German spring offensive

The German spring offensive was a major series of attacks on the Western Front. It began on 21 March 1918 during the First World War. This period is also known as the Kaiserschlacht, or "Kaiser's Battle." It was also called the Ludendorff offensive. The German leaders aimed to win the war quickly. They wanted to defeat the Allies before the United States could deploy its full resources. The United States had entered the war in April 1917. Germany saw a temporary advantage in numbers. Nearly 50 divisions were freed after Russia withdrew from the war. This happened because of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

General Erich Ludendorff led the German planning. He was the Chief Quartermaster General at the supreme army headquarters. He decided to launch the offensive during a meeting in November 1917. The German government and Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg were not part of the planning. The main attack was codenamed Operation Michael. It was intended to strike near Saint-Quentin. This location was at the hinge between the French and British armies. The Germans chose this sector for tactical reasons. The ground would dry out faster after the spring rains. This made the terrain easier for troops to cross. It was also a weak point in the Allied lines.

Germany used several different operations during this time. Operation Michael was the primary attack. It aimed to break the Allied lines and outflank British forces. The British held the front from the Somme River to the English Channel. If Michael succeeded, the Germans hoped the French would seek an armistice. Other operations were subsidiary to Michael. These included Operation Georgette and Operation Gneisenau. They were also called Operation Mars in some contexts. These smaller attacks were designed to divert Allied forces. They aimed to pull troops away from the main effort on the Somme.

To achieve breakthroughs, the Germans used new tactics. They created elite stormtrooper units. These soldiers were trained in infiltration tactics. They would bypass strong enemy points to strike the rear. Their goal was to disrupt headquarters, artillery, and supply depots. This process required taking the best soldiers from regular divisions. This gave the Germans an initial advantage. However, it also meant these elite units suffered very heavy casualties. The quality of the remaining regular formations declined. The Germans also lacked a mobile exploitation force like cavalry. This meant the infantry had to maintain an exhausting pace of advance.

Artillery played a vital role in the German plan. Lieutenant Colonel Georg Bruchmüller developed a new method. He created a system called a creeping barrage, or rolling fire. This scheme had three specific phases. First, a brief bombardment hit enemy command and communications. This included telephone exchanges and headquarters. Second, the artillery destroyed enemy artillery units. Finally, an attack began against the front-line infantry. The bombardment was kept brief to maintain the element of surprise. This tactic relied on Germany's vast numbers of heavy guns and ammunition.

The Allies responded with defenses in depth. This system used multiple zones to resist attacks. The first was the outpost zone, which was lightly held. The second was the battle zone, where fighting was intense. The third was the rear zone, where reserves waited. These reserves could counter-attack or seal off penetrations. However, the British Fifth Army had not fully implemented this. Their battle zone consisted of isolated redoubts. These units did not support each other well. This allowed German stormtroopers to move between them. On the first day of Operation Michael, the British lost 7,512 dead and 10,000 wounded.

Despite early gains, the offensive failed its main goals. The Germans made the deepest advances seen since 1914. They retook land lost in 1916 and 1917. However, much of this ground had little strategic value. It was also very hard to defend. The German troops struggled with logistical issues. Fast-moving units could not carry enough food or ammunition. The army could not move supplies fast enough to help them. By July 1918, American troops arrived to restore the Allied advantage. In August, the Allies launched a counteroffensive. This led to the Hundred Days Offensive. Germany lost all its new ground and eventually surrendered in November 1918. Some historians call this a Pyrrhic victory. This means the victory cost too much to be worthwhile.