Endgame of World War I

Questions and Answers

What was the initial cause of the collapse of the Russian economy and army in 1917?

Revolution and revolt (correct)

Economic sanctions

Foreign invasion

Lack of military training

What did Ludendorff see as the last chance for a German victory in the West?

Allied retreat

Economic collapse in Germany

Increased army divisions

Russia's revolution (correct)

What did Ludendorff do with the army divisions he pulled out of the East?

Disbanded them

Used them for training

Sent them to the Eastern Front

Sent them to the Western Front (correct)

What was Ludendorff's plan after pulling the army divisions to the Western Front?

Mobilize them in a massive push towards Paris Signup and view all the answers

How did Ludendorff unleash the offensive on March 21, 1918?

With a carefully calibrated creeping barrage Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of Ludendorff's offensive along the Somme?

Routing the British fifth Army Signup and view all the answers

What was the initial reaction of Prime Minister David Lloyd George to the German surge?

Expecting a disastrous outcome Signup and view all the answers

What crucial railway junction did the British and French jointly defend after a crisis meeting?

Amiens Signup and view all the answers

Who was appointed commander-in-chief of the Allied forces after a crisis meeting?

Ferdinand Foch Signup and view all the answers

What did Ludendorff mount in Flanders from March to July 1918?

Five great offensives Signup and view all the answers

Why were the German westward stabs weaker each time?

Germany was running out of men Signup and view all the answers

What was Ludendorff's initial response to the potential failure of the great offensive?

Germany will just have to go Signup and view all the answers

What event marked the official end of World War One?

Armistice Day Signup and view all the answers

Who played a central role in Germany's trajectory from total victory to total defeat?

Erich Ludendorff Signup and view all the answers

What did the Armistice of 1918 impose on Germany?

Surrender of its capacity to wage war Signup and view all the answers

What did Ludendorff's gamble on an all-out u-boat campaign in 1917 result in?

America entering the war against Germany Signup and view all the answers

What did the Armistice of 1918 allow the Allied armies to do?

Occupy Germany west of the Rhine Signup and view all the answers

What decisive victory did Ludendorff and Hindenburg win in 1914?

Battle of Tannenberg Signup and view all the answers

What was the turning point with far-reaching consequences in 1916?

Battle of Verdun Signup and view all the answers

What was Ludendorff's gamble that resulted in America entering the war against Germany?

All-out u-boat campaign Signup and view all the answers

What was Ludendorff's belief about achieving Germany's war aims in the West?

It could be achieved through a decisive victory Signup and view all the answers

What was Ludendorff's calculation based on at his headquarters in Spa, Belgium?

Belief in a decisive victory Signup and view all the answers

What did Germany's catastrophic failure at Verdun lead to?

Shake-up of the supreme command Signup and view all the answers

What did Ludendorff and Hindenburg take command of in 1914?

German Eighth Army Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

World War I: The Fall of Ludendorff and Germany's Collapse

Ludendorff, a German military leader, was initially detached from the human cost of war, focused on strategy and statistics
Ludendorff experienced a turning point when he faced the intimate suffering of war at the Somme battlefield
As German troops' morale waned, Ludendorff's leadership and confidence were shaken, and the homefront seethed with discontent
The turning point came on August 8th, 1918, when the British and French forces gained the upper hand, causing Ludendorff to acknowledge the "black day of the German army"
Ludendorff's misjudgments led to the collapse of the German war effort and the home front's revolt
Ludendorff attempted to shift the blame for the collapse onto the political left, not acknowledging his own faults
Ludendorff's new plan involved appealing directly to the American President Woodrow Wilson for softer peace terms and creating a new civilian government
However, Wilson played a harder game than expected, demanding the withdrawal of German forces from invaded territories and the abdication of the Kaiser
The German army disintegrated, and the Allied onslaught continued with mounting ferocity, resulting in a significant death toll
The Allied leaders were considering a harsh armistice, imposing huge reparations and occupying the left bank of the Rhine
French General Pétain planned a symbolic recapture of the Lorraine region, while pressure mounted on Wilson to press for total German surrender
The final weeks of the war saw the German army driven back in disarray, with high casualties, and intense diplomatic negotiations for the armistice

The Armistice of 1918 and the Bitter Endgame of World War One

Armistice Day, 11th November 1918, marked the official end of World War One at 11 o'clock.
The armistice was a result of negotiations and brinksmanship between generals, while soldiers continued to fight and suffer losses at the front.
Erich Ludendorff, Germany's military dictator after 1916, played a central role in Germany's trajectory from total victory to total defeat.
The ending of World War One sowed the seeds of an even more appalling conflict just two decades later.
The armistice imposed exceptionally harsh terms on Germany, including surrendering its capacity to wage war.
The Armistice of 1918 went beyond just an agreement to stop fighting, also allowing the Allied armies to occupy Germany west of the Rhine.
Ludendorff and Hindenburg took command of the shaken German Eighth Army and won a decisive victory at Tannenberg in 1914.
The Germans sought a decisive victory in the West, leading to the Battle of Verdun in 1916, a turning point with far-reaching consequences.
Germany's catastrophic failure at Verdun forced a shake-up of the supreme command, leading to Ludendorff effectively becoming the dictator of Germany.
Ludendorff's gamble on an all-out u-boat campaign in 1917 resulted in America entering the war against Germany, tipping the balance of forces in Europe.
Despite the changing dynamics, Ludendorff still aimed for a decisive victory in the West, believing he could achieve Germany's war aims and avoid defeat.
Ludendorff's calculation at his headquarters in Spa, Belgium, was based on the belief that he still had one last opportunity to realize Germany's global power ambitions.

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Description

Test your knowledge of the pivotal role played by Erich Ludendorff in the fall of Germany during World War I and the events leading to the Armistice of 1918. Explore the turning points, negotiations, and consequences that marked the bitter endgame of the Great War.