Spring Offensive

German Spring Offensive, 1918
	Part of the Western Front of World War I
Date	21 March – 18 July 1918
Location	Northern France; West Flanders, Belgium
Result	Tactical German success; Operational/Strategic German failure
Belligerents
German Empire	France United Kingdom Australia; Canada; New Zealand; Newfoundland; United States; Portugal
Commanders and leaders
German Empire Erich Ludendorff	Ferdinand Foch; Douglas Haig; Philippe Petain; John Pershing; Tamagnini de Abreu
Casualties and losses
688,341	418,374 British; 433,000 French; Total: 851,374

The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle), also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914. The German authorities had realised that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the overwhelming human and matériel resources of the United States could be deployed. They also had the advantage of nearly 50 divisions freed by the Russian surrender (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk).

The first and most important part was called Operation Michael. It used new infiltration tactics. After the offensive, not enough German soldiers were still alive to win the war anymore.

References

↑ Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. 2". German casualties from "Reichsarchiv 1918"
↑ Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. 2". British casualties from "Military Effort of the British Empire"
↑ Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. 2". French casualties from "Official Returns to the Chamber, March 29, 1922"

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[1] Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. 2". German casualties from "Reichsarchiv 1918"

[2] Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. 2". British casualties from "Military Effort of the British Empire"

[3] Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. 2". French casualties from "Official Returns to the Chamber, March 29, 1922"

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