Ludendorff’s Spring Offensive What was its aim? How it broke the Stalemate. Why didn’t it maintain?

What was Its aim? Ludendorff’s Spring Offensive Plan 1918 was one all- consuming effort for a new assault on the weaker spots on the allied front line, Before America arrived with Fresh Troops. Its was aimed to separate the British and French Armies enabling the Germans to punch a hole in the front line. They Created a new strategy call ‘Storm Trooper Assault’ armed with light machine guns and flame throwers, small groups of soldiers were to cross trench lines and break through to the enemies artillery and destroy it. Storm Troopers would be followed by battle units whose task was to stop resistance. A third wave of troops would then consolidate the gains.

How it broke the Stalemate? The war was still in a stalemate at the beginning of 1918. Ludendorff’s Spring Offensive broke the stalemate as it was successful in breaking through the enemy line using the ‘Storm Trooper Assault’ and using this tactic on weak areas of the allied line this area being were the French and British met.

Why didn’t it maintain? After the first German breakthrough the British and French finally decided that one overall commander was necessary and the Frenchman Foch was appointed. A counter-attack began, using fresh US troops and massed numbers of tanks . The German advance collapsed and they were pushed back to the Hindenburg line. It took 40 000 German casualties that Germany could not replace and forced Germany to continue to retreat. A revolution was brewing on their home front as the Allied blockade was taking it toll on Germany. In October the allies broke through the Hindenburg line. On 29 September Ludendorff advised the German government to sue for peace immediately.

“ We must strike at the earliest moment before the Americans can throw strong forces into the scale. We must beat the British.” General Ludendorff the German Commander. Ludendorff knew that Germany would achieve victory only if it acted before the full power of the United States joined the Allied force.

  “We are going like Hell – on and on, day and night. Our baggage is somewhere in the rear and we don’t expect to see it again.” German Captain Rudolf Binding. The speed of the Germans advance put their supply lines under huge strain. The supply units of the storm troopers simply could not keep up with them, leaving them short of vital supplies.

Storm troopers in the Assault Depending on the nature of the mission the Storm troopers could slip across no-man’s-land in the dead of night; or they could follow a short, heavy barrage into the enemy trenches.

Storm Troopers were equipped with a light machine guns and flame throwers. As seen in the photo above of a storm trooper assault squad.

Propaganda used by the Germans to ensure their home front of their soon to be victory and the defeat of the allied forces.

“ The troops had scarcely reached these positions, and their machine guns had not been fetched forward, when they were surprised by the German attack.” First Quartermaster-General von Ludendorff The Storm Trooper Assault tactic help break the stalemate as the Germans were able to punch through the front line

The storm troopers were lightly armed so they could travel fast across no mans land. This picture shows a storm trooper squad preparing for an assault

“…we still have a chance of victory…we will strike for victory at the point of junction of the Franco-British forces” Ludendorff. AJ Grant and HWV Temperley ‘Europe In the 19TH and 20TH Centuries’

“British sea power worked by blockade and hunger “British sea power worked by blockade and hunger. The effect of this attrition finally coincided with, and greatly intensified, the military reverse…insufficient food, defective equipment, and tales of the anguish at home sapped the soldiers’ morale” AJ Grant and HWV Temperley ‘Europe In the 19TH and 20TH Centuries’ The blockade was Germany's down fall as it effected all aspects of the war.

“The enemy is using tanks in large numbers…they often broke the morale of our troops…led to the quicker exhaustion of our reserves. We are not able to oppose the enemy with an equal number of German tanks” Extract of a speech delivered to the Reichstag on Ludendorff's behalf. Tanks had a major impact on the spring offensive not maintaining as it impact the German troops lost their morale and cause many casualties and deaths.

Americas involvement played an important role in the offensive not maintaining as allied troops could be replaced with fresh American troops which Germany was unable to match. “The enemy is in a position to make good his losses with American help…they are able to take over lengthy stretches of the front” Extract of a speech delivered to the Reichstag on Ludendorff's behalf.

“the sheer size of the demands placed upon German society and the economy in order to meet the challenge of total war ultimately too great to be over come” I. Cawood and D. Mc kinnon-Bell ‘The First World War.’ Facing unrest on the home front the spring offensive could not maintain as Germany was facing a revolution.