1-WWI+German+Offensive+1917


 * What were the objectives of the offensive? How was it carried out, and to what extent did it succeed or fail? How was the Offensive of 1917-18 indicative of the principals of total war? To what extent was it a continuation of the fighting that characterized the rest of the war and to what extent was it a departure from it? To what extent did the Offensive of 1917-18 seal a fate of defeat for the Central Powers? How might it have been turned into a victory? ** (Erica Mason, 2)

In 1917, no one knew who would win the war. Germany, although facing multiple fronts, was fighting strongly. The Allies made futile gains in their many offensives, remaining locked up in trench warfare on the western front. In 1917, the main focus of Germany was on defeating Russia, on the eastern front. On the eastern front, Germany was content with holding the defensive at the Hindenburg line. In Italy and Romania, Germany had quick successes between 1917 and 1918.

__**Eastern Front**__: Russia was suffering from lack of basic materials and internal unrest. Germany knew that if Russia fell out of the war, then they could direct the majority of their men to the eastern front. In 1917, the fighting on the eastern front was similar to how it had been in earlier years of the war. Most of the fighting was done on expanses of land. However, in 1917 Germany began to have increasing victories, as Russia fell into revolution. The Eastern front, as well as in Greece, Italy, and Romania, would seem that the German offensives were sealing a German victory in the war. In 1917, the Russian army was barely holding itself together. Germany focused on launching an offensive in the northern part of Russia, near Petrograd. At the German invasion, non-Russian speaking population under the Russian empire began to demand autonomy, weakening the Russian government further. With Petrograd threatened, the Russians were forced to sue for peace. The Brest-Litovsk treaty was signed in December of 1917. [|__http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/images/brest-litovsk-1918.jpg__]

With Russia out of the war, Germany could send many of its soldiers to the western front. Further, Germany would no longer be fighting a war on so many fronts. In 1917, the German offensive on Russia was successful. However, peace negotiations took longer than expected, and nearly resulted in Germany reinstating war in Russia. This slowed Germany’s ability to move troops to focus on the western front. Overall, Russia falling out of the war was a major victory for Germany.

During the offensive in Russia, Germany developed new tactics, including that of the Storm Trooper. Germany would quickly rain artillery down on the enemy, send in storm troopers, who were specially trained and hidden by smoke bombs, to break enemy strong points and then push deep into enemy lines. Other soldiers would follow the storm troopers and attack the opened enemy strong points. This new tactic worked well in Russia, and would work well on the western front. It relied on flexibility, initiative, and speed in order to be successful. In Greece and Romania, Germany took quick victories. In Greece, Germany had control of the airspace, and held off an ally attack. In Romania, Germany launched an invasion resulting in a Romanian surrender. German victories boosted morale.

**__Italian Front__**: In 1917, Germany led an offensive against Italy, at the twelfth battle of the isonzo/battle of caporetto. The German attack crippled the Italians. Germany had so much success that they couldn’t exploit all of their gains. Even so, the offensive was a major disaster for Italy and the Allies. This marked another major victory for Germany. Fighting in Greece, Romania, and Italy differed in 1917-1918 than in earlier years, as either fighting had not taken place, or Germany achieved victory, which stopped the fighting by early 1918.

**__Western Front:__** Before mid to late 1917, most of Germany’s focus was not on the western front; they merely held the defensive along the Siegfried Line (Hindenburg Line). The allies were the majority of the offensives on the western front before late 1917. However, the Allies were largely unsuccessful, losing lots of men and gaining little land. By the end of 1917, Germany began to launch counterattacks and offensives on the western front. The Offensives of 1917-1918 were different than in the earlier years of the war. Now, most of the offensives were completed by Germany. Additionally, Germany would be able to push the allies back, whereas neither army had moved much in the previous years, due to trench warfare.

In November of 1917, the British were attacking Germany. However, Germany’s counteroffensive regained all the land that the British had taken during the month of November. The allies considered this a German victory. Germany soon launched more offensives in hopes of defeating the allies and winning the war.

The allies, having seen the German victories on the eastern front, feared the Germans would soon defeat the allies on the western front. The allies knew in order to achieve victory, the US had to enter the war. France and Britain were fighting a near total war. Not only were most of the war able men fighting, but at home the countries were supporting the war efforts. The allies needed the US to join, because there was little else they could do to support the war effort. Nearly everything Britain and France did was for the war. The war was run under doctrines similar to those of total war, including having everyone work towards the war effort. Germany on the other hand knew that in order to win the war, the US could not enter the war. As it seemed the US was moving closer to entering, Germany created several offensive plans to finish off the allies quickly, before the US could enter the war. The offensives are commonly known as the Spring Offensive, which took place in 1918.

