Episode notes
In spring 1918, Germany launched a revolutionary military operation with massive territory gains but was ultimately crushed by its own success and a ticking clock. pplpod unpacks a phenomenally detailed Wikipedia article on Operation Michael, the German Spring Offensive that represented a last desperate gamble in World War I. After the Eastern Front collapsed and Russia withdrew via the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Germany transferred nearly 50 divisions westward, reaching 192 divisions total—a numbers advantage they desperately needed. But time was the real enemy: American forces were coming, and Germany's window of opportunity was rapidly closing. This episode explores the revolutionary tactics the Germans unleashed and how an operation that captured massive territ ...