By January of 1917, the Russian revolution had taken place and the Russian Army had collapsed. The Germans were now able to shift all their troops from the Russian front to the Western front, opposing France and Britain. For the first time in years the Germans had a numerical superiority and the impulse of their generals was to attack. This doesn't seem to have been the attitude of the soldiers in the trenches, who were exhausted and disillusioned. Thousands deserted and reached neutral countries like Holland or simply went home, where they were not bothered by the authorities. It was the officer corps, however, who felt that an attack would restore discipline and esprit.
Some previous episodes have covered mostly the misery of life at the front and back home. This returns to the battlefield. The Germans launched a last great offensive against the British and broke through their lines, forcing a hasty retreat. The British were routed and fell back to defend Amiens. To the south, the French Army decided to retreat to Paris, which split the two Allies and justified Hindenburg's plan. It was just what he intended.
However, the German advance was losing steam. For five days their army had been strafed and bombed. They were out of supplies and began living from the food left behind by the retreating enemy. They'd gone without sleep and under constant threat of death. The advance slowed and became narrower. Even a marathon runner reaches a point at which he can't run any longer.
Every once in a while I realize that I'm not watching the same shots over and over. It's astounding, really, considering the state of movie technology in 1914 - 1918. Yes, there are a few brief shots that are recognizable from one episode to the next but most of the footage is brand new, at least to me. What a splendid job the researchers and editors did.
Some previous episodes have covered mostly the misery of life at the front and back home. This returns to the battlefield. The Germans launched a last great offensive against the British and broke through their lines, forcing a hasty retreat. The British were routed and fell back to defend Amiens. To the south, the French Army decided to retreat to Paris, which split the two Allies and justified Hindenburg's plan. It was just what he intended.
However, the German advance was losing steam. For five days their army had been strafed and bombed. They were out of supplies and began living from the food left behind by the retreating enemy. They'd gone without sleep and under constant threat of death. The advance slowed and became narrower. Even a marathon runner reaches a point at which he can't run any longer.
Every once in a while I realize that I'm not watching the same shots over and over. It's astounding, really, considering the state of movie technology in 1914 - 1918. Yes, there are a few brief shots that are recognizable from one episode to the next but most of the footage is brand new, at least to me. What a splendid job the researchers and editors did.