**__Naval War__**: The British, having a strong navy, relied heavily on sea power during the war. Britain utilized the sea to bring in necessary goods from around the world to support the war effort. Germany knew that blockading Britain would cripple Britain within a few months. Thus, the Germans began a naval offensive, with unrestricted submarine warfare. Ludendorff, the commander of the German military, believed that if Britain could not receive goods from abroad, they would be crippled in 5 months. In a total war scenario, this type of unrestricted warfare would be present. Not only were Britain and Germany fighting soldier to soldier, but now they were fighting neutral merchant ship to submarine. Germany was trying to end all ways for Britain to stay in the fight, even if it meant attacking neutral ships. Ludendorff also believed the US would not be able to enter the war before then, and thus US efforts would be too late. In February of 1917, unrestricted submarine warfare began. Germany was able to sink a fourth of the ships leaving Britain in April of 1917. This was a victory for Germany, as they only lost two U-boats for the massive damage done to the allies in April. However, Germany also sunk several US ships, which pushed the US closer to war. By May of 1917, the US and Britain began sending ships in convoys which protected the merchant ships, and led to far fewer sinkings. The German submarine advantage faded. Had the Germans been able to keep up the submarine warfare victories, victory could have been sealed. However, they were unable to, and the US began to seriously consider entering the war. If the US entered the war, defeat could be sealed. For victory, Germany would need to win before the US could enter the war. Naval war was different than in the years before, as Germany had not been sinking as many neutral ships. [|__http://www.sjsapush.com/resources/tramp_sinking.jpg__]

__**Germany’s last stand**__: Even by the beginning of 1918, no one could guess who would win the war. Most of the battles would take place on the western front. Germany would have many early successes, however once the US entered, Germany’s downfall ensued.

German civilians wanted the war to end, and some were even on strike. In this near total war, the civilians were needed to create war supplies; without the civilians, Germany could not continue to fight. However, the German military was not ready to give in to ally peace suggestion, and the allies were unwilling to give into German peace offers. Germany had gained much Belgian, French, and Russian lands. If they signed a peace treaty, Germany would lose much of this acquired land. As a result, both sides would continue to fight until one of them couldn’t. This idea is an aspect of total war: neither side will give up until they can no longer fight at all.

In March of 1918, Ludendorff wanted to attack, and also split the French and British troops who already had limited experience with defensive tactics. Ludendorff wanted to finish Britain off first, as Britain was the strongest. If Britain fell, France would have to sue for a peace treaty that would be favorable to the Germans. On March 21, 1918, Operation Michael/Emperor’s Battle was carried out. Germany had early success and was able to open a 40 mile gap in the British defense line, allowing Germans to go deep into the enemy lines. Germany used the storm troopers tactic and tear gas. Due to the rapid success, instead of carrying out the original plan, Ludendorff tried to do the original plan and exploit the extra successes of the battle which overstretched the German army. Further, the German soldiers found Ally food to eat, and instead of attacking, feasted. Germany’s victory was not used fully, which gave the allies time to rebuild their defenses. Operation Michael was ended in April of 1918. The war was different in 1917-1918, as the allies were being pushed back. Additionally, Germany was utilizing its Storm Troopers tactics to achieve success, which was not seen in earlier years. However, artillery and trench warfare were still major parts of the war, as they had been in 1914-1916.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Operation Michael had the ability to cause massive damage to the allies. Although the Germans did push the allies back and inflict massive casualties, they did not exploit their advantages. They took some 1000 square miles from the allies, however the immediate success gave them too much optimism, which led to mistakes. Had they kept to their original plan, not split their forces, it is possible they would have won the war. Their failure to push the offensive further towards one goal, and instead splitting their troops, was a major mistake for Germany, and may have cost them the war. Every offensive that was not carried out to fulfillment with the original goal sealed the fate of the Germans, as the US would arrive soon.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Allies feared that Germany would soon win the war. Germany had reconquered what the allies had conquered over the course of the war, in a matter of months. The Allies had previously only been able to advance a matter of yards in their years of advances; the Germans took miles in days. Ludendorff was also hopeful for victory, and soon instituted the new, Lys Offensive. The goal was again to push the British back and weaken them. Germany again had fast success, and within 3 days had almost captured an important railroad junction that would make victory faster. The allies suffered massive casualties, however reinforcements began to arrive, which halted the Germans, and the offensive ended. Overall, Germany captured a lot of land, however they failed to secure key sites necessary for victory. Additionally, US troops were beginning to arrive. The Lys Offensive nearly resulted in victory for the Central Powers. However, the French were able to hold out just long enough. By failing to achieve full victory again, sealing the fate of Germany was getting closer.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In May 1918, US troops began to go into battle for the Allies. Ludendorff’s plans were going poorly. Germany had nearly no chance of winning, yet they continued to fight, which is another total war idea; not giving up until there is absolutely no one left to fight. Ludendorff decided he needed to act quickly, and launched a final effort in attempt to seal victory for the Germans. The Germans began the offensive of the Third Battle of the Aisne, called operation Blucher. The goal was to seal victory for the Germans, before too many Americans arrived. At first, Germany had an advantage, with more troops. Germany took 12 miles on the first day of the operation. Ludendorff then repeated the tragic error he had made previously; instead of pausing after completing the primary goal, he attempted to exploit the victory and continue the attack. Germany was soon halted, and was unable to achieve a decisive victory that would have ended the war. On June 4, 1918, the operation was ended. Had Ludendorff not attempted to achieve a decisive victory, he may have been able to achieve victory at a later date, when he would be more prepared to push a final attack. By overextending, the German army was weakened. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWludendorff4.jpg

