A. The Ludendorff Offensive
1. General Ludendorff planned to make a final all-out offensive on
the Western Front, hoping to win the war before the Americans could
reinforce the Allies. He had more men and more guns than ever before
because the end of the war with Russia released German armies from
the Eastern Front.
2. The offensive was successful at first. The Germans advanced 65kms
breaking the stalemate of trench warfare and threatening Paris.
3. To deal with this crisis Foch was put in sole command of the Allied
armies.
He counter attacked in July and steadily drove the Germans back to
the Hindenburg line.
B. The collapse of Germany's Allies.
1. Bulgaria surrendered after defeat or, the Salonika Front.
2. Austria was beaten by the Italians at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto.
3. Turkey was beaten by an British advance from Jerusalem.
C. The German Revolution.
1. Ludendorff hoped to put off Germany's defeat by asking the Americans
for an armistice on fair terms giving his armies time to recover.
2. In November German sailors at Kiel mutinied and started a revolution
which swept through the whole country. Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated and
Germany became a republic,
3. With the country in a state of revolution the Germans could not
go on fighting. They made an unconditional surrender and signed an
armistice agreement on 11 November 1918.