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SUMMARI SEDNOTESON THEFI

RSTWORLDWAR
(DEPTH STUDY)
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
CHAPTER 1

Why was the war not over by 1914?

3
CHAPTER 2

Why was there stalemate on the Western Front?

6
CHAPTER 3

How important were other fronts?

9
CHAPTER 4

Why did Germany ask for an armistice in 1918?

 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
• The plan was outdated
1. WHY WAS THE WAR NOT OVER BY 1914? oChanged and finalized in 1906. Implemented only in
1914.
1.1 How was the Schlieffen Plan intended to oThis didn’t account for the changes and improvement
work? in enemy machinery and tactics.
• The plan was created by Count Alfred von Schlieffen in oPlan relied on a professionally trained army, not
1905. conscript.
• It was created because Germany wanted to avoid war on • Plan resulted in what they wanted to avoid; a war on
two fronts (France in the west and Russia in the east) at two fronts.
the same time.
How the plan was supposed to go
1.2 How important was Belgium’s reaction to
• The plan was to attack and defeat France before Russia the plan?
could mobilize. • As Belgium was a neutral, Germany did not expect them
o Schlieffen assumed Russia would take eight weeks to to fight back.
mobilize. • Germans were slowed down by the Belgian army and did
o 10% of the German army was kept to defend against not reach Paris in the expected six weeks
Russia on the Eastern front. • It took 2 weeks to capture Brussels and the fortress town
o 1.5 million men (90% of the army) were to move of Liège. This had a great effect as the plan relied on
through neutral Belgium and invade France, where speed.
they were to defeat the French army and encircle Paris • German soldiers weakened due to exhaustion, supply
in 6 weeks. problems and casualties.
o2 divisions sent to Alsace and Lorraine • Belgian defense gave time for British forces (the BEF) to
arrive to help.
• Germany did not know about the Treaty of London, as it
was a secret treaty; nor did they expect Britain to
honour it.
• The Schlieffen Plan failed because: BRB
• Belgium refused to let the German army through to
attack France and slowed down the Germans.
• Russia mobilizes quicker than Germans had expected.
• Germany had to transfer troops to the east.
• They did not expect this as Russia was going through a
crisis and had poor transportation.
• This was a miscalculation on the German part.
• Britain had signed treaty with Belgium to protect it as a
• The plan started to go wrong when Russia mobilized in neutral country therefore sending its forces to stop
support of Serbia on 30th July. German advances.
Failure of the plan before German invasion of Belgium
• Changes to the plan 1.3 How successful was the British
o Von Schlieffen dies and plan altered by new Chief of Expeditionary Force (BEF)?
Staff (von Moltke) in 1906. • The Schlieffen Plan assumed that Britain would not
oPlan not implemented by the creator which led to protect Belgium.
misunderstandings. • Belgium asked Britain for help, Britain sent the BEF
oThe German army was smaller than when the plan was immediately to fight the Battle of Mons (August 1914)
made.

