Summary
Highlights
In 1918, the Allies faced a crisis as Russia withdrew from the war, freeing up German troops for the Western Front. Germany, however, was also desperate due to Britain's naval blockade and the entry of the US into the war, necessitating a quick victory.
US President Wilson announced his 'Fourteen Points' for a post-war world, including self-determination and an international organization. Meanwhile, Bolshevik Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers, ceding vast territories but allowing Germany to redeploy half a million troops to the Western Front.
German General Ludendorff launched a surprise Spring Offensive on the Western Front, using new infiltration tactics. Despite initial German advances that threatened to split Allied armies, British and Australian troops halted the push near Amiens. French General Ferdinand Foch was appointed Supreme Commander to coordinate Allied strategy.
The air war escalated with both sides having thousands of aircraft, but the Allies achieved air superiority. Germany's 'Red Baron', Manfred von Richthofen, was shot down. On the ground, German offensives were eventually halted at the River Marne as fresh American divisions, notably the US 1st and 2nd Divisions, entered the line, with 10,000 more arriving daily.
British and French troops landed in Murmansk, marking the beginning of Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. On the Western Front, the Germans' final attack was defeated in the Second Battle of the Marne. Ludendorff's offensive failed to achieve a decisive breakthrough, costing Germany over 600,000 casualties.
The Allies launched their 'Hundred Days Offensive,' starting with a major advance at the Battle of Amiens. German troops were exhausted and surrendered en masse. Allied offensives in the Balkans and Middle East led to the collapse of Bulgaria and Turkey. Ludendorff informed the Kaiser that the military situation was hopeless, demanding an armistice.
Germany requested an armistice, which President Wilson conditioned on German withdrawal and the Kaiser's abdication. The Austro-Hungarian army disintegrated after the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, leading to their armistice. A mutiny in the German High Seas Fleet and widespread revolution forced the Kaiser's abdication. On November 11, 1918, Germany signed an armistice with the Allies, officially ending the fighting.
The Paris Peace Conference at Versailles established the League of Nations. The Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh terms on Germany, including military restrictions, reparations, territorial losses, and a 'war guilt' clause. Europe's boundaries were redrawn, with new states emerging from the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires. Former German possessions in China were given to Japan, causing Chinese outrage. World War One resulted in millions of casualties, devastated Europe, and profoundly transformed the global landscape.