Why did Germany seek an armistice in October 1918?

In October 1918, Germany sought an armistice primarily because its military leadership recognized that the war was lost and the army was on the verge of collapse. Following the failure of the 1918 spring offensives, which exhausted German reserves, the Allied forces launched a successful counter-offensive beginning with the Battle of Amiens on August 8, 1918—a date General Erich Ludendorff famously termed the black day of the German army.123

By late September, the situation had become untenable:
* Military Failure: Allied successes on the Western Front had broken the spirit of German troops, and the arrival of fresh U.S. divisions overwhelmed the German forces.32
* Collapse of Allies: Germany’s allies were collapsing; Bulgaria surrendered in late September, and Austria-Hungary was near total disintegration.12
* Domestic Crisis: Germany faced severe economic exhaustion, virtual starvation due to the Allied blockade, and rising internal unrest.42

On September 29, Ludendorff informed the kaiser that an immediate armistice was necessary. Consequently, the new chancellor, Prince Maximilian of Baden, requested an armistice from U.S. President Woodrow Wilson based on the Fourteen Points.125