The Spring Offensive, 1917 (AQA GCSE History)

The Spring Offensive, 1917 - Timeline & Summary

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The 1918 Spring Offensive was Germany's final major attack of the First World War. It lasted 119 days, from March 21st 1918 to July 18th, 1918. It came after two big changes: Russia had left the war after making peace with Germany, freeing up German soldiers to fight on the Western Front. Meanwhile, America had joined the war on the side of the Allies, but their troops had not yet arrived in large numbers.

The Spring Offensive, also called the Ludendorff Offensive, was planned by German General Erich Ludendorff. He hoped to break the stalemate on the Western Front by launching a massive attack before American troops could strengthen the Allies. Germany wanted to win the war quickly because they were running out of resources and their people were suffering from hunger and hardship.

At first, the offensive was successful, with German forces making significant gains and breaking through Allied lines. However, they could not hold onto the land they had captured. Exhausted and overstretched, the Germans were soon forced back by a powerful Allied counter-attack, which eventually led to the end of the war in November 1918.

Reasons for the Spring Offensive

• The Spring Offensive was a German-led military offensive

  • It was created by General Ludendorff

• With Russia's exit from the war, Germany was no longer fighting on two fronts

  • This provided Germany with additional soldiers and resources from the Eastern Front and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

• However, the US had entered the war when they declared war on Germany in April 1917

  • US soldiers had not yet reached the Western Front

• Germany was short on resources and men

  • The 'war of attrition' had a devastating effect on German troops

    • Germany had lost nearly 1.3 million soldiers before 1918

  • The British blockade caused mass starvation in Germany and had a huge impact on German resources and morale

• Therefore, Germany decided to launch an attack on the British and French and win the war

The German plan for the Spring Offensive

• Germany would simultaneously attack several specific spots along the British lines of the Western Front

  • These were known weak points

    • They were areas where the trenches were poorly built ot the French and British armies had recently swapped

  • This would prevent the British from forming a mass counter-attack against Germany

• Germany would begin the attack on the British front lines with a military bombardment

  • This bombardment would only last for five hours

    • It would fire one million artillery shells

    • It was known as a hurricane bombardment

• Germany would use their 'stormtrooper' tactics to get through British lines

  • A 'stormtrooper' tactic included a small group of specially trained troops attacking the weak areas of the front line

    • 'Stormtroopers' were fast-moving as they were not weighed down by heavy equipment

    • They carried a machine gun, flamethrowers and grenades

  • Once the 'stormtroopers' broke through the front line, they would bypass the British and advance as far forward as they could

    • German infantry would be closely followed by the 'stormtroopers' killing the British and securing the area

• Once the Germans had successfully broken through the lines, they would surround the British and force their surrender

  • Ludendorff believed that if Britain surrendered, France would also as they could not continue fighting without them

The Spring Offensive

• On the 21st of March 1918, the German artillery bombardment on the British lines begins

  • The five-hour-long bombardment was followed by a mustard gas attack and a 'stormtrooper' attack

• The British were outnumbered and confused by the attack

  • On the first day, 20,000 British soldiers had been killed

  • Approximately 21,000 British soldiers had been taken prisoner

  • Thousands either surrendered or fled

• The Germans broke through the British line in many different places

  • The Germans had gained 64 kilometres

  • The German heavy artillery guns, such as the Paris Gun, could reach Paris

    • These guns were created to shell Paris from a great distance

• By April 5th 1918, the German Army was exhausted and their advance stopped just east of Amiens

  • Between April and July 1918, the German Army attempted a few more offensives in an attempt to continue their advance:

    • The German Army had lost its momentum

    • German resources and replacement soldiers were low

    • German morale was low

• In August 1918, Allied forces began their own counter-attack known as the 100-Day Allied Advance

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Result of the Spring Offensive

• The Spring Offensive was a success as it broke the stalemate on the Western Front

  • Approximately 64 kilometres of land was taken by the Germans

    • The German Army had regained the area around the River Somme and reached the River Marne in February 1918

• The Spring Offensive killed approximately 177,000 British soldiers

• However, the Spring Offensive created significant problems for the German Army

  • Approximately 220,000 German soldiers were killed

    • The German Army did not have enough men in their reserves to replace their casualties

  • The 'stormtroopers' advanced too quickly and the German advance slowed down

    • They were often cut off from supplies, weapons, resources and support from other German soldiers

  • The rapid advance created a salient (also referred to as a 'bulge') in their front lines

    • This left the German Army vulnerable as they could be attacked at either side, cut off, and then surrounded by their enemy

• By the end of the Spring Offensive, Germany were in a problematic position

  • They could not hold the gains they had made

    • They were low on resources, soldiers, weaponry and morale

  • American soldiers had joined the front lines on the Western Front

  • General Foch was planning to attack Germany along the salient that Germany had created

    • This is known as the 100-day Allied Advance