Reinforced by the troops from the eastern front, the Germans put all their forces in their latest offensive, named by the General of Infantry Erich Ludendorff as Kaiserschlacht (code name Michael), from March 1918, on the river Somme, in Flanders and in Champagne. This began on March 21 and lasted until April 5, although with the end of this the Germans continued with a series of four offensives until June 17. But, badly fed and tired, the German troops could not resist Foch's counteroffensive and fail in front of the final objective: Paris, being 120 km from the Gallic capital. General Foch commands his French and American troops to victory, in the second battle of the Marne. The first British tanks entered combat and allied air superiority was evident.
It is the beginning of the end for the Central Empires. In the Balkans, French troops attack the Bulgarian lines in Macedonia. After a few days of fighting, Bulgaria understands that it can not face them and asks for an armistice. The Ottoman Empire is at the limit of its strength and can not contain the British who have already taken Jerusalem and Baghdad and are advancing towards Anatolia. French and British occupy the Middle East and Iraq and the Ottoman Empire also surrenders.
The duel between Italians and Austrians is also about to be resolved. General Diaz is under pressure from his government, which needs a victory on the alpine front in order to negotiate. The Italians defeat Austria-Hungary in Vittorio Veneto. This fact adds to the collapse of the imperial army in the Balkans, and the monarchy of the Habsburgs collapses.
The Reich is in a desperate situation: it has run out of allies, its civilian population suffers draconian restrictions, its army is borderline, unreserved and demoralized. Ludendorff and Hindenburg are in favor of immediate capitulation, believing that the front will collapse at any moment. In fact, US troops do not stop to disembark and even Italy is preparing to send a contingent to France. On August 8 an allied attack near Amiens succeeds and breaks the German front; the allies penetrate Belgium. The High Command asks the political arm to immediately begin peace negotiations. There is widespread belief that the war is lost. Wilson proclaims that the United States will only negotiate with a democratic German government. The Hohenzollern have their days numbered. After a working revolution in Berlin, the Kaiser flees to the Netherlands. The government of the new German Republic signs the armistice of Compiègne on November 11, 1918, which comes into force at 11:00. Two minutes before George Lawrence Price falls, the last soldier killed in the war.
The war ends with the victory of the Allies.