PAGE 2 OF 10
 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
• One of the reasons Britain helped is to protect 1.4 Why did both sides introduce trenches?
themselves and their empire because if the French were • When the Germans were pushed to River Aisne, they
defeated the British would be next. dug defensive trenches, and set up machine guns.
• The BEF was well trained and professional, albeit small • The Allied armies were unsuccessful in pushing the
compared to the large German conscript army. Germans back further.
• Battle of Mons — August 23rd, 1914 • Soon after the Allied forces began digging trenches
oThis was the first major battle ofWW1. • Over time the trenches stretch for 470 km from the
oBEF led by Sir Jon French and the troops at Mons led by Belgian coast down to Switzerland.
General Douglas Haig. • Trench warfare was an indicator to all nations the war
oTrench ware fare was not yet implemented. would not be ending soon.
o70,000 British faced 160,000 Germans. • The Germans wanted to capture the Channel Ports
oBEF slowed German army advance, making the (Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne) to cut off supplies
Schlieffen Plan impossible to achieve. (reinforcements, ammunition and food supplies) for the
oDespite the BEF performing well, the Germans pushed BEF and achieve a breakthrough in northern France.
the British to retreat south of River Marne outside • Exhausted armies could regain their strength in trenches.
Paris. • General Falkenhayn wanted to keep control of land they
already acquired.
• The First Battle of Ypres — 19th Oct-22nd Nov 1914
o Both sides wanted access to the French ports.
o They advanced towards the coastline to stop the other
side gaining control of it.
o Allies aimed to take back Lille in France and Brussels in
Belgium
o The Allied troops managed it with an immense loss of
o Despite this German Chief Moltke believed the war was life on both sides.
almost won as: o This meant the BEF was almost wiped out and had to
o Belgians were defeated rely on volunteers.
o British were retreating & o Stalemate continues.
o French Plan 17 (reclaiming Alsace-Lorraine) failed.
o But when Moltke realized his forces were no longer 2. WHY WAS THERE STALEMATE ON THE
strong enough to encircle Paris, he sent troops South-
east; where the Battle of Marne was fought when they
WESTERN FRONT?
encountered the French army returning defeated from
2.1 Why did the war become bogged down to
Alsace and Lorraine.
the trenches?
• Battle of Marne — 5th-12th September 1914
o Here the BEF and French counter attack the Germans. • The war of movement changed into a war of attrition.
o The battle lasted 5 days. • Trench warfare developed as both sides dug trench to
o The Germans had almost won when Parisian taxis protect themselves from enemy fire.
brought in 6,000 reserve soldiers to the front line. • German trenches were deeper and stronger than allied
o Allied troops managed to save Paris and forced trenches, as they had already captured a lot of territory.
Germans to pull back to the river Aisne. Whereas the Allies dug shallow trenches as they needed
o This battle was a strategic victory for the allies, even- to push the Germans back.
though it ended in stalemate, as the Germans were • Neither side understood trench warfare.
pushed back to the River Aisne. • British believed cavalry (soldiers on horseback)
breakthroughs could win the war, but climbing out of
the trenches meant walking straight into enemy fire.

PAGE 3 OF 10
 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
• New machinery and weapons were defective or misused. 2.3 How important were new developments
such as tanks, machine guns, aircrafts, and
2.2 What was living and fighting in the
gas?
trenches like?
(1) Tanks
• Soldiers did not spend all their time fighting in trenches.
• Tanks were developed in secret by the British
• They were organized in platoons of 60 men.
o In theory, each platoon would spend 4 days in the front • First used in the battle of Flers (Sept 1916).
line then 4 days in the reserve trench line and finally 4 • Advantages
days resting. o Caused panic among the German forces.
o In reality, soldiers spent more than 2 weeks on the o Was able to break through barbed wires and cleared
frontline. the way for infantry.
o Each platoon replaced another in a cycle o The tank was crucial to Allied victories in 1918.
Living in the trenches: • Disadvantages:
• Rats: thrived in discarded food and other waste, spread o Of the 59 tanks in France only 49 were serviceable.
disease. o 17 of these broke down before reaching the battlefield.
• Lice: tiny insects that lived in soldiers clothing and o They were unreliable and slow, becoming an easy
sucked their blood. target for German machine gunners.
o Frequently got stuck
• Disease: low hygiene levels, limited toilet facilities, little
o Not bulletproof.
fresh water which meant disease was very common.
• Later tanks became more reliable and faster.
• The weather: wet conditions brought trench foot and
gangrene. Winter brought frost bite. Summer made the (2) Machine Guns
stench of decaying bodies, and latrines (field toilets) • Most important defense weapon of the war.
unbearable. • Each gun could fire 400-600 rounds per minute.
• Shell Shock: Term used for those who suffered from • Lethal, at a range of over a kilometer.
mental breakdowns, caused PTSD • Caused 1/3 of the battlefield casualties.
• Boredom: During stalemate and waiting for battles, • Early models were large and heavy and needed 3-6 men
there was nothing much else to do. Their daily routine to operate and were used as defensive weapons.
was also generally repetitive. • Overtime they became more mobile and were used as
Fighting in the trenches: offensive weapons.
• Artillery bombardment was used to penetrate enemy (3) Aircrafts
trenches, but this was often unsuccessful as shells did • Used mainly for reconnaissance and surveillance of
not explode. Barbed wire, and German bunkers which enemy trench lines and reinforcements, eg. In the
were later reinforced with concrete, were not Somme, Germans were prepared as their aircraft
destroyed. reported much activity on the front lines of the Allies
• Artillery only made the barbed wire more tangled, • In 1915 machine guns were mounted on the wings.
making it harder for soldiers to get through. • Soon after, Germans developed machine guns at the
• This often reduced morale of the survivors. propeller of the biplane, aided accuracy.
• Cavalry became less important. Trench Warfare marked • However, aircrafts were too small and lightly armed to
the end of cavalry as a weapon. damage major targets.
• Infantry became more important. • Larger planes could not carry enough bombs.
• Even if they got into enemy trenches, reinforcements • Used in air raids.
arrived slowly, so ground had to be abandoned or • Helped select and coordinate artillery targets.
recaptured. • Overall fighting in the air had no significant impact on
the war.

