- Date:
- August 8, 1918 - August 11, 1918
- Participants:
- France
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Context:
- World War I
Battle of Amiens
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What was the Battle of Amiens?
The Battle of Amiens, fought from August 8–11, 1918, marked the start of the Allies' "hundred days" of offensive successes on the Western Front, leading to the German army's collapse and the end of World War I. French General Ferdinand Foch planned the attack in the Amiens region to protect the vital Paris-Amiens railway.
The Allied forces included the Canadian Corps, the British 4th Army, and the French 1st Army. On August 8, after moving troops at night and using bogus radio communication to deceive the Germans, 900 Allied guns opened fire at 4:20 am, and the infantry advanced. The Germans were unprepared, and many surrendered. By August 11, the Allies had advanced 8 miles (13 km).
The battle resulted in more than 19,000 Allied casualties and more than 26,000 German casualties, including 12,000 prisoners. Erich Ludendorff, a German military chief, called the opening day "the black day of the German Army". The battle sparked the "hundred days" campaign, which drove the Germans back until their defeat and the armistice on November 11, 1918.
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When and where did the Battle of Amiens take place?
The Battle of Amiens occurred between August 8–11, 1918. It took place in the Amiens region of northern France. The battle, which began what was known as the "hundred days," involved Allied forces attacking German lines. The Allied forces included the Canadian Corps, the British 4th Army, and the French 1st Army. The element of surprise was key to the Allied attack, which was supported by heavy artillery, tanks, and aircraft. The battle concluded on August 11, with the Allies achieving a significant advance. The Battle of Amiens marked the beginning of a string of Allied offensive successes on the Western Front, leading to the collapse of the German army and the end of World War I.
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Which countries were involved in the Battle of Amiens?
The Battle of Amiens, fought August 8–11, 1918, involved multiple Allied and Central Powers during World War I. The Allied forces included the Canadian Corps, the British 4th Army, the French 1st Army, and the Australian Corps. These forces launched a coordinated offensive against the German lines. Germany, part of the Central Powers, defended its position with three lines of trenches. The battle marked the beginning of the "hundred days" campaign, which led to the collapse of the German army and the end of the war.
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Why is the Battle of Amiens considered important in World War I?
The Battle of Amiens, fought from August 8–11, 1918, is important because it marked the start of the Allies' string of successful offensives known as the "hundred days," which led to the collapse of the German army and the end of World War I. The Allies' attack, which included troops from Canada, Britain, France and Australia, was supported by over 600 tanks, 2,000 aircraft, and 900 Allied guns.
The battle concluded on August 11, with the Allies advancing 8 miles (13 km) in three days. Erich Ludendorff, a German military chief, called the opening day of the battle "the black day of the German Army".
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What new strategies or technologies were used during the Battle of Amiens?
During the Battle of Amiens, the Allies used new battlefield tactics and weapons to beat the German army. The Allied attacking force included the Canadian Corps, the British 4th Army, the French 1st Army, and the Australian Corps.
To maintain surprise, the Allied offensive was not preceded by bombardment. A Royal Air Force squadron laid smoke screens over the battlefield, and a heavy mist concealed no man’s land as the attack grew nearer. At 4:20 am on August 8, 1918, 900 Allied guns opened fire, and the infantry advanced towards the German lines. The Allied offensive was supported by thousands of heavy and super-heavy field guns, more than 600 tanks, and 2,000 aircraft. Tanks could drive through wire and cross trenches, crush or neutralize strongpoints, lay smoke screens, and serve as mobile cover for the infantry.
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How did the outcome of the Battle of Amiens affect the end of World War I?
The Battle of Amiens, fought August 8–11, 1918, marked the start of the Allies' "hundred days" campaign. This offensive led to a series of Allied victories on the Western Front, causing the German army to collapse and ultimately ending World War I.
The Allies, with fresh troops and improved tactics, launched a surprise attack at Amiens, supported by numerous guns, tanks, and aircraft. The German forces were unprepared and suffered heavy losses. Erich Ludendorff, a German military chief, called it "the black day of the German Army".
Following the defeat, German Emperor William II declared that they had reached the limits of their capacity and that the war had to end. The Battle of Amiens sparked the "hundred days" campaign, pushing the Germans back until they were defeated and signed the armistice on November 11, 1918.
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Battle of Amiens, (August 8–11, 1918), World War I battle that marked the beginning of what came to be known as the “hundred days,” a string of Allied offensive successes on the Western Front that led to the collapse of the German army and the end of the war.
By late July 1918 Allied forces held a superior position on the Western Front; troops from the United States were pouring in to reinforce the war effort, and German soldiers were exhausted in the wake of a stalled offensive on the Marne. Having gained the initiative, Allied commanders had hoped to launch a limited offensive to secure a series of strategic transit hubs. As part of this, French General Ferdinand Foch planned an attack in the Amiens region of northern France that would protect the vital Paris-Amiens railway.
The attacking force comprised the Canadian Corps, the British 4th Army, the French 1st Army, the Australian Corps, and others. In early August, the Allies made a show of weakening their front line so that German officers expected no assault. In reality, troops were being moved to the front at night, while bogus radio communication reinforced the deception. The Allied offensive would be supported by thousands of heavy and super-heavy field guns, more than 600 tanks, and 2,000 aircraft. The Germans were greatly outnumbered and, in the words of German military chief Erich Ludendorff, “depressed down to Hell.” The Germans were protected by three lines of trenches, which were poorly wired for communications and without good dugout shelters. Unlike earlier offensives, the Amiens assault would not be preceded by bombardment so as to preserve the element of surprise.
A Royal Air Force squadron laid smoke screens over the battlefield, and a heavy mist concealed no man’s land as the attack grew nearer. On August 8 at exactly 4:20 am, 900 Allied guns opened fire and the infantry headed toward the German lines. The Germans were entirely unprepared for an attack of this scale, and many surrendered at the first chance. Allied soldiers fought through woods to clear German machine gun positions and take prisoners. The tanks lagged behind, struggling across the boggy terrain.
The battle ended on August 11 as German resistance stiffened and Canadian commander Sir Arthur Currie urged the Allied leadership to consolidate the gains they had made thus far. In three days, the Allies had advanced some 8 miles (13 km), a huge achievement in a war characterized by minute gains at enormous cost. More than 19,000 Allied soldiers were killed or injured, while the Germans lost more than 26,000, including some 12,000 prisoners. Also captured by the Allies was the “Amiens gun,” a 280-millimetre (11-inch) Krupp naval gun that had been mounted on a railway carriage. The “Amiens gun” had been shelling the city of Amiens throughout the summer, and previous attempts to disable it had been unsuccessful, but an enterprising Australian sapper commandeered the train’s engine and drove it back to Allied lines. Ludendorff described the opening day of the battle as "the black day of the German Army in the history of this war…Everything I had feared, and of which I had so often given warning, had here, in one place, become a reality.” When Ludendorff informed German emperor William II of the disaster at Amiens, William replied, “We have reached the limits of our capacity. The war must be terminated.” Indeed, Amiens sparked the “hundred days” campaign, the successful Allied push that would drive the Germans backwards until their ultimate defeat and the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918.
An earlier version of this entry was published by The Canadian Encyclopedia .