WW1 quiz 2

Spring Offensive

March/April 1918, with the Eastern Front collapsed after the fall of tsarist Russia, Ludendorff and Hindenburg shifted nearly all their forces to the western front, looking to engage in a series of 5 massive offensives on a wide front to try to decisively end the war before they starved and/or the American reinforcments arrived to tire them out.

While succesful in getting as close to Paris as 1914 and inflicting massive amounts of casulaties→ the offensive eventually faltered at the last second, with signifcant help from the Americans.

Germans lines were streched too thin→ low food supplies and bad supply lines damaged soldier morale and motivation, while individual offensives were highly succesfuly, waging 5 massive offensives that were all somewhat disjointed made many lose belief. Super high casulaites (most in a 4 month period since 1914)

Ultimately decided at the 2nd Battle of the Marne where the Americans and French combine to suprise the Germans and essentially “win the war in 3 days”

Ferdinand Foch

Elected unanimously following the Michael (1st of Spring offensives) to serve as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces, attempting to unify the allied forces, with American, British and French involvement. Strong advocate for offensive warfare, directed the counterattack at the 2nd battle of the Marne and the subsquent 100 day offensive to close the war out.

Spanish flu

Rapidly mutating H1N1 virus, likely imported by Americans into Europe, highly contagious and deadly (unequally) to men, and killed thousands of soldiers.

3 spikes, one during the spring of 1918, an especially bad one during the fall/summer of 1918, and third in early 1919.

These spikes came at the worst possible times for the Germans: in the midst of their already faltering Spring offensive, during the key aftermath period in which German morale and supplies were already rapidly collpasing.

Harlem Hellfighters

369th infantry regiment, formed after the Selective Service Act required all Americans (even blacks) to register for the draft. Uniquely segregated in the States and discrimanated against, and sent under French command, (as the Americans did not want them fighting with White Americans), unit fought bravely, at several key battles including 2nd battle of Marne and Meuse–Argonne, to great sucess overall.

2nd Battle Marne

July 1918

Major turning point in latter half of the war, effectively ended the war for the Germans.

Germans already suffering from collpasing morale and long supply lines, but attacked further at the Marne, driving the alllies back and establish a solid foothold, the closest they had been to Paris since 1914. Americans and French quickly restablizie and use their numerical advantage and heavy artillery/quanitty advtanage to slowly (and bloodily) beat the Germans back.

Battle of Amiens

1st of the 100 day August 1918, almost immediately following the Marne, British forces look to recapture the ground gained in the Michael offensive, combined forces of Aus, Brit, Americans and Canadians, French suprise attack again, winning major ground, utilizing their artillery and munitions superirority. A rare tactical victory. The Germans attempt to counterattack immediately after to minimize their losses, but instead the counter fails horribly and results in the “blackest day of the German army” as said by ludendorff himself as 15k surrender, symbolizng the collapse of morale.

100 day offensive

Overarching plan of two phases between August and Novemeber, first phase was to drive back any advances from the Spring offensive to push the Germans back to the Hindenburg line then to launch a 3 pronged coutnerattack to end the war, with the Americans getting their first real indivdual spotlight in the southern flank including the Mesunne Argonne offensive (largest of the 100 days), resulting in massive amounts of American casualties and lore (lost battalion)

Pershing and the Americans (and Foch for that matter) wanted to advance no matter what, even in situations where tanks, artillery or other tactical considerations made advancing a death march. Eventually are able to breach the line on Sept 29 at St Quentin, at great cost.

Lost Battalion

American battalion part of a French/Amercian attack in the Argonne forest. Miscommunication leads to the battlaion advancing far past their allies on the left and right, leading them to being isolated and surronded by German forces for 6 days, enduring terrible casualties and bad conditions. Poor communication and the heavily wooded forest made it difficult for reinforcements or supplies to reach them, with 347 men either killed, missing in action or captured before the reaming 194 men were rescued.