PAGE 4 OF 10
 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
(4) Gas o There was much public pressure from the people to
• Poisonous gas was first used in Ypres in April 1915 and save Verdun, although not a very strategic military
proved itself as a deadly weapon. advantage would be provided
• Although it only caused 4% of total deaths, it was fatal. o To relieve the French, the British launched the battle of
• It was used throughout the war. Somme to divert the Germans from Verdun.
• Gas would be released from canisters and allowed to • Battle of Somme — July-November 1916
drift towards the enemy, if the wind blew in their o On July 1st the British commander, Sir Douglas Haig,
direction. launched a massive attack on German trenches at the
• Gas shells which broke open when hit the ground. River Somme.
• Gas masks got more effective overtime. o His plan was to open a gap in German defenses by
• There were three types of poison gas: artillery bombardment, then cavalry would enter and
o Chlorine gas: vapour destroyed the respiratory organs. defeat the Germans.
o Phosgene gas: caused less coughing so more was o This was to cut the Germans off from their supplies and
inhaled would be forced to surrender.
o Mustard gas: the most lethal. odourless and burned o The attack failed disastrously.
and blistered internally and externally. o The British army suffered 57,410 casualties in just the
• Disadvantages: first day.
o Wind could blow the wrong way o The British population were shown the battlefield for
o Gas masks reduced visibility and movement. the first time, in the film, The Somme.
• Plan:
2.4 What was the Significance of the Battles o Heavy shelling for 7 days, to destroy German trenches
of Somme and Verdun? and clear barbed wire. 5 large mines beneath German
• Both Allied attacks were catastrophic failures that killed trenches, so that 'not even a rat would be left alive'
over one million men. o On 1 July 1916, Allied forces walk slowly across no
• Offense started to end stalemate on Western Front man's land to clear remaining Germans from trenches
o Cavalry as second wave of attack
• Battle of Verdun — February-December 1916
o Longest Battle in the war • Reasons why Battle of Somme was a failure for the
o General Falkenhayn chose to attack Verdun as he British
o The bombardment failed to destroy German barbed
believed the French were close to breaking point in
early 1916; as the fortress city was a symbol of wire.
nationalist pride. o German trenches were well supplied and re-enforced
o Although it was the strongest part of French defenses and were not majorly affected by the artillery
before the war, generals removed all artillery from the bombardment.
fort to supply at the front. o Once the shelling had stopped the Germans knew the
o Germans wanted to elicit as many casualties on French British were coming.
soldiers as possible. They wanted to ‘bleed France o The British moved slowly making for easy targets.
white’. o When Haig ended the attack only seven miles had been
o If Germans won, French would lose morale and gained.
surrender. It might have also led to Britain withdrawing o Battle claimed over 1 million casualties in total.
from the war • Haig’s mistakes
o German forces advanced quickly claiming French Forts. o Haig’s planning was poor, and tactics were costly.
o Germans called off their offends mid-July, diverted by o He allowed the Battle to continue even when defeat
battle of Somme. was evident adding to the casualties.
o The French retook their forts and pushed back the line. o He repeated his mistakes in 1917 with the Third Battle
o Both sides were left with more than 600,000 casualties. of Ypres (Passchendaele).

