Le front se stabilise et pendant un mois, les deux armées se font face sans qu’aucune opération d’ampleur ne soit tentée. "The Tragic Pursuit of Total Victory. Tactically, results were impressive: 255 km² were overrun on the first day. After a few days, the German advance began to falter, as the infantry became exhausted and it became increasingly difficult to move artillery and supplies forward to support them. The German breakthrough had occurred just to the north of the boundary between the French and British armies. Français : L'offensive allemande du printemps, mars-juillet 1919 Troisième bataille de l'Aisne. 27 mai Offensive allemande du Chemin des Dames. "The Kaiser's blitz: The Germans launched a massive spring offensive in 1918 spearheaded by elite storm-troop units in a desperate Did to break the stalemate and win the war. -l'offensive du 17 avril 1917 vers le massif de Moronvilliers ; -l'offensive allemande du 15 juillet 1918, clouée au sol dès le départ. Septembre 1918 : offensive alliée et début de la lente reconquête des Ardennes. Il est manifeste qu'après Ypres, l'Allemagne veut utiliser les forces libérées par la paix avec la Russie pour un effort suprême plus au sud. Colonne de prisonniers français du Chemin des Dames sur une route, 28 mai 1918. [24] All of this could be replaced, either from French and British factories or from American manpower. Le 31 mai, l’armée allemande fonçait sur Paris et … In this sector, the British defences in depth were complete and fully manned, some of the opening German bombardment hit only empty positions and there was no fog to give cover to the attacking stormtroopers. The Allies lost nearly 255,000 men (British, British Empire and French). Aug 12, 2016 - The German Marne-Reims Offensive. L'opération "Michael" est lancée le 21 mars 1918 : durant plusieurs heures, les Allemands se livrent à un violent bombardement des tranchées alliées, utilisant notamment de nombreux gaz pour paralyser l'adversaire (gaz moutarde, chlore, phosgène et lacrymogène). Ludendorff privately conceded that Germany could no longer win a war of attrition, yet he was not ready to give up the German gains in the West and East and was one of the main obstacles to the German government's attempts to reach a settlement with the Western Allies.[7]. Plus de 160 000 Britanniques furent mis hors de combat. The main attack was made on the open and flat sector defended by the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps. Au milieu de l’année, tous les états-majors envisagent la fin de la guerre en 1919. His lack of a coherent strategy to accompany the new tactics was expressed in a remark to one of his Army Group commanders, Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, in which he stated, "We chop a hole. By the time the offensive wa… ", Phifer, Mike. Beginning in August 1914 with the invasion of neutral Belgium, the country was almost completely overrun by German troops before the winter of the same year as the Allied forces withdrew westwards. Ludendorff eut le talent de concilier tous les points de vue en annonçant, non pas la paix, mais une offensive pour la paix « Friedensturm » The rear zone existed as outline markings only, and the battle zone consisted of battalion "redoubts" which were not mutually supporting (allowing stormtroopers to penetrate between them). Hello Select your address Books Hello, Sign in. German infantry manhauling a granatenwerfer forward in support of advancing stormtroops, 15 July 1918. En août 1918, les Alliés lancent une contre-offensive (offensive des Cent-Jours), en utilisant de nouvelles méthodes opérationnelles et en s'appuyant sur l'usage massif d'artillerie. Cette offensive échoue et la guerre se termine. Lausanne, , Librairie Nouvelle de Lausanne, sans date, vers 1918… On a commencé par ramasser les morts : y en avait vingt-huit ! By the end of the day, the few British divisions in reserve were hard-pressed to hold a line along the River Lys. Michael was the main attack, which was intended to break through the Allied lines, outflank the British forces (which held the front from the Somme River to the English Channel) and defeat the British Army. 23 mars : Paris est bombardée par les Pariser Kanonen (et non la Grosse Bertha). Du 10 au 11 novembre1918 : ultimes mais violents combats à Vrigne-Meuse où tombe le dernier tué de la guerre, Augustin Trébuchon. Le 21 mars 1918, l'Allemagne se lance dans une offensive majeure afin de forcer les défenses franco-britanniques. At Compiègne, a sudden French counter-attack on 11 June, by four divisions and 150 tanks (under General Charles Mangin) with no preliminary bombardment, caught the Germans by surprise and halted their advance. Dans ses Mémoires, Ludendorff, l'homme fort du haut commandement allemand, qualifie cette date de « journée noire », sachant qu'elle scelle la défaite de son armée. They were left with an extensive 7 mi (11 km) front, without natural obstacles which might benefit the defence. Cependant, le commandant du corps expéditionnaire américain, le général Pershing, a envoyé des renforts aux Français : la 2e division du général Omar Bundy (en) et la 3e division du général Joseph Dickman. L'armée française se retrouve en quelques jours au bord de la déroute. L'état-major français, dirigé par le maréchal Foch, redoute l'imminence d'une offensive massive de l'ennemi, qui enfoncerait les lignes de défense jusque Paris. 