Why did Germany sign the armistice in 1918? Identify the reasons for the allied victory in WW1. Evaluate the reasons for the Allied victory in WWI. Reach a supported conclusion as to the most important reason.

Starter: As a group, form a hypothesis on why Germany signed the armistice in 1918.

Use the images to help you add more detail to your hypothesis.

Supporting evidence Reasons for Germans signing armistice Your hypothesis Any other reasons

Your task: Using the cards you have been given, add to your answer in a different colour.

Look back at your initial hypothesis Look back at your initial hypothesis. How would you now answer this question?

In a nutshell… Ludendorff Offensive failing Naval blockade Mutinies & civil unrest in Germany Trench conditions, casualties and loss of territory America entering the war Improvements in technology

TASK; Think, Pair, Share Look at your notes. Discuss in pairs which reason you think is the most important reason why the Allies won. Share this as a group – do you all agree? Be prepared to explain your answer. You have 5 minutes.

Casualties % Mobilized Countries Total Mobilized Killed & Died Wounded Prisoners & Missing Total Casualties Casualties % Mobilized Allied Powers Russia 12,000,000 1,700,000 4,950,000 2,500,000 9,150,000 76.3 France 8,410,000 1,357,800 4,266,000 537,000 6,160,800 British Empire 8,904,467 908,371 2,090,212 191,652 3,190,235 35.8 Italy 5,615,000 650,000 947,000 600,000 2,197,000 39.1 United States 4,355,000 126,000 234,300 4,500 364,800 8.2 Japan 800,000 300 907 3 1,210 0.2 Romania 750,000 335,706 120,000 80,000 535,706 71.4 Serbia 707,343 45,000 133,148 152,958 331,106 46.8 Belgium 267,000 13,716 44,686 34,659 93,061 34.9 Greece 230,000 5,000 21,000 1,000 17,000 11.7 Portugal 100,000 7,222 13,751 12,318 33,291 33.3 Montenegro 50,000 3,000 10,000 7,000 20,000 40.0 Total 42,188,810 5,152,115 12,831,004 4,121,090 22,104,209 52.3 Central Powers Germany 11,000,000 1,773,700 4,216,058 1,152,800 7,142,558 64.9 Austria-Hungary 7,800,000 1,200,000 3,620,000 2,200,000 7,020,000 90.0 Turkey 2,850,000 325,000 400,000 250,000 975,000 34.2 Bulgaria 87,500 152,390 27,029 266,919 22.2 22,850,000 3,386,200 8,388,448 3,629,829 15,404,477 67.4 Grand Total 65,038,810 8,538,315 21,219,452 7,750,919 37,508,686 57.6

The USA Enters The War  The United States declared war on Germany on April 6th 1917. American troops joined the French and British in the summer of 1918. They were fresh and not war-weary and were invaluable in defeating the Germans.

The first Battle of the Marne took place between 5th and 11th September, 1914. The most important consequence of the battle was that the French and British forces were able to prevent the German plan for a swift and decisive victory. The second major battle close to the River Marne took place during the summer of 1918. During the Spring Offensive, the German Army advanced over the Aisne in late May and reached the Marne on 5th June. The French Army was in poor shape and the Commander-in-Chief, Henri-Philippe Petain, knew that the British were busy dealing with the German offensive at Lys. Eventually Sir Douglas Haig agreed to send Petain four divisions and two divisions of the recently arrived US Army were also available. Over 85,000 American soldiers took part in the battle. The German attack on the Marne was launched by General Erich von Ludendorff on 15th July. Twenty-three divisions of the First and Third Armies attacked the French Fourth Army in the east of Reims and seventeen divisions of the Seventh army took on the French Fifth Army to the west. The Germans failed to break through and General Ferdinand Foch was able to organize a counterattack. This included 24 divisions of the French Army, and soldiers from the United States, Britain and Italy. On 20th July the Germans began to withdraw. By the 3rd August they were back to where they were when they started the Spring Offensive in March. Allied casualties during the 2nd Battle of the Marne were heavy: French (95,000), British (13,000) and United States (12,000). It is estimated that the German Army suffered an estimated 168,000 casualties and and marked the last real attempt by the Central Powers to win the First World War.

Improvements In Technology  The allied victory in November 1918 was not solely due to American involvement. Rapid advancements in weapon technology meant that by 1918 tanks and planes were commonplace. They helped the Allies to break the stalemate on the Western Front and start pushing the Germans back.

Germany’s Final Push Fails The German commander Erich Ludendorff (right) was a brilliant military commander and had won decisive victories over Russia in 1917 that led to the Russian withdrawal from the war. In 1918 he announced that if Germany was to win the war then the allies had to be defeated on the Western Front before the arrival of American troops. Although his offensive was initially successful the allies held ground and eventually pushed the Germans back.

Naval Blockade of Germany The British Navy blockaded the sea approaches to German ports. This meant that ships could not enter or leave the German ports, essentially stopping supplies being delivered to Germany by sea. This created food shortages. By the end of the war the German people were nearly starving. They lived on handouts of turnips, potatoes and saw-dusty bread. Even basic foods were strictly rationed. The longer the war went on, the worse the food shortages became. Fuel shortages led to power cuts, factories had to close and transport could no longer run. Germany was grinding to a halt. To make things worse, a flu virus spread across Germany, killing thousands.

Civil Unrest In Germany With defeat close on the battlefields, and conditions poor at home, the German army asked for peace. The allies agreed, but only if the Kaiser shared his power. This proved unpopular, and public opinion turned against the Kaiser. Revolution was being talked about. The was a Naval Mutiny which was the catalyst for mass unrest. The Kaiser was losing control of the country as soldiers and workers rose up against him. The Kaiser, Wilhelm I, had to abdicate. Freidrich Ebert, leader of the Social Democratic Party, became head of the government.