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 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
o He was stubborn and refused the idea of a unified • Battle of Jutland — 31 May - 1 June 1916
army. He only gave way to Foch in 1918, as he knew he o This was the only major sea battle during WW1.
couldn't win. o Britain was able to intercept the German plan as a
o Thought cavalry would win the war, failed to German soldier with radio codes washed up on a
appreciate new technology. Russian beach.
o The war was won on the western front, not because of o Germany’s von Scheer wanted to tempt the British
Haig’s attack tactics, but due to surprise attacks fleet from its base and trap them by destroying as
without massive artillery bombardment — tactics many ships as possible. This would reduce their
learned from the Germans. number and would end the naval blockade on
• Was Haig correctly termed the 'Butcher of the Somme'? Germany.
o Only given half forces he believed he needed at o Since the commander
Somme. of the British Fleet
o Battle tactics were planned on short notice due to knew about this and
German attack on Verdun. waited at the German
o Other generals had also used the same tactics as Haig. rendezvous point with
o Did help wear down German forces and morale. a small fleet.
o Changed tactics at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, April 1917. o The Germans were
Tunnels were dug to allow attackers to get closer to lured in where the rest
enemy lines, and soldiers had maps, so attack could of the British Navy was
continue even if officers were killed waiting.
o His private papers showed he was a caring man and o The British fleet outnumbered the German fleet.
felt deeply sorry for the loss of his men. o The naval battle lasted three days.
o Asked men to walk slowly so that they would not be o Scheer sailed back to Germany when the bombing had
blown up by the mines they planted for Germans stopped.
o But the British claimed they had won, since the
3.HOW IMPORTANT WERE OTHER FRONTS? Germans 'fled', although more British ships had been
sunk.
3.1 Who won the War at Sea? o After 1916, the British put a naval blockade on
• Royal navy — Britain’s navy Germany which caused severe food and supply
o It was the strongest navy in the world. Britain needed a shortages for the German people.
strong navy to protect its empire. o Germany tried to blockade Britain but failed.
o Before 1914, Germany’s naval construction program Unrestricted submarine warfare
sparked an arms race— with both sides building as • At the beginning of the war Germany didn’t target:
many Dreadnoughts they could. civilian ships, and ships from neutral nations.
o British priority was to keep open supply lines with its
• When German attempt to blockade Britain (1915) failed,
trading partners and to blockade Germany
Germany implemented a campaign of unrestricted
• The German High Seas Fleet (German navy) used U-boats submarine warfare — where Germany targeted military
(submarines) more than their Dreadnoughts as they and civilian ships around Britain.
were too valuable.
• This and this caused food shortages in Britain, as they
• There were a series of minor naval battles in 1914-1915: imported 60% of their food, leading to food rationing.
o German fleet bombed Scarborough, Whitby and
• In 1917, 2.7 million tonnes of shipping were sunk by the
Hartlepool in December 1914
Germans.
o Battle of Heligoland Blight (august 1914), British navy
bombed the Heligoland German naval base killing 700
people
o Battle of Coronel (Nov 1914), Battle of Falkland Islands
(Dec 1914)
PAGE 6 OF 10
 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
The British strategies used to counter German • The landing of the Anzacs was also a failure, as strong
efforts: currents carried the boats they were in, away from the
• Q ships - military boats disguised as merchant ships, drop off point.
lured U boats to surface so they were could be attacked. • Unfamiliar landscape of narrow beaches and high cliffs.
Could be argued if it was successful, as many were sunk • The Turkish army was well trained (by a German general)
by U boats. • Poor communication, as Hamilton was in a boat away
• Mines - laid across the sea bed to attack German U- from the front.
boats. Could be cleared by minesweepers. • The Allies underestimated the Turkish forces
• Convoy system- (idea by Lloyd George) Battle ships • Severe weather conditions and shortages in food
would sail in groups called convoys with merchant ships weakened the soldiers
across the Atlantic. • Later Hamilton was replaced, and the new commander
• Depth charges - dropped by aircraft, would explode pulled the forces out of Turkish lands in January of 1916.
when they reached a certain depth. Didn't have to be Results of the Gallipoli campaign:
aimed accurately as the hydraulic force popped rivets in • The plan failed and over one third became casualties on
U- boats. both sides.
• Unrestricted U-boat warfare pressured USA into joining • The expedition’s failure led to some political
the war after the sinking of the Lusitania. (British ship consequences:
with Americans on board) o Head of the Royal navy resigned
o Churchill resigned from government. (He was not the
3.2 Why did the Gallipoli campaign of 1915 Prime minster at the time)
fail? o Lloyd George was appointed as Prime minster.
What was the Gallipoli campaign?
• The Gallipoli campaign was intended to force Germany's 3.3 Why did Russia leave the war in 1918?
ally, Turkey, out of the war; and open the Dardanelles Russia’s weaknesses and failures:
strait for a supply route to Russia. • Russian commanders didn’t cooperate.
• Churchill persuades British government to ploy a naval • Russian army short of rifles, ammunition and boots.
attack which would be followed by a major offense on • Not well trained in modern weaponry and tactics.
the Turkish capital in the East. • Messages not encoded, so Germans intercepted them.
o He believed the victory would force the Ottoman • Domestic unrest in Russia leading to Russian revolution.
empire to surrender. • Grand Duke Nikolai resigned as the Commander, the
It failed because: Tsar took his place.
• Turkish troops were aware of the coming offense by the
Allies a month in advance and had troops to defend
themselves.
• Lord Kitchener granted only half the men required.
• Ian Hamilton (led the campaign) planned it poorly.
• The British did not know the area as well as the Turks,
nor did they have adequate maps provided.
• Inexperienced troops from Australia and New Zealand
(the Anzacs) deployed were ineffective.
• The Allies took time to prepare which gave the Ottoman
forces time to prepare.
• Turkish machine gunners had a direct line of fire as the
Allied troops landed.