26 avril Échec de l'offensive allemande en Picardie. Le 11, à partir de Méry, le général Mangin organise une contre-attaque de trois divisions françaises et deux divisions américaines. Infanterie française revenant par Passy-sur-Marne croisant une fanfare de régiment britannique qui se repose le long de la route, 29 mai 1918. La dernière offensive allemande du printemps 1918 : la Kaiserschlacht. Ludendorff had to evacuate most of the Blücher–Yorck salient by 7 August and Hagen was finally cancelled. Avec le déclenchement de l’offensive allemande le 21 mars 1918, le général Pershing demande dans une allocution officielle à ce que ses troupes participent activement à la contre-offensive échafaudée par le général Foch, nommé coordinateur de l’action militaire alliée depuis le 29 mars, lors de la conférence interalliée de Doullens. L'armée française se retrouve en quelques jours au bord de la déroute. Abstract. L'objectif de Ludendorff est d'empêcher les Français d'envoyer des renforts aux Britanniques qui se trouvent dans le nord de la France, où il prévoit une nouvelle attaque. Jan 26, 2015 - A French 155 mm Filloux gun carrying out a shoot near Nampcel, 28 March 1918. However, the German offensive had stalled because of logistical problems and exposed flanks. In November 1918, the downfall of the German and Austro-Hungarian monarchies. 8 juillet 1918. offensive alliée à partir de Villers Cauterets. Les autres offensives étaient subordonnées à Michael et ont été conçues pour détourner les forces alliées de l'offensive principale sur la Somme. L'objectif de leur offensive, du nom de code Blücher-Yorck, est de frapper la 6e armée française du général Duchêne qui regroupe douze divisions dont trois britanniques. 1918 : l’année de la victoire. The lack of a unified high command was partly rectified by the appointment of General Foch to the supreme command, and coordination would improve in later Allied operations. Hazebrouck remained in Allied hands and the Germans occupied a vulnerable salient under fire from three sides. Mais les alliés tiennent et, finalement, le 2 mai, la quatrième bataille d'Ypres s'achève sans que l'armée allemande puisse espérer atteindre son objectif. La décision est prise par Ludendorff de préparer une attaque décisive, de très grande ampleur, pour le printemps 1918, avant que la montée en puissance de larmée américaine ne soit effect… [31] An attack east of Rheims was thwarted by the French defence in depth. En avril 1918, le danger d'une percée allemande était passé. Fascicule 2. After a day, the Germans had achieved only minor gains and had suffered heavy casualties. This tactical error meant the infantry had to keep up an exhausting tempo of advance. The assault divisions had been allocated the best equipment, horses and fittest men and had completed four weeks’ special training in state-of-the-art infiltration tactics. Elles attaquent la XVIIIe armée le 12, déciment trois divisions allemandes, obligent deux autres de réserve à s'engager, capturent 1000 prisonniers et 16 canons et forcent Ludendorff à mettre fin à l'opération le lendemain. The German Army had gained a temporary advantage in … On 21 March 1918, the Germans launched a big offensive against the British Fifth Army and the right wing of the British Third Army. "The March Offensive, 1918. After two days the Fifth Army was in full retreat. Ludendorff failed to follow the correct stormtrooper tactics, as described above. [17] There were three phases: first, a brief bombardment on the enemy's command and communications (headquarters, telephone exchanges, etc. Du 12 au 15 septembre, les Sammies réduisent le saillant de Saint-Mihiel. 18 juillet 1918. début de la deuxième bataille de la Marne : a. o. û. t. 1 août 1918. premières propositions de paix par Wilson : 7 août 1918. le général Foch est fait Maréchal de France. German casualties from "Reichsarchiv 1918", Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. Returning convalescents could supply 70,000–80,000/month but there were only 300,000 recruits available from the next annual class of eighteen-year-olds. In particular, in the sector held by the British Fifth Army, which they had recently taken over from French units, the defences were incomplete and there were too few troops to hold the complete position in depth. i. In theory, a British infantry division (with nine infantry battalions) deployed three battalions in the outpost zone, four battalions in the battle zone and two battalions in the rear zone.