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

2. 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

3. Stormtroop Tactics

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Amiens
Second Marne
Argonne Forest
St. Mihiel

8. 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.”

9. Meeting at Compiègne

10. 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.