At the end of 1916, there was a severe famine in Germany due to the British naval blockade.
In order to change this decline, Kaiser Wilhelm II decided to introduce unlimited submarine warfare on February 1, 1917, exclusively against merchant ships destined for the Entente.
In fact, there is also a controversy within Germany about whether to carry out unrestricted submarine warfare.
Naturally, the civilian clique disagrees, because it would offend the United States.
In addition, the civilian officials engaged in secret negotiations with the British.
If the negotiations went well, Britain would sell France in exchange for the withdrawal of German troops from Belgium.
Once Britain withdrew from the war, France would certainly not be able to fight. Germany would be able to guarantee Alsace and Lorraine.
And without Britain and France, there is no need for the United States to get involved.
Unfortunately, however, the civil servants made a bet on both sides, and while secretly meeting with Britain, they also quietly approached France.
As a result, Britain and France reconciled the accounts, and it was embarrassing. The door to diplomatic peace talks has also been closed.
The civilian officials messed up the negotiations, which created an opportunity for the military attache clique to seize power.
Hindenburg, Wilhelm II and Ludendorff.
In June 1916, Hindenburg and Ludendorff were stationed in the Army Command.
These two military achievements were impressive, and they also advocated that "I have no food to eat, and I can't let Britain and France have a good life." Very much appetite for Wilhelm II.
Under their influence, Wilhelm II finally made the decision: flip the table! Implement unrestricted submarine warfare. German submarines could sink any merchant ship bound for British waters without warning.
As for the result, it is not surprising that Germany has succeeded in angering the American ** fire dealers and Wall Street bigwigs.
After the outbreak of World War I, the United States pursued a policy of glorious isolation, and no matter what the hell Europe was fighting, the United States would not take sides.
However, not taking sides does not mean not mixing.
Relying on the military orders of the Entente countries, the United States made a lot of money up and down.
On the side of the Allies, the United States did not refuse to come at first.
It was only because the trade routes were blocked by the British navy that the Allies gradually ran out of orders.
That is, by the beginning of 1917, the Entente became the only customer of the United States.
As the saying goes: Cutting off someone's money is like killing your parents.
Germany has cut off the financial routes of the American capital predators. The United States ** Wilson suddenly became anxious and threatened Germany: Hurry up and take back your life, otherwise you will break off diplomatic relations!
It is often said that Americans are chicken thieves and can always be on the right side of history.
This statement is not accurate.
Because when the First World War entered its third year, both groups were exhausted. The strength of the United States determines that it will not be able to stand on the wrong side at this time.
In other words, even if the British Royal Navy was strong, the U.S. Navy was capable of turning the North Atlantic into a slaughterhouse for Allied merchant ships.
And without external blood transfusions, the Entente countries, which are already extremely resource-strained, are destined to not last more than a year.
It is said that the United States will win whoever stands, and in the face of the threat, Germany should admit it.
But Wilhelm II had his own little calculations.
He believed that the U.S. Army was weak, and even if it entered the war, it would be at least a year later.
By that time, it is estimated that the Entente would have collapsed long ago.
In addition, Tsarist Russia was showing signs of collapse at that time. If Tsarist Russia withdrew from the war, Germany could concentrate its forces and defeat Britain and France on the Western Front before the United States could go to war.
Seeing that Germany insisted on going its own way, Wilson did what he said and severed diplomatic relations with it.
Soon after, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution declaring war on Germany by a vote of 86 in favor and 6 against because the German telegram inciting Mexico to attack the United States was intercepted.
The United States officially joined the Entente.
On April 2, 1917, Wilson addressed Congress and demanded a declaration of war on Germany.
On the eve of the United States' entry into the war, the February Revolution broke out in Tsarist Russia, and the Romanov dynasty was overthrown.
After the formation of the *bourgeoisie temporary**, in exchange for the recognition and support of the Entente, the new prime minister, Kerensky, decided to carry the war to the end.
To this end, the Russian army launched the "Kerensky Offensive" on the Eastern Front.
However, if the top level wants to fight, whether the Russian army can still fight is two different things.
I heard that I was going to die again, and before the campaign was launched, the Russian army was in chaos, and the cumulative number of soldiers who "deserted" reached more than one million.
Taking advantage of the weakness of the Russian army, the German army and the Austro-Hungarian army launched a counterattack, destroying 90,000 enemies.
If you count the scattered troops, the total losses of the Russian army are more than 300,000.
Korensky saw that the situation was not good, and hurriedly shook the pot.
But throwing the pot is also an art.
