Spring Offensive facts for kids

Quick facts for kids German Spring Offensive, 1918
Part of the Western Front of World War I
Date 21 March – 18 July 1918 Location Northern France; West Flanders, Belgium Result Tactical German success Operational/Strategic German failure
Belligerents
German Empire	France United Kingdom Australia Canada New Zealand Newfoundland  United States Portugal
Commanders and leaders
German Empire Erich Ludendorff	Ferdinand Foch Douglas Haig Philippe Petain John Pershing Tamagnini de Abreu
Casualties and losses
688,341	418,374 British 433,000 French Total: 851,374

The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle), also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914. The German authorities had realised that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the overwhelming human and matériel resources of the United States could be deployed. They also had the advantage of nearly 50 divisions freed by the Russian surrender (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk).

The first and most important part was called Operation Michael. It used new infiltration tactics. After the offensive, not enough German soldiers were still alive to win the war anymore.

Images for kids

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  Comparative numbers of German and Allied front-line infantry from April to November 1918.

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  German A7V tank at Roye on 21 March 1918

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  Germans passing a captured British trench

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  British Lewis gun team on the bank of the Lys canal during Battle of Hazebrouck, 15 April 1918

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  French and British troops marching back through Passy-sur-Marne, 29 May 1918.

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  The Kaiser on the way through a communication trench, 4 April 1918