Submarines were used to stop supplied getting to the enemy. The blockading of German ports was very successful. German trade was reduced from $5.9 billion to $0.8 billion in two years and there were 300,000 civilian deaths related to malnutrition. The aim was to starve civilians, thus causing the Germans to surrender. The Germans retaliated and began sinking ships that were supplying Britain. However, this alone did not cause the stalemate to end but lead to the American entry into the war.
Officially the United States of America was neutral but has been supplying equipment and loaning money to the Allies. German submarines destroyed many American boats headed for Britain. This included passenger ships and many American civilians were killed. The most remembered sinking is the Lusitania. Over 100 American civilians died. Then American discovered that Germany planned to ally against them with Mexico and so declared war on Germany in 1917. The USA brought fresh troops, at a rate of 50,000 per month and also supplied weapons. However, this didn’t directly cause the end of the stalemate but provoked a German attack.
Germany wanted to try to break the stalemate, particularly now that America was involved so, in March 1918, they launched the Ludendorff Offensive. The attack began with typical gas attacks and bombardments but what made it different was that they were followed up with attacks made by small, specially trained bands of “storm troops.” It was a very effective method of attack and German forces managed to break
through the Allied lines. German troops were able to advance 64 kilometres and Paris became in range of gunfire. However things began to go wrong as Germany had lost 400,000 men and had no reserves. The remaining soldiers were poorly fed and badly supplied due to the blockading of the German ports and to add to that they were poorly disciplined. In August the Allies launched a counter-attack and by October the Germans were in full retreat. On the 11th November an armistice was signed and the war was over.
The four reasons are not equally important. The new technology did not help to break the stalemate and in some cases was the cause but it did assist in attacks and the blockading of the German ports. The blockading of German ports would not have ended the stalemate by itself but lead to the American entry into the war and also meant that German troops were under-fed and poorly supplied. The American entry into the war was important as, not only did they supply weapons and soldiers, but they also caused the Germans to become anxious about breaking the stalemate, causing the Ludendorff Offensive. The Ludendorff Offensive is probably the main reason why the stalemate ended as the counter-attack led to the Germans being defeated and left Germany no choice but to surrender. However had the German troops not been so poorly supplied and under-fed the outcome may have been different. Also the attack may not have been launched if America hadn’t joined the war and America may not have joined had Germany not killed American civilians. Although the American entry into the war and the Ludendorff Offensive were the most important reasons why the stalemate ended, without new technology and the blockading of German ports the two most important reasons may not even have occurred.