[18]. Foch estima alors que le moment était venu pour les Alliés de repasser à l'offensive. Any capture of an important strategic objective, such as the Channel ports, or the vital railway junction of Amiens would have occurred more by chance than by design. 1918 : dans un contexte d’asphyxie économique due au blocus allié et profitant d’effectifs importants de retour du front russe, le général allemand Ludendorff veut enfoncer le front occidental entre Français et Britanniques pour les forcer à la paix avant que ces derniers ne puissent compter sur les troupes américaines et les chars français. Au nord d'Ypres, les Belges tiennent leur front sans désemparer malgré plusieurs assauts allemands. Plusieurs opérations allemandes furent mises au point : Michael, Georgette, Gneisenau et Blücher-Yorck. However, victory was not achieved and the German armies were severely depleted, exhausted and in exposed positions. Vasnic64 has uploaded 4005 photos to Flickr. They also lost 1,300 artillery pieces and 200 tanks. Cependant, le barrage ne permet pas d'empêcher les troupes allemandes d'avancer de 8 km le premier jour de leur attaque, connu sous le nom de code opération Gneisenau. Sous les ordres du général Erich Ludendorff, chef d'état major général adjoint, la XVIIIe armée du général Oskar von Hutier lance la quatrième série d'offensives. Les Allemands s'emparent immédiatement du Chemin des Dames et avancent sur l'Aisne, prenant plusieurs ponts intacts. No clear objective was established before the start of the offensives and once the operations were underway, the targets of the attacks were constantly changed according to the battlefield (tactical) situation. Without French reinforcements, it was feared that the Germans could advance the remaining 15 mi (24 km) to the ports within a week. While Georgette ground to a halt, a new attack on French positions was planned to draw forces further away from the Channel and allow renewed German progress in the north. 1918 Du Chemin Des Dames A La Marne Offensive Allemande Et: Amazon.ca: Alcaix, Gil: Books. Koeltz (Commandant), L'Offensive allemande de 1918. Observations on the German spring offensive, 1918'], This page was last edited on 22 December 2020, at 01:06. For other uses, see, Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. The Allies had been badly hurt but not broken. Et sur son ordre, son artillerie bombarde sévèrement les troupes d'assaut ennemies peu avant leur offensive. In many sectors, the Germans, deprived of any surprise as their fuel-starved air force had lost air superiority to the Allies, advanced no further than the French Forward Zone, and nowhere did they break the French Battle (Second) Zone.[32]. The stormtrooper tactic was to attack and disrupt enemy headquarters, artillery units and supply depots in the rear areas, as well as to occupy territory rapidly. 15 juillet 1918. offensive allemande sur la Marne et en Champagne. > L’offensive allemande (1918) 24 décembre 2012. Dans la grande pagaille de l'exode, les populations fuient l'avancée allemande. Après une quatrième offensive en juin 1918, l’armée allemande, qui a franchi une partie de la Marne, marque le pas. Depréaux Albert. Explore Vasnic64's photos on Flickr. juillet 1918 lors de la grande contre-offensive des Alliés. Amazon.in - Buy Montdidier (le sac de). 1918 Du Chemin Des Dames A La Marne Offensive Allemande Et (Histoire de guerre) (French Edition) [Alcaix, Gil] on Amazon.com. Les Allemands s'étaient rendu compte que leur seule chance de gagner la guerre était d'anéantir les Alliés avant que les États-Unis ne puissent déployer suffisamment de troupes en Europe pour vaincre l'Allemagne. 8 juillet 1918. offensive alliée à partir de Villers Cauterets. File 24 - published photos of the war in 1918 in L'offensive allemande sur le front occidental, 1918. However, these remained only secondary and weaker operations, subordinate to Michael. numéros de cet hebdomadaire du 2 février 1918 – où, naturellement, l’explosion de la poudrerie ne pouvait pas figurer, puisqu’un hebdomadaire ne s’imprime pas à la dernière minute - au… 4 mai 1918, soit trois mois complets : pas la moindre allusion à la catastrophe de Moulins ! for the failure to formulate sound and clear strategy. [33] The initiative had clearly passed to the Allies, who were shortly to begin the Hundred Days Offensive which ended the war. The French commander-in-chief, General Pétain, sent reinforcements to the sector too slowly in the opinion of the British commander-in-chief, Field Marshal Haig, and the British government, though the historian Elizabeth Greenhalgh disputes this, arguing that Petain sent the six additional divisions quicker than had been arranged with Haig – in 2 days instead of 4 – and arranging for extra divisions several times – 12 divisions on 23 March and 13 on the 25/26 March – before requests came in from Haig. Over 1,100,000 shells were fired in five hours...