Korensky put the blame on Brusilov, the commander of the Southwestern Front of the Russian Army, and replaced him with Kornilov.
But Kornilov had no political acumen, and soon after taking office, he staged a military coup d'état, threatening to restore the monarchy.
was so engaged by him, the temporary ** prestige was completely lost, the various factions were ready to move, and ** fell into turmoil again.
Seeing this, Hindenburg and Ludendorff decided to take advantage of the fire.
On September 1, 1917, the German army launched the "Battle of Riga" and annihilated the enemy50 thousand. The gates to St. Petersburg were opened.
After this war, Germany completely relieved the pressure on the Eastern Front.
And for **, the defeat in the Battle of Riga became the last straw that crushed the temporary**.
Shortly thereafter, the Bolshevik Party led by Lenin launched the October Revolution and overthrew the Provisional Party.
After the establishment of the Soviet Russian regime, it soon encountered the same temporary troubles.
Germany put on an aggressive posture. He threatened that only by ceding land and paying compensation would he strike the army and make a truce.
And in China, the common people don't want to fight, and the army is also disheartened.
But the price offered by Germany is too high, and if the land is ceded and the compensation is paid, everyone will be nailed to the pillar of shame.
Therefore, there was disagreement among the top leaders of Soviet Russia, with some advocating continued fighting, while others advocated compromise.
Eventually, after a few months of hiatus, Russia relented and signed the Treaty of Brest with Germany.
Under this treaty, Russia lost about 1 million square kilometers of land, nearly 50 million inhabitants, 54% of its industrial areas, and 33% of its railways.
It can be said that Soviet Russia withdrew from World War I at a huge cost of losing power and humiliating the country.
* After withdrawing from the war, the Entente countries were furious and sent troops to intervene. This laid the groundwork for the later ** civil war.
However, at this time, the First World War was not over, and the focus of the war was still on the Western Front.
At this time, the US military was already stationed on the European continent. The pace of mobilization in the United States has greatly exceeded Germany's expectations.
Looking at the overwhelming supplies, it was clear to Wilhelm II that Germany could no longer win the war.
Therefore, how to withdraw from the war with dignity is the best choice for Germany.
But this is easier said than done.
In negotiations, the side that takes the initiative to seek peace and show weakness will often be slaughtered by the opponent.
Just like Germany dominated Soviet Russia.
And if he suffers losses because of the peace talks, Wilhelm II will not only lose power, but will also be remembered for thousands of years.
After all, the Germans still occupied Belgium and northeastern France, and not a single Allied soldier had set foot on German soil.
On the face of it, there was no reason for Germany to concede.
Since you can't make peace directly, you can only fight.
Together, Hindenburg and Ludendorff decided to launch a decisive offensive in the Somme region on the Western Front, consisting of five operations, to give the British and French forces a combined punch.
According to Ludendorff's assumption, if the attack went well and Amiens was captured, the Germans could split the Anglo-French army in two. The British expeditionary force was forced to withdraw to the British Isles, and then to Paris to end the war.
If the attack does not go well, try to kill and wound as many enemy troops as possible, and then take it as soon as it is good, and reach a "reasonable" armistice agreement with the Entente.
On March 20, 1918, 62 German "assault divisions" were on standby on the Belgian-French border.
The so-called "assault division" corresponds to the "trench division".
Before the war, Ludendorff concentrated training on all German veterans on the Western Front in order to win the battle, and on this basis, formed an assault division.
The rest of the old, weak, sick and disabled are only suitable for camping in the trenches.
German "assault division".
While the Germans sharpened their knives, the British were daydreaming.
Field Marshal Haig, commander of the British Expeditionary Force, confidently believed that with ample artillery fire and a solid defensive line, the Germans would never return!
In the early morning of March 21, the endgame of World War I officially began.
The Germans believed that with the Kaiser's protection, they would be able to win the war.
Therefore, this desperate battle is also known as the "Emperor's Offensive".
Before the official attack, the Germans first greeted the British positions on the opposite side with intensive artillery fire.
There were many recruits in the British army, and when they heard the sound of artillery, many of them leaned against the walls of the trenches and were shocked to the point that their organs were broken.
There are also many recruits who are bombed by the shelling and go crazy on the spot.
After five hours of shelling, the 39 German divisions lined up, led by the ace "Storm Commando", and launched a charge on the British position.
Storm Commando".
During the Battle of Verdun, a German officer found that organizing small assault units to look for weaknesses in the enemy's front and open gaps was often more effective than a collective charge.
