Reference no: EM133413750

During the German offensives in the spring of 1918, they were able to break through the allied lines and had the initial goal of removing the BEF from the fight. Despite their successes in breaking through, the German forces were bogged down after initial advances and suffered high casualty rates on par with the BEF. In addition, the speed of their advance had left their logistical lines of support overextended and it slowed not only supplies but the ability of the German army to move up their artillery to support the breakthroughs. I think the key mistake made by the German army came when they decided to change their objective mid operation by enacting Operation Mars and attacking the fortified Arras. If the Ludendorf truly believed this was the last push they could make, then it seems Ludendorf outsmarted himself by diverting precious resources to Arras rather than pressing his advantage in areas where breaks in the line had occurred. (Hart)

On the homefront, Germany's economy was suffering and divisions were beginning to show in politics in particular. It is very hard to achieve a victory if things are going poorly in your home country and that sentiment still holds true in modernity when looking at conflicts like the Vietnam War. There were remarks made by a German soldier in Hart's writing detailing how the Americans looked fit and healthy and seemed to have many auxillaries compared to the Germans. [461] These kind of statements made by German soldiers show that their resolve was beginning to falter and it was becoming apparent to them that there was no chance left of an outright victory for them. It was not just the Americans, but also the Australians and Canadians who were making names for themselves in this last year of fighting. Overall, there was really no way that Germany could have overcome the large coalition of allied forces because it had given too much time for the allies to amass fresh bodies for the war effort. (Hart)"