8. 1918: The Year of Decision

1918 saw both sides in desperation. The Americans were not yet deployed into fighting formations, and the British were unlikely to be able to withstand a concerted offensive. The Germans had problems of their own, as national unity disintegrated and the fear of revolution forced them into a final offensive. ‘1918: The Year of Decision’ looks at the failure of this Ludendorf Offensive, as well as the Allied counterattack and the subsequent collapse of the Central Powers. After the disintegration of its army and the abdication of the Kaiser, Germany signed an armistice on 11 November 1918.