Later, Ludendorff keenly discovered this tactic with great potential, so he promoted it throughout the army.
By the end of 1917, each German field army on the Western Front had an assault battalion.
This type of assault battalion is called a storm commando and generally consists of a mortar company, an infantry artillery company, a flamethrower squad, a communications squad, and an assault squad.
During the campaign, the Storm Commando was responsible for independently conquering the enemy's front and advancing in depth.
On the British side, just after the shelling, before they could recover from the shelling, they were attacked by the storm commandos.
Because they were all veterans and well-equipped, in less than half a day, the commandos took nearly half of the positions of the British army.
In the afternoon, the British 5th Army could not bear it anymore and hurriedly asked for help from the French commander-in-chief, Pétain.
But Petain said that he could not help, because he had received information that the Germans were planning to attack the French troops stationed in Reims.
Actually, this is a disinformation.
Ludendorff was well aware of Petain's undead character, and as long as he was in danger, he would not support his allies. deliberately spread rumors.
The French did not support, and the commander of the British 5th Army, Gough, could only order a retreat.
At the same time, the positions of the British 3rd Army were broken through. The Germans got off to a perfect start.
For the next few days, the German 1st Army pursued the retreating British troops.
By 24 March, the British retreated to the Somme.
But under the tireless attacks of the Germans, it was only a matter of time before the Somme line collapsed.
Under pressure, the British again appealed to Pétain for help. The results that can be obtained are still helpless.
Petain changed his rhetoric at this time, he said: The Germans did not know that they could bomb Paris dozens of kilometers away with black technology. The first task of the French army now was to defend Paris.
The black technology of the German army is actually the "Paris Cannon", also known as the "Wilhelm Cannon".
The gun has a caliber of 210 mm, a barrel length of 36 meters, and a maximum firing range of 131 kilometers.
Paris artillery "shelled Paris from dozens of kilometers away, naturally there is no accuracy.
But the cannonballs that landed in the city of Paris caused panic among the people, and this was not a problem.
Petain used this as an excuse to refuse support.
The French army sat on the mountain and watched the tiger fight, and the British army scolded and scolded, and said that they would not fight, and let the French defend their own country.
Seeing this, British Prime Minister Lloyd George hastened to meet with French Prime Minister Clemenceau.
The two of them broke up and believed that the two sides must form a joint command as soon as possible.
It's been almost 4 years since this battle was written, and the Anglo-French forces have not yet unified their command, so this will finally happen.
Who will be the commander-in-chief? The two of them broke up again, thinking that Marshal Foch, the chief of staff of the French army, was the most suitable.
Ferdinand Foch.
After taking office on the firing line, Foch urgently ordered the French army to rush to the aid of the British army.
As soon as reinforcements arrived, the British army stabilized the defensive line, and it was not so easy for the Germans to attack at this time.
On the German side, the attack of the storm commandos was actually an infantry blitzkrieg.
But this concept was too advanced at the time, and when the elite veterans died in battle, the recruits who were added in couldn't grasp the essentials of combat at all. Often infiltrate small units to carry out **sea charge, and the effect is greatly reduced.
There was another incident that shook the Germans a lot.
During the retreat of the British army, the Germans found that the British army was rich when they were looting the booty.
To be precise, it is the United States that is rich and oily.
And the German upper echelons have always said to the people: our unrestricted submarine warfare is very effective, and the British army is now eating chaff.
But the actual situation was that the British army had enough food and clothing, and the German army was the one who ate chaff.
The soldiers could not accept the reality, their morale was shaken, they believed that the battle could not be won, and refused to move on.
The situation that arose at the front, Ludendorff did not know.
It was not until April 5, seeing that the offensive was fruitless, that Ludendorff ordered the German troops in the direction of the Somme to suspend their recuperation.
Not long after, Ludendorff turned his attack on the Leith River, the northernmost part of the line, intending to end the British supply base at Dunkirk.
On April 9, 1918, the German 6th Army attacked from Armantières.
Defending in this direction were the Portuguese and Belgian armies, who usually did some miscellaneous things.
So in less than 10 hours, the Entente team was defeated by the Germans.
Seeing that the road was not secure, Haig hurried to reinforcements. Foch also sent French troops to help.
Finally, on April 17, the Anglo-French forces withstood the German advance.
Both attacks failed, and Ludendorff, like a red-eyed gambler, decided to concentrate his strength and make a last-ditch effort.
This time, his plan was to launch a feint in the direction of Paris. Taking advantage of the return of the French army to help Paris, the British army in the direction of Amiens and Dunkirk was routed.