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ludendorff knew the end was likely near, and the end would prove badly for Germany. While German casualties were equal to that of the allies, the allies had an inflow of soldiers from the US. Additionally, influenza began to sweep around the world, and it hit Germany first, further weakening the malnourished German soldiers.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One final offensive was launched, which ended up sealing defeat for Germany. The Second battle of the Marne in 1918 was launched. The French had new tactics, and were able to inflict massive casualties on the Germans. Additionally, the allies had control of the air. On August 8, Ludendorff accepted that Germany had lost. Germany was being pushed back. Germany now waited for a slightly more favorable time to sue for peace. In this way, suing for peace, World War I was not a total war, or Germany would have kept fighting until every last resource had been used up. However, World War I was likely the closest the world had ever come to total war. The offensives of 1917-1918 clearly outlined near total war tactics, as each side utilized everything they had to continue the fight. [|__http://images.rarenewspapers.com/ebayimgs/7.11.2011/image038.jpg__]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In terms of sealing defeat for the Germans, the Offensives of 1917-1918 more so helped avoid defeat. The Allies feared Germany would win based on the German offensives. The German tactics, had they been able to continue, would likely have left Germany victorious. German strategy was strong and ingenious; in the previous years the Allies had not been able to conduct strategy so effectively. The defeat seal was caused more so by Ludendorff attempting to exploit the victories, which led to the overextension of the German military, leaving them vulnerable. Additionally, it was the entrance of the US that sealed the fate of Germany. The Offensives of 1917-1918 nearly resulted in German victory, and had the Allies been slightly weaker, the Germans have been slightly better nourished, and the Americans not have entered the war, the result of World War I may have been largely different, with Germany deciding the fate of Europe.

__**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Bibliography: **__ Cavendish, Marshall. //History of World War I - Vol. 2//. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2002. Print. Greenhalgh, Elizabeth. "David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, And The 1918 Manpower Crisis." //The Historical Journal// 50.02 (2007): 397-421. //www.jstor.org//. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. Samuels, Martin. //Doctrine and dogma: German and British infantry tactics in the First World War//. New York: Greenwood Press, 1992. Print.


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 250%; text-align: center;">German Home Front: WWI **


 * What did it mean for Germany to be under martial law after 1915? This should include political, social, and  judicial concerns? How did the Women’s Home Army and the Freikorps embody the attitudes of many Germans about the  end of the war? What was the significance of the “Turnip Winters” for the German population in 1916-17 and 1917-18?  How should we place this within the context of the home front’s understanding of the progress of the war to that point?** Sydney Owens, 2

Please follow this link to visit the website I created with photos on my topic. //You can also use the QR code below// to access the website. [|Photo Gallery]

