Also Aircraft had been improved. By the end of the war the RFC, The Royal Flying Corps – before the RAF, had developed long range bombers. They had also invented the interrupter mechanism – which allowed bullets to be fired in-between propellers. And the top speeds of aircraft had been doubled. But even so aircraft had performed a largely supporting role, like reconnaissance, and bombing behind enemy lines.
There was also poison gas, and the machine guns became lighter and faster. But none of these were significant enough to bring about a breakthrough in their own right; as rapid mobility was not possible at the time.
THE US ENTRY INTO THE WAR:
The United States entered the war comparatively late on 1st April 1917. The US armies impact was limited. For one thing the United States had a comparatively small standing army. And it was not until 1918 that US troops rived in significant numbers on the Western Front. Also the high commander in chief, General Pershing, was very in experienced - his last major assignment was the hunting down of a Mexican bandit leader. Similarly he was too excessive with his men, be liked using large amounts of man power. He also refused to allow his troops to fight under French or British control.
However the overall impact of the US army entering the war was very significant indeed. For example the economic impact; in the 1st years of the war the allies and the Germans produced roughly equal amounts of coal – 350million tonnes, steel – 58million tonnes, iron 50million tonnes. Once the Americans came in, the allies then had 841million tonnes of coal, and massively increased amounts of steel and iron.
Also the US had a very big psychological impact as they now had a far larger military man power. The Germans were expecting American entry into the war. And Germany then realised that they could no longer have won the war by attrition. So the reason the US entry was so important, was because it caused the spring offensive to start. But that failed! Of the four factors this was the main cause for Germanys downfall.
THE ALLIED BLOCKADE:
Some historians have argued that the allied blockade was crucial in breaking the stalemate. This began at the start of the war, and its effects were; it reduced the import of food stuffs and fertilisers were also cut back. And by 1918 German agricultural productivity was considerably less that Britain’s. Historians suggest that about 300,000 people died from malnutrition. And because of the conditions back home, this lead to demoralisation of the troops at the Front. However there is another side to the story.
We know that there was no attempt to stop the imports from Sweden, Denmark, and Holland. Also the blockade had little impact on the food supply at the Front itself. And the large mortality rate was likely exaggerated, more people did die – but not to such a large degree, but there were strikes caused by the blockade, but every country involved in the war had labour relation problems.
THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE:
It began on the 21st of march 1918, and it was a last gamble. In March 1918 the Germans thought that they saw a window of opportunity. As the US troops had not yet arrived in significant numbers, and Germany now had more troops available – as Russia had been defeated, so troops could be transferred from the Easter Front to the Western Front. Initially it was a great success. They began with a surprise lightening bombardment – which was a staged as a rolling bombardment – so maximum chaos would be created, it lasted 4 hours, this bombardment contained storm-troopers and the initial sweep forward took 40miles. But the Germans never actually achieved a t full breakout and by march 31st their attack had been contained.
In May there was another German attack, which again nearly succeeded. The road to Paris was open briefly, but was halted by the US troops shortly.
By august 8th, the allies ordered a counter attack at Amiens, which broke the Germans, and they then fell. It wasn’t a question of if the lose, but when. In the summer and autumn, Germany was pushed back, and by September the allies had reached Germanys own front line, the Hindenburg Line. By now technology had had an effect; radios and artillery were made much more effective, and aided the destruction of the Hindenburg line, also tanks were greatly improved. And by now the allied blockade was causing major shortages of food, and fuel etc. which lead to declining morale at the Front. The Germans lost 400,000 men as a result of the Spring Offensive.