In the early morning of May 27, the Germans concentrated more than 6,000 artillery pieces and mortars on a 60-kilometer front and poured shells on French positions.
After the first round of shelling lasted five minutes, the fire began to gradually move forward.
At the same time, a large number of German commandos jumped out of the trenches and launched a charge.
The French 6th Army on the opposite side was blinded and lost its combat effectiveness in just a few hours.
The Germans then broke through the French line and reached the Marne, only 60 kilometers from Paris.
Seeing that the feint had succeeded, Ludendorff revised his plan and was determined to take Paris.
At the critical moment, the French 10th Army withstood the German offensive.
And the Germans had supply difficulties at this time.
In desperation, Ludendorff ordered a truce and redeployed, planning to flank Reims from both sides, stretch the battle line, and take Paris directly.
But the Germans were exhausted by this time, and there was not much left of the Storm Commandos.
On July 14, after the launch of a new ** trend, the Germans routed the French and Italian armies on the western flank. But failed to defeat the American Rainbow Division on the eastern flank.
It is worth mentioning that the chief of staff of this US division at that time was the "five-star critic" MacArthur.
MacArthur as a young man.
The next morning, the Germans made a small salient on the banks of the Marne. This was the last roar of the German lion in World War I.
But in the face of the well-supplied Anglo-French army, the German army was once again overwhelmed.
Several attempts failed, and Ludendorff ran out of options. The Entente, on the other hand, had accumulated the power to fight back.
On August 8, 1918, the British and French forces attacked the German 2nd Army in the Amiens salient with 18 infantry divisions, 3 cavalry divisions, 2,684 artillery pieces, 511 tanks and about 1,000 aircraft.
At the beginning, Ludendorff put on a posture of "if you don't succeed, you will become benevolent" and fought all the veterans.
Although there are still more than 100 "trench divisions", they are all old and weak soldiers, and they are simply useless.
In the face of a strong offensive by the British and French forces, the German defense line was suddenly shattered.
Three days later, Ludendorff learned that the German army had retreated to the defensive line before the launch of the "Emperor's offensive", and suddenly felt that his so-called decisive offensive was not worth mentioning at all in front of the Allies with absolute strength, and said lamentingly: This is the darkest day in the history of German affairs.
The Emperor's offensive lasted more than four months, during which the Entente exceeded 800,000 and the German army exceeded 600,000.
Looking at the numbers alone, the German army seems to have taken advantage, but you must know that the Entente has the new force of the American army. There were also Africans and Indians conscripted from the colonies.
And it was the Germans who died in Germany.
As the largest industrial country in Europe at that time, Germany actually lacked no shortage of arms, but manpower and food.
In order to replenish the soldiers, at the end of 1917, Germany called in advance young people who were about to reach the age of 18 to enlist in the army, but this part of the reserve force was only 630,000, which was far from enough to support the consumption of a large-scale campaign.
This "Emperor's Offensive" directed by Ludendorff can be said to have drained the blood of the Germans in advance.
After the Battle of Amiens, the Anglo-French forces launched a series of attacks.
This series of offences is collectively known as the "Hundred Days Offensive".
Under the double blow of the Entente and the Great Flu, the German army was routed on all fronts.
Germany's allies, on the other hand, were worse than the other.
On September 29, 1918, Bulgaria surrendered to the Entente.
On October 31, the Ottoman Empire surrendered.
On 3 November, Austria-Hungary surrendered.
At this point, Germany was left in the camp of the Allies.
On 4 November, the Allies proposed 35 armistice clauses to Germany.
The content covers military, political and economic aspects, and requires Germany to assume responsibility for the war and make comprehensive reparations.
Wilhelm II was not reconciled and ordered the German High Seas Fleet to go out en masse to fight the British navy.
This order not only provoked an uprising of sailors, but also triggered a series of chain reactions.
Kiel sailors revolt.
On 9 November, the Berlin workers went on a general strike, and the soldiers revolted on the same day.
Under internal and external difficulties, Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate and go into exile in the Netherlands.
On November 11, 1918, Germany officially announced its surrender.
With the surrender of Germany, the four-year Great War I officially came to an end.
But is it really over?
In June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles, full of disagreements and compromises, was released.
This peace treaty did not achieve the goal of severely punishing Germany, nor did it play a role in appeasing Germany.
In the same year, the German Workers' Party was founded.
A year later, the German Workers' Party changed its name to the National Socialist Workers' Party.
Their party leader was a natural orator who declared that he would lead Germany to great power again.