The End of the War Ludendorff Offensives Ferdinand Foch AEF Armistice Paris Peace Conference

Ludendorff Offensives Uses storm troop tactics Goal is to divide French and British armies and open a gap 1,200 square miles in two weeks Germans cross Somme and Chemin des Dames with ease Paris evacuated

Stormtroop Tactics

Britain: 58 divisions Germany: 199 divisions Lys 9-29 April Somme: 21 Mar-4 June Amiens Aisne: 27 May – 4 June Noyon: 8-12 June France: 100 divisions Marne: 15-17 July USA: six divisions Paris

Allied Response Joint command needed Pétain or Foch? Doullens Agreement (March 26, 1918) Gives Foch power to “coordinate the actions of the allied armies” Creation of the General Reserve

The Americans Willing to serve under Foch’s overall direction, and will place US divisions into French corps, but will NOT permanently amalgamate Goal is still a separate US Army with its own sphere of action Abbeville Agreement of May 2 US sends six divisions in May and agrees to send 450,000 men by July The American people would consider it a great honor for our troops to be engaged in the present battle. . . . Infantry, artillery, aviation, all that we have is yours; use them as you wish – Pershing to Foch

Amiens Second Marne Argonne Forest St. Mihiel

Armistice German decision to seek armistice on Nov 7 broadcast to Eiffel Tower radio station Ludendorff fled to Sweden, Kaiser abdicated to Holland Who is in charge? Matthias Erzberger, told by Hindenburg to “sign a peace at any cost.”

Meeting at Compiègne

Armistice Terms Germany evacuates all occupied territory (including Alsace and Lorraine) without damaging civilian and military equipment contained therein. Germany surrenders: 5,000 heavy guns; 30,000 machine guns; 5,000 locomotives; 150,000 railway cars; 150 submarines. Blockade of Germany continues until the conclusion of a final peace treaty.