Spring Offensive

World War I

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July 21, 2026

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The Spring Offensive, also known as the Second Battle of the Somme, was a series of German attacks on the Western Front during World War I, beginning on March 21, 1918. German commander Erich Ludendorff aimed to achieve a decisive victory before American troops arrived in large numbers.1

The offensive initially achieved significant territorial gains, pushing Allied lines back and creating a wedge between British and French forces. However, the Allies managed to regroup and halt the German advance east of Amiens. Despite taking many prisoners and advancing nearly 40 miles, the German offensive ultimately failed to break the Allied lines and exhausted Germany's resources. The Western Front had been largely static due to advancements in defensive technology over offensive capabilities, leading to prolonged trench warfare.12

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Battle of Belleau Wood
…boosted morale amid the Germans’ Spring Offensive. The battle was the first major engagement of the U.S. army in World War I, and, only 39 miles from Paris, marked the closest the Germans came to the French capital during the war. The struggle for Belleau Wood, at the time a…
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…boosted morale amid the Germans’ Spring Offensive. The battle was the first major engagement of the U.S. army in World War I, and, only 39 miles from Paris, marked the closest the Germans came to the French capital during the war. The struggle for Belleau Wood, at the time a…
Read More