[19]. [34] By July, the German superiority of numbers on the Western Front had sunk to 207 divisions to 203 Allied, a negligible lead which would be reversed as more American troops arrived. The commander of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, issued an "Order of the Day" on 11 April stating, "With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end.". The Germans were also fortunate in that the morning of the attack was foggy, allowing the stormtroopers leading the attack to penetrate deep into the British positions undetected. Cependant, la grande offensive alliée qui doit vaincre l'Allemagne n'est pas encore pour tout de suite. [9], The constant changing of operational targets once the offensive was underway gave the impression the German command had no coherent strategic goal. 15 au 19 juillet 1918 . Cinquante divisions allemandes avaient pu être redéployées sur le front occidental après la signature du traité de Brest-Litovsk avec la jeune Russie soviétique. Pour les Britanniques et les Français, c'est au mont Kemmel que la lutte est la plus rude. 1 juin 2016 - Episode 41: By early 1918, Allied troops on the Western Front were weary from years of launching failed campaigns against the Germans. Une fois que ceci aurait été réalisé, on espérait que les Français chercheraient des conditions d'armistice. 15 juillet Début de la seconde bataille de la Marne. German armies make gains along sections of the Western Front. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, Armistice between Russia and the Central Powers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spring_Offensive&oldid=995622389, Battles of the Western Front (World War I), Battles of World War I involving the United States, Battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom, Battles of World War I involving Australia, Battles of World War I involving New Zealand, Battles of World War I involving Portugal, United States Marine Corps in the 20th century, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from December 2020, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from November 2010, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Within a few weeks, the danger of a German breakthrough had passed, though related fighting continued until July. The Hundred Days Offensive, August-november 1918 Q23568.jpg 800 × 649; 106 KB The Hundred Days Offensive, August-november 1918 Q23569.jpg 800 × 648; 96 KB The Hundred Days Offensive, August-november 1918 Q6898.jpg 800 × 632; 89 KB The strategic objective remained to split the British and the French and gain victory before American forces could make their presence felt on the battlefield. Even so, about a million German soldiers remained tied up in the east until the end of the war. Nonetheless, the German advance (consisting of 21 divisions attacking over a 23 mi (37 km) front) along the Matz River was impressive, resulting in an advance of 9 miles (14 km) despite fierce French and American resistance. The fast-moving stormtrooper units could not carry enough food and ammunition to sustain themselves for long, and the army could not move in supplies and reinforcements fast enough to assist them. Despite these apparent successes, they suffered heavy casualties in return for land that was of little strategic value and hard to defend. ", Terraine, John. At 4:20am, 6,473 guns and 3,532 mortars began a devastating bombardment and five hours later the infantry advanced. Plusieurs opérations allemandes furent mises au point : Michael, Georgette, Gneisenau et Blücher-Yorck. ", Kaulisch, Baldur. Un article de Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre. Duchêne's massing of his troops in the forward trenches also meant there were no local reserves to delay the Germans once the front had broken. Des gens qui travaillaient à l’atelier de … Le 9, Hutier a pris Ressons, le 10, Ribécourt, et les troupes françaises ont dû se replier derrière l'Oise et le Matz ; mais la gauche tient bon, et les Allemands n'ont pu prendre Courcelles. 