The Beginning of the End of World War I, 1918 The complexion of
the war in Europe changed dramatically in 1918. With the
collapse of the Russian Empire and its subsequent withdrawal
from the war (see The Bolsheviks Storm the Winter Palace, 1917),
Germany transferred its troops from the Eastern Front to France.
This additional manpower allowed the Germans to mount an attack
in the spring of 1918 that converted the static state of trench
warfare that had existed on the Western Front since 1914 to a
war of movement. |US Infantry passess through the village of St.
Banssant. September 13, 1918 However, the Germans had a problem
- they had expended their reservoir of manpower that would
supply fresh recruits from the Homeland to the front. They had
no reserves to replenish any losses they would incur during
their assault. The Germans also had a second problem – the
Americans whose recent arrival on the battlefield daily
strengthened the Allies with an additional four million troops
in action or in training. The Ger