German Spring Offensives

The German Spring Offensives (21 March - 18 July 1918) were a calculated bet on Germany's part in an attempt to permanently swing the balance on the Western Front. On the rainy and misty morning of March 21, 1918, Operation 'Michael,' the first of the offensives, began. A massive concentration of German artillery, gas, smoke, and infantry greeted British and Allied soldiers. The German Army made unheard-of gains in terms of kilometers rather than yards.

Following Russia's defeat, Germany focused all of its resources on the Western Front. They were up against exhausted Allied forces that had mostly been on the offensive for the previous three years, had not completely structured their defenses in depth, and were beginning to suffer from manpower shortages.

The Allied line bowed but did not break in the face of the onslaught. As isolated pockets of defenders attempted to impede the German assault, the battle became unusually open. As a result, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig issued a special order of the day on 11 April, using the phrase 'Backs to the Wall' to describe the desperate yet persistent combat that needed to be sustained.

The German offensives, however, were tactical victories but strategic disasters. The offensive had no clear objective other than to rip a hole in the Allied line and focus on the British. Where the Allies were most willing to lose ground, the Allies made the most gains. The number of German casualties was considerable, especially among the best battalions. To better coordinate a united defense, the Allies appointed Marshal Ferdinand Foch as Allied Generalissimo. By early July, the tide had turned, and the German offensives had come to a standstill.

When: 1918