ww1

stalemate

• deadlock in fighting, neither side making progression

• trench warfare resulted no progress on western front

• stretched over 700km from switzerland to north sea

entries and exits

• US enters 1917

• Russia exits 1917

  • signed ceasefire w Central Powers 12/17

  • formally withdrew by signing Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 3/18

  • enabled Germany to move troops from eastern to western front

hindenburg + ludernorff

• Paul von Hindenburg + Erich Ludenorff

• military leaders who ran war strategy in final years

• pushed for risky final offensive in Spring Offensive due to new troops from EF before US troops arrived

spring offensive

• 1918

• began in march but failed

• pushed back allied lines but troops were eventually exhausted and couldn’t sustain territorial advancements

• allies successfully counterattacked in august

why germany lost

• failure of spring offensive

• allied blockages caused loss of resources

• entry of US

• decline in morale + internal unrest

• superior allied resources + coordination

political change in germany

• tried to introduce democratic reform to win better peace terms

• Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated 9/11/18

• Weimar Republic declared as new govt.

dolchsotsslegende

• false idea that army didn’t lose war on battlefield but were betrayed by politicians, communists + jews @ home

• promoted right wing groups

• ludendorff + hindenburg supported idea to protect rep. of the army

end of the war

• signed armistice 11/11/18

• germany in a fragile state politically, economically and in a military sense