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1918: The Last Year of the War

1918 · 16 articles · about 135 min of reading

With Russia leaving the war, Germany moved divisions west and in the spring of 1918 tried, in one offensive after another, to decide the war before the Americans arrived. The Germans got as far as the Marne, but in July Foch's counter-offensive drove them from the salient, and the initiative on the Western Front passed to the Allies. The Battle of Amiens opened the Hundred Days Offensive, and the defeat on the Hindenburg Line helped push Ludendorff to demand an armistice. In the autumn Bulgaria, Turkey and Austria-Hungary left the war one after another. The series runs from Operation Michael through the Second Battle of the Marne, Amiens and the Hindenburg Line, the armistices with Bulgaria, Turkey and Austria-Hungary and the revolution in Germany to the Armistice of Compiègne.

1918

  1. 0121 March – 5 April 1918BattleKey moment11 minOperation MichaelIt opens the series: the first and largest of the spring offensives, with which Ludendorff hoped to decide the war before the Americans arrived.From 21 March to 5 April 1918 three German armies broke the British front on the Somme and advanced more than 60 km, but did not take Amiens.
  2. 0226 March 1918EventKey moment7 minDoullens conferenceThe Allied answer to the breakthrough: for the first time the British and French forces in France had one man above them. For now Foch could only coordinate, not issue orders.On 26 March 1918, in the town hall at Doullens, the French and British entrusted General Foch with coordinating the Allied armies on the Western Front.
  3. 039–29 April 1918BattleKey moment12 minBattle of the LysThe second spring offensive, this time in Flanders: the Germans routed the Portuguese and took Kemmel, but again fell short of their goal, Hazebrouck and the Channel ports.On 9–29 April 1918 the Germans struck in Flanders, routed the Portuguese and took Kemmel, but failed to break through to Hazebrouck or the Channel ports.
  4. 0427 May – 6 June 1918BattleKey moment12 minThird Battle of the AisneThe spring's greatest surprise and the march to the Marne proved a trap for the Germans: they were stuck in a salient hard to supply and used up the divisions meant for Flanders.From 27 May to 6 June 1918 the German 7th Army took the Chemin des Dames, broke the French and British on the Aisne and reached the Marne at Château-Thierry.
  5. 0515 July – 6 August 1918BattleKey moment10 minSecond Battle of the MarneThe turning point of the year: the last German offensive collapsed, and Foch's counter-offensive was the first great Allied victory. Ludendorff had to go over to the defensive.From 15 July to 6 August 1918 the last German offensive on the Marne collapsed, and Foch's counter-offensive drove the Germans from the Soissons–Reims salient.
  6. 068–11 August 1918BattleKey moment12 minBattle of AmiensAfter this blow Ludendorff concluded that a new offensive was no longer conceivable, and the Allies began the Hundred Days Offensive, in which they did not halt until the armistice.On 8–11 August 1918 Rawlinson's Canadians, Australians and British with tanks, and Debeney's French, broke the German front east of Amiens.
  7. 0712 September – 12 October 1918BattleKey moment9 minBattles of the Hindenburg LineBreaking the strongest German line settled that the war would end in 1918 and not in 1919.From 12 September to 12 October 1918 three British armies, with Canadians, Australians and Americans, broke the Hindenburg Line and reached the Selle.
  8. 0829 September 1918EventKey moment5 minLudendorff demands an armisticeThe moment the German Supreme Army Command itself admitted that the war could no longer be continued and that Germany must immediately ask for an armistice.On 29 September 1918 at Spa Hindenburg and Ludendorff demanded an immediate armistice request. The Kaiser agreed to appeal to Wilson and to parliamentary rule.
  9. 0930 September 1918EventKey moment6 minArmistice of SalonicaThe first of the Central Powers leaves the war, cutting the Ottoman Empire off from Germany and exposing Austria-Hungary.On 29 September 1918 Bulgaria signed an armistice at Salonica. The fighting stopped at noon on 30 September, the first Central Power out of the war.
  10. 104 October 1918EventKey moment5 minPeace notes to WilsonThe first step towards the armistice: Berlin and Vienna ask Wilson for talks based on the Fourteen Points, opening an exchange of notes that lasted the whole of October.On 4 October 1918 Germany and Austria-Hungary sent President Wilson notes asking for an armistice and peace talks on the basis of the Fourteen Points.
  11. 1124 October – 4 November 1918BattleKey moment12 minBattle of Vittorio VenetoThe last battle of the Austro-Hungarian army: Austria-Hungary entered it as one state and came out of it as several new states.On 24 October – 4 November 1918 Italy and its allies crossed the Piave and broke the Austro-Hungarian army, which fell apart with the Habsburg monarchy.
  12. 1230 October 1918EventKey moment6 minArmistice of MudrosTurkey becomes the second of the Central Powers to leave the war, and the armistice opens the way to the partition of the empire.On 30 October 1918, aboard the battleship Agamemnon at Mudros, the Ottoman Empire signed an armistice with the Entente. Fighting ended at noon on 31 October.
  13. 133 November 1918Event6 minKiel mutinyThe spark of the revolution: a plan for a last battle to save the fleet's honour provoked a sailors' mutiny that led to the November Revolution and the fall of the empire.On 3 November 1918 a patrol in Kiel fired on a march of sailors and workers. Next day the city was in the hands of soldiers' councils. The revolution had begun.
  14. 143 November 1918EventKey moment8 minArmistice of Villa GiustiThe Habsburgs leave the war: Austria-Hungary signs the armistice as a state in dissolution, its army retreating in disorder.On 3 November 1918 near Padua Austria-Hungary signed an armistice with the Allies. Fighting ceased at 3 p.m. on 4 November; the Habsburg monarchy left the war.
  15. 159 November 1918EventKey moment6 minRevolution in BerlinThe revolution reaches Berlin and brings down the empire: the chancellor announces the Kaiser's abdication and hands power to Ebert, and Scheidemann proclaims a republic.On 9 November 1918 the revolution reached Berlin. The chancellor announced the Kaiser's abdication and handed power to Ebert; Scheidemann proclaimed a republic.
  16. 1611 November 1918EventKey moment8 minArmistice of CompiègneThe last step: the armistice did not formally end the war, but it deprived Germany of the ability to resume it, and 11 November became a day of remembrance for the fallen.At dawn on 11 November 1918 Germany signed an armistice with the Entente in Foch's railway carriage in the Forest of Compiègne. At 11 a.m. the guns fell silent.