1918. The sector was partly held by four depleted British divisions which were "resting" after their exertions earlier in the year. Plus au sud, le général Foch, commandant en chef des armées alliées, qui prépare ce qu'il veut être l'offensive décisive sur la Somme, n'a pas voulu distraire de troupes pour aider les Anglo-franco-belges à Ypres. In theory, the front line was an "outpost zone" (later renamed the "forward zone"), lightly held by snipers, patrols and machine-gun posts only. The Kaiserschlacht offensives had yielded large territorial gains for the Germans, in First World War terms. In their turn, the Allies had developed defences in depth, reducing the proportion of troops in their front line and pulling reserves and supply dumps back beyond German artillery range. However, under much less pressure from the Germans and occupying good defensive positions protected by the La Bassée Canal, the British 55th Division on the southern flank of the Portuguese were able to hold much of their position throughout the battle. Malgré les appels désespérés du général Haig, Foch refusa d'engager ses réserves restreintes. Ce furent : 1°L'écroulementde la Russie, qui se manifesta militairement en trois étapes : l'armistice du 3décembre 1917; Les traités de Brest-Litowsk : du 9 février 1918 avec laPologne, du 3 mars avec la Russie. Read Montdidier (le sac de). L'offensive de mai 1918. Michael had drawn British forces to defend Amiens, leaving the rail route through Hazebrouck and the approaches to the Channel ports of Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk vulnerable. Bords abÓmÈs. 2", p.963. Les Allemands s'étaient rendu compte que leur seule chance de gagner la guerre était d'anéantir les Alliés avant que les États-Unis ne puissent déployer suffisamment de troupes en Europe pour vaincre l'Allemagne. offensive allemande de mars 1918 book online at best prices in india on Amazon.in. Elles passeront à l'action le 30 mars, quand les Allemands menaceront la Marne. Les offensives allemandes mars-avril 1918 (par Clément Ruols) Ces offensives allemandes de mars-avril 1918 peuvent se résumer clairement en 2 grandes offensives : - Déclenchée le 21 mars 1918, l’opération « Michael » frappe par surprise les troupes britanniques qui y sont déployées. i. [22] German supply difficulties were made worse by the direction of advance, which crossed the wasteland created during the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and by Operation Alberich, the German retirement to the Hindenburg Line from February to March 1917.[23]. In: Revue d'histoire moderne, tome 4 N°23,1929. Après avoir évité de peu un effondrement général lors des offensives allemandes du printemps 1918, les armées alliées se sont rapidement ressaisies et renforcées sur le front ouest, tant en hommes – avec la mise en ligne de divisions américaines en particulier – qu’en matériel. Les Allemands ont également été incapables de s'approvisionner en fournitures et matériel assez rapidement. 33 - 1918, mars à juillet : la grande offensive allemande E- « C’était le 2 février 18 ? The 2nd Division was virtually annihilated, losing more than 7,000 men. [30] Ludendorff sought to extend Blücher-Yorck westward with Operation Gneisenau, intending to draw yet more Allied reserves south, widen the German salient and link with the German salient at Amiens. L'assaut allemand débute par un tir de barrage de 4 600 pièces d'artillerie, suivi d'une attaque de sept divisions sur un front de 15 km. Ludendorff now postponed Hagen and launched the German Seventh, First and Third Armies in the Friedensturm (Peace Offensive) of 15 July, a renewed attempt to draw Allied reserves south from Flanders and to expand the salient created by Blücher–Yorck eastwards. [24] In terms of morale, the initial German jubilation at the successful opening of the offensive soon turned to disappointment, as it became clear that the attack had not achieved decisive results. La dernière offensive allemande du printemps 1918 : la Kaiserschlacht Le 21 mars 1918, Erich Ludendorff lance la Kaiserschlacht. L’offensive allemande commença le 21 mars 1918, avec pour fer de lance des combattants d’unités de choc spécialement entraînés et des barrages nourris de gaz et d’obus explosifs. 9 juin Offensive allemande vers Compiègne. German troop losses were 239,000 men, many of them specialist shocktroops (Stoßtruppen) who were irreplaceable. À la fin de lannée 1917, le haut commandement allemand tire immédiatement parti du nouveau contexte stratégique qui lui est totalement favorable : la révolution russe et leffondrement de larmée tsariste qui la suit, permettent désormais de mener la guerre sur un seul front, lOuest, en y concentrant toutes les forces disponibles. In six months, the strength of the German army had fallen from 5.1 million fighting men to 4.2 million. A. u début de l’année 1918, par une série d’offensives sur le front français, les Allemands cherchent à profiter de leur supériorité numérique avant