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The End of the War. Ludendorff Offensives Ferdinand Foch AEF Armistice Paris Peace Conference. Ludendorff Offensives . Uses storm troop tactics Goal is to divide French and British armies and open a gap 1,200 square miles in two weeks Germans cross Somme and Chemin des Dames with ease
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The End of the War • Ludendorff Offensives • Ferdinand Foch • AEF • Armistice • Paris Peace Conference
Ludendorff Offensives • Uses storm troop tactics • Goal is to divide French and British armies and open a gap • 1,200 square miles in two weeks • Germans cross Somme and Chemin des Dames with ease • Paris evacuated
Amiens Britain: 58 divisions Germany: 199 divisions Lys 9-29 April Somme: 21 Mar-4 June Aisne: 27 May – 4 June Noyon: 8-12 June France: 100 divisions Marne: 15-17 July USA:six divisions Paris
Allied Response • Joint command needed • Pétain or Foch? • Doullens Agreement (March 26, 1918) • Gives Foch power to “coordinate the actions of the allied armies” • Creation of the General Reserve
The Americans • Willing to serve under Foch’s overall direction, and will place US divisions into French corps, but will NOT permanently amalgamate • Goal is still a separate US Army with its own sphere of action • Abbeville Agreement of May 2 • US sends six divisions in May and agrees to send 450,000 men by July The American people would consider it a great honor for our troops to be engaged in the present battle. . . . Infantry, artillery, aviation, all that we have is yours; use them as you wish – Pershing to Foch
Amiens Second Marne St. Mihiel Argonne Forest
Armistice • German decision to seek armistice on Nov 7 broadcast to Eiffel Tower radio station • Ludendorff fled to Sweden, Kaiser abdicated to Holland • Who is in charge? Matthias Erzberger, told by Hindenburg to “sign a peace at any cost.”
Armistice Terms • Germany evacuates all occupied territory (including Alsace and Lorraine) without damaging civilian and military equipment contained therein. • Germany surrenders: • 5,000 heavy guns; • 30,000 machine guns; • 5,000 locomotives; • 150,000 railway cars; • 150 submarines. • Blockade of Germany continues until the conclusion of a final peace treaty.