PAGE 7 OF 10
 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
• Major Russian defeat by the Germans by 1914. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1917):
o Battle of Tannenberg (Aug 1914) • Lost 90% of coal mines
o First Battle of Masurian Lakes (Sept 1914) • Lost 25% of both industry and population
• Poor conditions on the front line. • Lost Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus and
• Government unable to organize the war effort Ukraine
effectively • Lost Turkish lands gained in Russo-Turkish war of 1877–
78, to be returned to the Ottoman empire.
3.4 What was the impact of war on civilian
populations?
• DORA (Defence of the Realm Act) - Britain
o Press censorship
o Daylight Saving Time (DST) / British Summer Time
o Food rationing
o Reduced licensing hours for pubs
o Imprisonment without trial
• 1917 Espionage act - USA
• Sedition act - USA
• All countries except Britain introduced conscription in
Impact of the war on Russia: 1914
• Conscription was introduced for all single men between
ages 18 - 41 in Jan 1916
• Extended to all men aged 18 - 41 in May 1916.
• Cause of food shortages:
o Conscription of farm workers
o Submarine warfare
• Germany had Ersatz, substitute food, eg: acorns and
beechnuts instead of coffee
• Turnips used in place of potatoes after drought in 1916 -
• War reflected badly on the royal family as the Tsar Germany.
commanded the army. • Food rationing:
• In 1917, due to the Russian Revolution Tsar Nicholas II o Britain: started in Jan 1918 with sugar and meat,
and the provisional Government was overthrown by the extended later in the year
Bolsheviks. o Germany: limited rationing - 1914, most food rationed
• The Bolsheviks signed an armistice with Germany, which in 1916
withdrew Russia from the war (Dec 1917). • Employment opportunities for women
• With Russia's withdrawal from the war, Germany was o Farms : Women's Land Army - 1915
able to transfer troops to the Western Front. o Munitions factories
• This was an advantage for the however: o Public transport
o The British Naval Blockade caused food shortages. o Russia - all women's battalion - 'Amazon'
o Shortages caused German public to go against the war o Right to vote after the war ended
effort. o Not many joined the workforce, most women in lowly
o The USA joined the war in the side of the Allies paid jobs moved up into better paid jobs
o Public pressure forced women out of new jobs back
into old ones after war ended
o Lloyd George had to ensure men higher pay after war

