The enemy

The German army was a formidable force not just in terms of size but also in regard to training, experience and way of working. Like most European countries, Germany had a system of universal conscription. At the age of 17 all German young men joined their local guard, three years later they signed up for two year’s compulsory service and it was not until they were 45 that they were finally released from their military obligation. It is not surprising therefore, that the Germans were able to mobilise up to 5 million men when war broke out.

It was not just the knowledge of knowing they could call on so many men that gave the Germans such confidence on the battlefield. They had also received better training and had had more experience. Unlike the British armed forces, the Germans organised their infantry, cavalry and artillery into regional and local divisions and brigades who then trained together. This meant that in times of war the different elements were used to working together and could react quickly and effectively to any situation. The German command structure was also more flexible than its British counterpart. Greater responsibility was given to the officer in the field meaning that the most informed person was often giving the orders. All this, combined with the fact that the Germans had the supposedly easier defensive role on the battlefield, meant that the Germans were tactically superior. In contrast, they thought that the British army was amateur and inexperienced.

Image depicting the capture of a German trench by the British. (DUL ref: Lowe Papers File B1)

The result was that by 1918 the Allies were starting to make real headway. The Germans launched their last great push, the Michael Offensive, in April but despite initial successes the move failed. By September the Allies were able to breach the last defensive line of the Germans, the Hindenberg line. Realising that they were no longer in a position to continue fighting, the German military leaders asked their politicians to seek an armistice. The American president, Woodrow Wilson, was approached in early October and the armistice was signed on 11 November. The First World War was over.

Cartoon depicting a German soldier by Raemaekers. (DUL ref: XX+355.94049 RAE)

So what went wrong? Why did this highly experienced and well-motivated army lose the First World War? The answer is far from simple. First, it cannot be doubted that a number of high-risk German strategies failed. For example, the plan to ‘bleed the French white’ at Verdun failed albeit at huge costs to both sides. This problem was compounded by the fact that the Allied Powers were better supplied in terms of men and materiel. Even before the United States entered the war in early 1917 the Allied Powers could call on the reserves of their empires, allowing them to fight harder for longer. It must also be accepted that the Allies got better. By 1918 they had developed an integrated system of working together combining artillery, cavalry, infantry and aircraft in a more effective way. Moreover, both officers and men were more experienced and better able to face the challenges in front of them. Finally, the Allied Powers were able to take advantage of technological advances such as the use of the tank, better artillery equipment and tactics, developments in communications including wireless technology and code-breaking, and the use of aircraft in both reconnaissance work and in tactical bombing.