Hi , Does someone has an idea about what where the consequences/repercussions of the january 1918 strike in germany on Ludendorff's spring offensive ? Did it play an important role in the course of the offensive?

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Hi , Does someone has an idea about what where the consequences/repercussions of the january 1918 strike in germany on Ludendorff’s spring offensive ? Did it play an important role in the course of the offensive ?

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Well, I don’t think it had a direct effect, but it certainly made Ludendorff aware that the folks back home would not take the shortages of war, and the endless deaths of their sons for much longer.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on March 3, 1918, and the Spring Offensive kicked off 3 weeks later. I take it as pretty clear that Ludendorff was in a hurry for a lot of reasons.

He wanted to hit the British and French - both of whom were exhausted - hard and get them to the bargaining table before the US troops had a major effect. But as 1918 progressed, there was clear evidence that a revolution was possible in Germany, and the Strike in January seen as a harbinger.

As far as having a direct effect on the battlefield, I don’t think so. The Germans hit the same old trenches in, well, not the same old way, but an entirely new way, but they went. (The German advance was held up not so much because of Allied resolve, but the Germans looting Allied supply dumps.)

Hope this isn’t too convoluted…

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Thanks for the answer ! So of i understand well it was more because of a low morale within the population and the risk of a revolution that handicapped the offensive ?

Thanks !

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I think you’re right. Ludendorff could have waited for more troops from the East, and had a better chance, but I think he thought he needed a victory to keep the folks back home from doing, well, what they wound up doing…

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True that his situation was really ambiguous ans delicate, the blocus of Royal navy gave him no choice but to attack and he had to keep troops in the east to make russians respect the treaty ( I heard about 1 M troops where stationned in russian borders )…

This is a very interesant topic, thanks again for answering !

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I would say that the strike had more of an effect for the German Revolution 1918-1919. The Spartacus Uprising was inspired by the October Revolution in Russia, and German workers during the 1918 strike were caused by war weariness and food shortages (some primary causes of the October Revolution). Yes munition factory workers went on strike, but I don’t think that directly was responsible for the lack of the German Spring (Kaiserscchlacht) offensive’s failure to take Paris.

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Thanks bro ! Indeed it was the begginig of the series of uprisings in Germany, so in conclusion i think we can say that it was not the lack of munition caused by the strike that caused the offensive to fail but the low morale and the english Blocus.

thanks for answering

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