PAGE 8 OF 10
 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
• Deaths on Home Front: 4.2 Why was the German Offensive of 1918
o 940,000 civilians died due to military action unsuccessful?
o 5.9 million died due to malnutrition, disease and German Spring Offensive - The Ludendorff Offense
accidents • The Germans launched 4 major attacks between March
o Arrival of Spanish flu at last stages increased the death and July of 1918 such as:
toll by 20 million people o 21-30 March — The Germans attacked at Somme and
inflicted major casualties on allied soldiers.
4.WHY DID GERMANY ASK FOR AN ARMISTICE IN o 9-30 April — Germany attacks Belgium. Casualties on
1918? both sides. American soldiers step in. Germans unable
to break through and conquer Paris.
4.1What was the importance of America’s • By August, Germany had lost many experienced soldiers
entry into the war? whose replacements were not nearly as experienced.
• America wanted to stay neutral but there were drawn • The Allied forces were unified under General Foch.
into the war after 1917: The Ludendorff offensive failed because:
o The USA lent money to the Allies which be lost if • Germans left their defensive positions at the Hindenburg
Germany won. line.
o USA did not support the autocratic leadership in
• Allies were gaining men, Germans were losing men.
Germany.
• As German attacks pushed further into France, keeping
o Unrestricted Submarine warfare angered the
men supplied became harder.
Americans, sinking of the Lusitania (May 1915)
• Troops from the Eastern front were not prepared to fight
o The Zimmerman telegram — German telegram to
at the Western front. Not used to the trench system.
Mexico, which was intercepted by the British. It said if
They were also extremely exhausted and were not given
Mexico attacks the USA, US territory would be given to
time to rest.
Mexico once Germany had won the war.
• Low German morale after the defeat at Amiens (Aug
How did the USA affect the war? 1918). Was called the Black day of the German army.
• The American soldiers were slow to mobilize. • Influenza epidemic in Germany.
• Initially only 300,000 soldiers were sent to France and • Shift in Allied tactics:
did not have a major impact. o Surprise attacks
• American soldiers not prepared for trench warfare. o Creeping barrages supporting infantry advance
• Had high casualty rates. o More advanced and supplies of shells and tanks
• General Pershing (US general) had disputes with his
French and British counterparts. 4.3 Why did revolution break out in Germany
However: in October 1918?
• They did provide Britain and France with additional • British blockade on Germany caused many civilian
manpower and economic resources as well as a deaths in Germany.
psychological boost. • Rationing and Food shortages were a major problem in
• Arrival of the US troops was just in time to plug the gaps Germany
caused by the German Ludendorff offensive. • Working and living conditions worsened.
• Allowed experienced troops to be transferred away from • Inflation affected the German economy.
the quieter parts of the Western Front • By October 1917 many people attended peace
• General Jon Pershing made a crucial contribution in the demonstrations and the war effort was very unpopular.
‘Hundred Days’ campaign. • Taxes were not enough to cover the costs of the war and
Germany was in debt.
• People went on strikes, demanding political reforms.
• In September 1918, German generals—Hindenburg and
Ludendorff, who had a silent dictatorship; persuaded the
PAGE 9 OF 10
 CIE IGCSE HISTORY DEPTH STUDY: THE FIRST WORLD WAR, 1914-18//0470
Kaiser to create a civilian government under Prince
Maximillan von Baden.
o This was done in hopes the Allied leaders would be
more lenient towards a German government that
APPEARED to be democratic.
o This would also deflect blame for defeat on the new
government.
Kiel Mutiny and the German revolution
• The German revolution occurred in two stages:
o The Political stage (3-26 October): Prince Maximillan
asked President Wilson for an armistice. Which he
denied as he wanted to negotiate with the true
representatives of Germany, not the Kaiser. Power was
then transferred from the elite to the Reichstag, which
was the civilian government under Prince Maximillan.
o The Military Stage (28-9 October): The Kaiser ordered
the German fleet to launch a huge major assault.
German sailors at Kiel were angered as the war was
clearly being lost and did not want to sacrifice any
more lives. They mutinied. Protests and strikes
followed by the German population. Following this the
Kaiser abdicated and fled to Netherlands.
• On November 9th Prince Maximillan handed over
control to Friedrich Ebert, who immediately asked for a
ceasefire.

4.4 Why was the Armistice signed?

• The German government wanted to stop the fighting as
it was clear they were not winning.
• Morale had completely collapsed.
• Bulgaria was defeated at Monastir-Doiron
• The Armistice was an agreement to stop the fighting and
was signed between the Allies and the Germans.
• Signed on 11 November 1918.
• The terms of the armistice were:
o Germany would evacuate all occupied territories.
o Germany would hand over military equipment.
o German warships would go to Britain.
o Eventual reparations. The amount was not fixed at the
time of the Armistice.
• Many Germans thought the terms were harsh, but the
treaty was signed anyway for the sake of the German
government, who wanted peace.

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