On 21st March the German offensive began, when they launched operation Michael - a surprise attack of 6,000 highly accurate guns. Then a million German soldiers attacked along a 50-mile front. The British defences were well positioned and strong, but some were undermanned. The Germans managed to push forward 40 miles; the biggest advance seen in the 4 years of stalemate. The Germans made other massive offensives along the front line and it seemed as though they may be able to get the upper hand, which would allow them to win the war. This was not to be. Despite the early success, the German attacks began to cease and although ground had been gained the price was fatal. Germany had lost thousands of men and some of their best troops, and the Americans were now active. The Allies then began the return offensives that ultimately won the war. As surprise attack on the Germans on August 8th made it clear that the German ‘war machine was no longer effective’ (General Ludendorff). The Allied attacks continued and the Germans, worn down by 4 years of war and devastated by the failure of their offensive, were unable to prevent their supply lines to the Western Front from being cut. They had no choice but to seek an armistice, which was eventually signed in November 1918, bringing an end the First World War.
It is debatable how much new technology contributed to breaking the stalemate in 1918. Gas was used with the intention of disorientating or knocking out soldiers so that attacking them would be easier. Gases caused problems, as trenches couldn’t immediately be taken as the gas had to settle. Sometimes the gases even blew back into the attackers trenches. When used properly gas could be useful during attacks, but it was not a war winning development.
Tanks provided soldiers with a way of moving forward to attack the enemy and at the same time covered them from enemy machine gun fire. It was Field Marshall Haig that first made use of tanks at the Battle of the Somme. Initially, they were successful, as they surprised and terrified the Germans, but they were not war-winning weapons. They were unreliable and slow, sometimes leaving men as stationary targets in No-Mans Land. The element of surprise could no longer be used as an advantage as tanks were no longer a secret weapon and the Germans had protected their trenches with anti – tank defences. If they had been more reliable, tanks could have proved crucial in breaking the stalemate, but instead they didn’t really have much of an effect at all.
Another advance in technology was the development of aircraft. The planes were basic and risky to fly. They couldn’t carry heavy items, like bombs, so couldn’t be used to attack the enemy, but instead they were used for reconnaissance; spying on the enemy. This proved crucial at some points during the war, but overall, just like gas and tanks, the use of aircraft didn’t lead to a major breakthrough. Aircraft equipped with machine guns would be involved in ‘dogfight’ in the air, and although long and tedious, had little effect on the outcome of the war. All in all, new technology didn’t have an important role in breaking the stalemate, although it can be seen to have contributed slightly.
It is also important to look at why the stalemate was broken in 1918 and not before hand. The Russian Revolution was important in determining when the Germans made their move forward. The people in Russia were starving due to the war and they didn’t want to continue fighting, but Kerensky, the Minister of War was determined to keep up the offensive. In October, there was a revolution and the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, a communist, overthrew Kerensky. Lenin didn’t agree with the war and called for a peace settlement with Germany. Germany agreed and Russia had to give them a great deal of land in return. This now left Germany with a million troops on the eastern front that could now be moved to the western front to use in the final German offensive. This obviously affected the timing of the final offensive as the Germans now had more troops and therefore a larger chance of overcoming their enemy. So, the revolution in Russia affected when the stalemate was broken.
Overall, a combination of factors led to a breakthrough in the stalemate in 1918, but most important of all was the German’s final offensive in 1918, triggered by the entrance of the United States on the side of the Allies. If America had not entered the war, Germany may not have been forced into a final offensive and the stalemate may have continued, prolonging the war.
