In 1918, Germany launched a final series of major offensives on the Western Front in an attempt to win before American power fully arrived. These attacks gained ground at first but failed to achieve decisive victory.

The Allies then responded with the Hundred Days Offensive, a sustained campaign that pushed German forces back. Germany’s military position weakened, its allies began to collapse, and unrest grew at home.

By autumn, the Central Powers were falling apart. On 11 November 1918, the armistice ended the fighting on the Western Front. The war was over, but Europe had been transformed by destruction, loss, and political upheaval.

Key themes for 1918:

• Germany launches the Spring Offensives
• Early German gains fail to secure victory
• The Allies respond with the Hundred Days Offensive
• The Central Powers begin to collapse
• Germany faces unrest at home
• The armistice of 11 November ends the fighting