Podcast
Questions and Answers
What was the initial cause of the collapse of the Russian economy and army in 1917?
What was the initial cause of the collapse of the Russian economy and army in 1917?
What did Ludendorff see as the last chance for a German victory in the West?
What did Ludendorff see as the last chance for a German victory in the West?
What did Ludendorff do with the army divisions he pulled out of the East?
What did Ludendorff do with the army divisions he pulled out of the East?
What was Ludendorff's plan after pulling the army divisions to the Western Front?
What was Ludendorff's plan after pulling the army divisions to the Western Front?
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How did Ludendorff unleash the offensive on March 21, 1918?
How did Ludendorff unleash the offensive on March 21, 1918?
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What was the outcome of Ludendorff's offensive along the Somme?
What was the outcome of Ludendorff's offensive along the Somme?
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What was the initial reaction of Prime Minister David Lloyd George to the German surge?
What was the initial reaction of Prime Minister David Lloyd George to the German surge?
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What crucial railway junction did the British and French jointly defend after a crisis meeting?
What crucial railway junction did the British and French jointly defend after a crisis meeting?
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Who was appointed commander-in-chief of the Allied forces after a crisis meeting?
Who was appointed commander-in-chief of the Allied forces after a crisis meeting?
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What did Ludendorff mount in Flanders from March to July 1918?
What did Ludendorff mount in Flanders from March to July 1918?
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Why were the German westward stabs weaker each time?
Why were the German westward stabs weaker each time?
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What was Ludendorff's initial response to the potential failure of the great offensive?
What was Ludendorff's initial response to the potential failure of the great offensive?
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What event marked the official end of World War One?
What event marked the official end of World War One?
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Who played a central role in Germany's trajectory from total victory to total defeat?
Who played a central role in Germany's trajectory from total victory to total defeat?
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What did the Armistice of 1918 impose on Germany?
What did the Armistice of 1918 impose on Germany?
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What did Ludendorff's gamble on an all-out u-boat campaign in 1917 result in?
What did Ludendorff's gamble on an all-out u-boat campaign in 1917 result in?
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What did the Armistice of 1918 allow the Allied armies to do?
What did the Armistice of 1918 allow the Allied armies to do?
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What decisive victory did Ludendorff and Hindenburg win in 1914?
What decisive victory did Ludendorff and Hindenburg win in 1914?
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What was the turning point with far-reaching consequences in 1916?
What was the turning point with far-reaching consequences in 1916?
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What was Ludendorff's gamble that resulted in America entering the war against Germany?
What was Ludendorff's gamble that resulted in America entering the war against Germany?
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What was Ludendorff's belief about achieving Germany's war aims in the West?
What was Ludendorff's belief about achieving Germany's war aims in the West?
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What was Ludendorff's calculation based on at his headquarters in Spa, Belgium?
What was Ludendorff's calculation based on at his headquarters in Spa, Belgium?
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What did Germany's catastrophic failure at Verdun lead to?
What did Germany's catastrophic failure at Verdun lead to?
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What did Ludendorff and Hindenburg take command of in 1914?
What did Ludendorff and Hindenburg take command of in 1914?
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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.
