alternatehistory.com

…By April 20th Entente forces had recaptured all the territory lost in the previous year. The advances was arguably slowed more by the need to haul supplies over the devastated no mans land created earlier in the fighting than German actions. Despite having the opportunity to fort up at several locations, most prominently the fortress of Verdun, and inflict severe delays upon the Entente, the Germans refused to do. Ludendorff and others in the high command, despite seeing the desperate need for time quite well did not take the chance.

There were too few troops to be able to waste even a fraction of them on doomed last stands, especially the higher quality of troops that would be needed to achieve maximum effects. Any diversion of troops could risk not being able to hold the Hindenburg Line, or worse causing a potential collapse in morale across the front. The only chance Germany had of achieving an acceptable peace was to either stop the Entente at the Hindenburg Line, or at least delay them there long enough to throw up a Second Line farther back and use the prospect of a costly fight to breach it as a negotiating tactic.

It took until April 24th for the Entente to make large scale contact with the Hindenburg Line, now referring to more than just the original Arras to Laffaux portion. The new defense line was the first major obstacle since the main line of resistance had been breached in early April. While a much narrower and weaker belt of fortifications in the main compared to the preceding Winter Line, it was hoped that the difficulty in bringing up supplies over the devasted terrain would prevent the Entente from applying as much heavy artillery as they had previously used.

In that regard the line was successful, with only tentative infantry probes backed by scattered artillery and air attacks from the French, along with more serious armor backed probes from the British. The Americans too were denied the use of heavy artillery, but made up for it with aggression. The withdrawal had proved almost terminal for German morale, and the hungry, poorly clothed German troops were not at their best. They inflicted severe casualties on the attacking Americans, but by May 5th the Americans had punched through a 30 mile section of the line, taken 30,000 prisoners and captured 300 guns.

A last ditch sortie by what remained of the German Air Forces was launched to disrupt the attacks, led by the Red Baron himself. But heavily outnumbered by an air force with fuel to spare for training pilots and now superior aircraft they were unable to make a difference. The German Air Force had effectively ceased to contest the skies by May 7th and the Red Baron himself was forced to bail out over German lines just after making his 125th and final kill…

…The Ottoman ceasefire on May 9th was quickly seen by many in German High Command as the beginning of the end of their plans. The Bulgarian and Romanian armistices had been blows, but the Romanians had not been engaged with the Entente and the Bulgarians only on a tertiary front, and both were minor power all things considered. The Ottomans, diminished as they were, were a great power, and had been tying down Entente resources on three land fronts and at sea. Losing them gave the Entente both a clear shot at the underbelly of the central powers, and the reinforcements to take that shot.

Only disagreements over the perceived terms of the armistice were keeping the German Army High Command from making an immediate recommendation to the Kaiser. Enough members were opposed on pure principle, and still others thought that the Entente would not yet give them acceptable terms. By May 13th they had decided to recommend to the Kaiser that a new government be formed to deliver an armistice request to President Marshall…

…The Ottoman ceasefire request gave the German Navy its final impetus to act. The last ride of Goeben had been an inspiration and it was clear from intelligence that there was no prospect of the High Seas Fleet being retained in any capacity by the Germans. On May 13th Admiral Scheer gave the fateful order to Admiral Hipper…

-Excerpt from The Loss of Innocence: America in the Great War, Harper & Brothers, New York 2014



Another short one, but Easter week sucked, 8 days straight of work, 6 overtime, and an accounting essay (SFAC 6 is one of the driest documents imaginable, why did I pick that one?). Hopefully next week will be easier