. Their army suffered enormous casualties, and soldiers began to desert in large numbers. The German High Command, realising they couldn’t win, urged Kaiser Wilhelm II to surrender. Germany’s defeat in the Hundred Days Advance led to growing unrest at home, with strikes and protests demanding an end to the war. Finally, the Kaiser abdicated, and the war ended on 11 November 1918.
Why did the Hundred Days occur?
The Hundred-Day Allied Advance was an Allied counter-attack in response to the German Spring Offensive
General Ferdinand Foch, the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied armies, led the Allied forces in a new offensive
America had recently arrived on the Western Front
They brought with them fresh soldiers along with resources, food and weaponry
The Allied Plan for the Hundred-Day Allied Advance
Foch planned for the Allied soldiers to attack carefully selected parts of the Western Front
Foch's plan would be focused along the weaker points of the salient, which the Germans created during their Spring Offensive
The Hundred-Day Allied Attack aimed to:
stretch the German forces
wear the German soldiers and resources to the breaking point
push them back to the Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was Germany's last and strongest defensive position created in 1917
It was made of concrete
It was believed that if the Allies pushed Germany back to the Hindenburg Line, Germany would lose the war
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The Hundred-Day Allied Advance is an example of how the tactics of the First World War progressed and developed.
For example, instead of a single attack in one place, Foch planned an attack in several places along the Western Front.
What happened during the Hundred Days?
The Hundred-Day Allied Attack began on 8th August 1918
British, Canadian, French and Australian soldiers attacked Amiens
They were supported by 400 tanks
The first day of the Allied counter-attack is known as a 'Black Day' by the German Army
On the first day, the Allies broke through the lines and gained 11 kilometres of German-occupied land
Germany had 30,000 soldiers killed
Whereas, only 6,500 Allied soldiers were killed
The Allies also recaptured Albert, Noyon, and Bapaume during the Second Battle of the Somme
In September 1918, American and French soldiers attacked Germany near the River Meuse and the Argonne Forest
The Meuse- Argonne Offensive included 1.2 million US soldiers
Approximately 26,000 American soldiers were killed during this offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was a success
16 kilometres of ground was gained by the US soldiers and 32 kilometres by the French soldiers
Meanwhile, several other successful battles were being fought by the Allies
British and French soldiers fought the Fifth Battle of Ypres
British, Belgium, British Empire, American and Australian soldiers fought the Battle of St Quentin Canal
This battle saw the first Allied break through the Hindenburg Line
French soldiers attacked the Hindenburg Line
By October 1918, the Hindenburg Line was broken
German soldiers retreated, and as they retreated German soldiers:
poisoned wells
destroyed bridges and roads
cut down trees
left heavy guns, supplies and weapons
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During the Hundred Day Allied Advance, the Allies used a combination of tanks, artillery, aircraft and infantry to attack Germany's front lines
Allied aircraft were used to:
take photographs of the German position to help direct their artillery fire
take part in dog fights against German planes
Tanks helped to advance across into the German trenches
They would advance and be followed by infantry
Tanks were used to:
crush barbed wire
destroy machine-gun posts
fighting in villages
Examiner Tips and Tricks
There are several battles which you will need to learn about in the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War course. Students often find it difficult to remember what happened at which battle. An easy way to remember each battle is to assign one key feature or outcome to each battle.
For example, the Hundred-Day Allied Advance is significant as it pushed the Germans beyond the Hindenburg Line, and contributed towards a German surrender.
Impact of the Hundred Days
The Hundred-Day Allied Advance was an overwhelming success as the German army was close to surrender and an Allied victory
The offensive broke the Hindenburg Line and had a significant impact on Germany:
Germany had approximately 1,172,075 casualties during the Hundred Days
German High Command believed that they would need 200,000 soldiers each month to continue the war
Germany could only supply 300,000 soldiers during the next 12 months
German High Command was encouraging the Kaiser to surrender
General Ludendorff told German politicians:
[The] situation of the [German] Army demands an immediate armistice in order to save a catastrophe
The Kaiser allowed the main parties to create a new government, called the Weimar Republic
The Kaiser lost some of his powers to the German parliament
Despite handing over his power, the German people still wanted to overthrow the Kaiser
Although the Hundred-Day Allied attack was a success, the Allies suffered approximately 1,070,000 casualties
Worked Example
Study Source A.
Source A is critical of Germany. How do you know?
[4 marks]
Source A: A cartoon from the weekly magazine Punch, 1918. The cartoon is entitled 'Very Much Up', and was created by Bernard Partridge Cartoons.
Answer:
Source A is critical of Germany as it was created by a British cartoonist Bernard Partridge (1). At the time that this cartoon was created, Britain and its allies had just launched a counter-attack to Germany's Spring Offensive. Britain and its allies were successful in the offensive as they managed to push Germany beyond the Hindenburg Line (1).
Source A is critical of Germany as it shows General Ludendorff being hit in the face by a champagne cork, from the bottle Foch &Co (1). General Ludendorff was the German general who created and launched the Spring Offensive. Foch was the Allied Supreme Commander, who created and launched the successful Hundred Day Allied Advance against Germany. It is critical as Ludendorff looks surprised by the successful attack (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In your exam, you may be asked to answer a 12-mark 'How useful' question on the Hundred-Day Allied Advance.
In this question, you will need to explain how two historical sources are useful to a historian. You should not explain which source is more useful.
However, to achieve a Level 4, you will need to explain how the two sources when used together are more useful.
More guidance and help on this question can be found here.
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