**<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%;">Setting the Scene: Martial Law ** The German Invasion of Belgium was the first campaign of the Great War. On August 3, 1914, German forces led an invasion on Belgium, a neutral state. Under the 1839 Treaty of London, Belgium was guaranteed perpetual neutrality. However, In August of 1914, Germany shattered Belgium’s neutrality. The German army as well as six brigades invaded. Belgian cities were seized and civilians were threatened with heavy artillery. Innocent civilians were murdered, thousands of women were raped, and over 1,500,000 Belgians fled their home country. Houses and cities were burned to the ground. Germany quickly occupied Belgium, stripping the state and its people of their pride, dignity, and free will. Those who resisted were executed, their houses destroyed, their cities massacred. For the duration of the occupation, which lasted from 1914 to 1918, Belgium operated under martial law. Martial Law is defined as the control of an area by military forces rather than the authority of the occupying power. To put it simply, martial law is the suspension of ordinary law and the rule of the military government instead. Instead of operating under the law of the Belgian government, Belgium operated under the German military authority. However, Belgium was not the only place that operated under martial law. Martial law was also practiced on Germany’s home front during the Great War.

**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%;">Politically: ** The Blockade of Germany was a prolonged naval operation conducted by the Allied powers that began during WWI. The blockade began in 1914 with the intention of halting the maritime supply of food and raw materials to the Central powers. The German Empire relied heavily on the imports in order to support its civilian population as well as the war effort. As a result of the blockade, the German government, under martial law, began making decisions that were considered politically lawless. One major example of such political lawless includes that unrestricted submarine warfare. While Germany’s U-boat campaigns began in 1914, the campaigns grew harsher in retaliation to the blockade of Germany. Germany’s reckless and unrestricted submarine warfare ultimately brought the United States into the war after the RMS Lusitania was hit with a torpedo, exploded, and sank. 1,959 of the passengers on board died, including 123 Americans. The loss sparked outrage among the American public and was a factor that led to America’s decision to enter into the war.

This is raw footage of the German U-Boat Warfare and also includes the sinking of the U.S.S. Lusitania.

Link: [|German U-Boat Warfare]

**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%;">Socially: ** Martial law in Germany after 1915 had many detrimental effects on society. The German Government refused to implement social reforms and instead, sought to hold the public docile through phrases that claimed class discrimination was over and that all parties were equal in order to support the imperialistic war policy. However, this caused rebellion amongst the people and paved the way for revolution.

The German Government also failed to care for people economically during the war. The civilian population was traumatized as a result of the decisions made by the German government under martial law. Since an overwhelming majority of the nation’s resources and production was devoted entirely to the war effort, the economy suffered and so did the civilians. 83% of expenditure in Germany was spent on the war effort, and only 2% was spent on civilians. As a result, the German people didn’t have enough food, gas, and coal. The German government also failed to support the agricultural sector. Since many agricultural laborers were drafted into the army, agricultural production fell by 70%. The population experienced unimaginable suffering as a result. When there was a shortage of wheat, people added sawdust to the little wheat they had. The suffering at this time was truly unthinkable. While the government began to implement rationing among the civilian population, over 750,000 Germans died from malnutrition during the war. Many riots began to break out on the home front as a result of the widespread suffering. Morale continued to sink.

**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%;">Judicially: ** German martial law allowed military courts to try both soldiers and civilians for violating military law. Violations included but were not limited to treason, cowardice, and disobeying orders. Civilians that were convicted were sentenced to the guillotine and soldiers that were convicted were sentenced to death by firing squad. The strict enforcement of military law on the home front led to much unrest among the civilian population.

**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%;">Freikorps: ** The Freikorps, or “Free Corps” were private German paramilitary groups that were established in December of 1918 at the end of World War I. The Freikorps was composed of ex-servicemen and unemployed youth, among other civilians. Many soldiers were left unemployed after the war as the German government could not provide jobs for the ex-servicemen. As a result, many joined the Freikorps, which proposed service and stability. Others joined simply out of anger after Germany lost the Great War.

There were over 65 forces within the Freikorps. The forces were led by ex-military officers and had various names and sizes. The Freikorps fought small wars and often times resorted to terror, including assassinations. One of the most dramatic assassinations was carried out in 1922, when the Freikorps murdered the German foreign minister, Walther Rathenau.

