The End of the War

The End of the War

1. War OVER - November 1918

   • USA joined the Allies in 1917
     • Sent one division at first but more the next year
     • German commander Ludendroff tried one more big attack before the increase in Allied troops
       • The Ludendroff Offensive - they attacked several points along the line of the enemy trenches at the same time
         • The Allies counter-attacked by from different sides and used tanks to push the German back through France towards Germany
           • An armistice caused them to stop before the German reached Germany
   • Trench warfare worn Germany down. They couldn't carry on and so asked for an armistice to be signed on the 11th November
     • The peace treaty (Versailles) was signed in June 1919

2. 'The War to End all Wars'...?

   • Many felt that politicians and authority figures couldn't be trusted anymore after they tried to hide information about the war
     • People even thought that the generals had been being incompetent and didn't care about the loss of life
   • Did upper class dominate society?
   • Soldiers returned home to unemployment and poverty - what had they been fighting for?
   • Loss of young men had unbalanced society
   • People still wanted revenge on the Germans
   • There were some positive outcomes: the feeling of victory and attitudes to women and the poor had improved
   • Lloyd George was re-elected Prime Minister in December 1918