King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

© Images are copyright, Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum.
 You must seek permission prior to publication of any of our images.

The Great War 1914-1918

The Fall of Germany

In March 1918 the Germans launched a major offensive; this changed the nature of the war. The British retreated from the trenches and they were pursued across open countryside. Many British soldiers were captured in the retreat. With shortages of both men and supplies the Germans were unable to exploit their advantages and the advance was eventually checked.

On 21st August the British and Americans launched a major counter-offensive using masses of tanks. In September the counter-offensive became general. German resistance was quick to crumble; the stalemate of trench warfare had finally been smashed.

In November 1918 the Germans had had enough. The army could fight no more, and they sought an Armistice from the Allies. The war ended with what amount to a German surrender on 11th November 1918. The peace treaty was signed at Versailles on 28th June, 1919.

The chief desire of all men was to go home and resume normal life, many could not.

After four years of war nearly nine million men lay dead on the battlefields, a further sixteen million were wounded, many maimed for life.

© Images are copyright, Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum.
 You must seek permission prior to publication of any of our images.