The Freikorps made it difficult for the German government to maintain social order and combat the economic devastation as a result of the war. The corps were seen as a source of chaos and a threat. However, the Freikorps posed threats outside of Germany’s borders. The corps were also active in other areas of the world, including the Baltic, Poland, and East Prussia. Ethnic cleansing ideology was spread and racism was present as the attitude of many Germans at the end of the war was that they were racially superior. As a result, the Freikorps murdered civilians of other countries they were present in as an expression of Anti-Semitism. The mindset of German superiority to other races paved the way for the ideology of Nazism. In addition, many forms Freikorps members would be future members of the Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party, the group in which Adolf Hitler would rise to power and establish it as the Nazi Party.

The following video highlights the suffering of the civilian population during the war and the rise of the Friekorps.

Link: [|Rise of the Friekorps]

**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%;">Women's Home Army: ** German women were not employed in the army, however, German women worked tirelessly on the home front during the war. Women took paid employment in factories in order to produce the materials that were used in the war effort. By December of 1917, 50% of the workers in chemicals, metals, and machinery were women. Women also served in volunteer services. For the first time, women were hired to work in banks, insurance companies, and government offices as clerks.

After the war ended, the Weimar Constitution proclaimed women’s right to vote in articles 17 and 22. In other articles, women received the rights to equality of the sexes in civic matters, non-discrimination against female bureaucrats, maternal rights, and equality of spouses within marriage. The German feminist movement pushed for the liberation of women. However, while women took steps toward equality, after the war, they were dismissed from the positions and jobs they held during the war.

Women suddenly had the burden of caring for the servicemen that returned. During the war, women were expected to take the jobs of men, but after the war, women were expected to return to their lifestyles before the war. Women were to care for the returning servicemen in addition to being mothers. Being a mother was the most important role a woman could have. During this time, Nazism was emerging as an ideology in Germany. The ideal Nazi woman was to be racially pure and a homemaker. Such social expectations of women after the war embodied the growing Nazi ideology.

**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%;">Turnip Winters: ** By the winter of 1916, staple foodstuffs including grain, potatoes, meat, and dairy products became so scarce that people began to starve. As a result, people began to resort to looting and food riots. Malnutrition related diseases ran rampant, including scurvy, tuberculosis, and dysentery. By the winter of 1917, the supply of potatoes had run out due to many factors, which included the blockade of the British Navy and the shortage of agriculture in Germany during the war. The only alternative to starvation was turnips. However, many were ashamed to resort to such an alternative as turnips were used to feed livestock. The winter from 1916-1917 was known as the “Turnip Winter” or “Hunger Winter”, which was a temporary peak in the shortage of food in Germany. The rainy autumn that preceded the war caused the potatoes to rot. The harvest was 50% smaller than it was during the previous year. This was detrimental as potatoes were a staple food that the population depended heavily on in order to survive. The winter from 1916-1917 was also extremely cold, and there was a coal shortage as a result. This meant that railway administrations could not transport potatoes to consumers in large cities. In order to survive, towns and parishes began to distribute turnips. The second turnip winter was during the winter of 1917-1918. The second turnip winter was similar to the first turnip winter. There was a major shortage of food and coal. In addition, rampant inflation was a major problem and resulted in the reduction of the wealth of the middle class. The turnip winters were truly times marked with suffering and struggle for the German people. The harsh winters stood as a symbol of the economic dissipation in Germany during the war. The widespread starvation was a result of the Allied blockade of Germany, as well as the few resources that were being devoted to the civilian population since the overwhelming majority was devoted to the war effort. The turnip winters also communicated to the civilian population that the outlook on the war for Germany and the Central Powers was bleak. It communicated to the population that the blockades were effective and that Germany could lose the war against the Allied powers.

**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 170%;">Works Cited ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">Ballard, Bob. "Lost Liners." //PBS//. PBS, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">Brechtelsbauer, Clemens. "Uboat.net." //The U-boat War in World War One (WWI)//. U-boat.net, 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">Duffy, Michael. "Firstworldwar.com." //First World War.com//. FirstWorldWar.com, 2009. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">"Freikorps (German Paramilitary Units)." //Encyclopedia Britannica Online//. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">"German Freikorps." //German Freikorps//. Wilson History and Research Center, 2012. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">"Impact of World War One on the Weimar Republic." //Impact of World War One on the Weimar Republic//. History Learning Site, 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">Simkin, John. "Spartacus Educational." //Invasion of Belgium//. Spartacus Educational, June 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">Smitha, Frank. "Germany's 1918 Offensives and an Armistice." //Germany's 1918 Offensives//. N.p., 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.