l’arrivée massive des Américains. [26] After the British had held off the Michael advance on the Somme, the US 1st Division was moved to reinforce the line in that sector in mid-April and launched their first attack of the war on Cantigny on 28 May 1918. Cependant le commandement de la IIIe armée française, le général Humbert, averti par des déserteurs allemands a organisé sa défense en conséquence. The right wing of Third Army became separated from the retreating Fifth Army, and also retreated to avoid being outflanked. L'offensive est un succès avant de s'enliser. T- Le 2 février 18. Ludendorff ended Georgette on 29 April. The Allies concentrated their main forces in the essential areas (the approaches to the Channel Ports and the rail junction of Amiens). Skip to main content.ca. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Montdidier (le sac de). British casualties from "Military Effort of the British Empire", "Le souvenir de la 1ère GM en Champagne-Ardenne – Le cimetière italien de Bligny présenté par Jean-Pierre Husson", "Organization of a rolling barrage in the German Army,", "Second battle of the Somme, 21 March-4 April 1918", 1914-1918-online. The bombardment [hit] targets over an area of 150 square miles, the biggest barrage of the entire war. French casualties from "Official Returns to the Chamber, March 29, 1922", Churchill, "The World Crisis, Vol. to describe it as a pyrrhic victory. 17 oct. 2018 - Carte présentant l'avancée allemande dans la vallée de la Lys et dans le secteur d'Ypres entre le 14 et le 27 avril 1918 1918 Les derniers atouts de l'armée allemande. This process gave the German army an initial advantage in the attack, but meant that the best formations would suffer disproportionately heavy casualties, while the quality of the remaining formations declined as they were stripped of their best personnel to provide the storm troops. Ludendorff prévoit de réunir les deux saillants pris lors des précédentes attaques dans le secteur d'Amiens, de l'Aisne et de la Marne. Losses were approximately 35,000 Allied and 30,000 German. Dès le mois de septembre 1918, Foch projette une offensive de grande envergure. ); then, destruction of their artillery; lastly an attack upon the enemy front-line infantry defences. The other offensives were subsidiary to Michael and were designed to divert Allied forces from the main offensive effort on the Somme. The advance was slowed by supply shortages, which gave Allied commanders more time to reinforce the threatened areas and to slow the advance still more. It was also a line of least resistance as the British and French armies were weak in the sector. Deux jours auparavant, les Alliés s'étaient mis d'accord pour confier au général Foch le commandement unique sur le front occidental. The Battle of Cantigny, fought 27–31 May 1918 was the first American battle and offensive of World War I. Mais la percée ne réussit pas, parce que le général Ludendorff, qui ne subissait pourtant que peu d'opposition sur sa gauche, continua à concentrer ses réserves devant Arras, où la résistance britannique devint de plus en plus forte. Great care had been taken to achieve surprise. Hit hard by the Feuerwalze bombardment and under the assault of eight German divisions, the Portuguese 2nd Division made a desperate defence, trying to hold their positions, which, however, were rapidly enveloped and overrun by the masses of German forces. La série d’offensives allemandes de 1918 ne permit pas de vaincre les armées alliées dans l’ouest, malgré les succès remportés au départ. Possibly inappropriate content. At Arras on 28 March, he launched a hastily prepared attack (Operation Mars) against the left wing of the British Third Army, to try to widen the breach in the Allied lines. [21] The Allies reacted by appointing the French General Ferdinand Foch to coordinate all Allied activity in France, and subsequently as commander-in-chief of all Allied forces everywhere. The main reason for the choice was tactical expediency. Les Américains étaient désormais présents en France e… The last German offensive of the war was beaten back. [12] Each major formation "creamed off" its best and fittest soldiers into storm units; several complete divisions were formed from these elite units. 9 avril Offensive allemande dans les Flandres vers Hazebrouck. À 9 h 40, deux cent mille Allemands attaquent les lignes anglaises entre Cambrai et Saint-Quentin. This change had been made after experience of the successful German use of defence in depth during 1917. [31] German manpower was exhausted. The newly-won territory was difficult to traverse, as much of it consisted of the shell-torn wilderness left by the 1916 Battle of the Somme, and would later be difficult to defend against Allied counter-attacks.