TurningPoints

=Ludendorff's Srping Offensive and the Allied Response=
 * Ludendorff's Spring Offensive was the Germans' last chance of defeating France before supplies became too low
 * German Commander Ludendorff abandoned the straight line of advance
 * "window of opportunity" for German win -> only way Germany could win WWI before teh American troops could impact upon the war
 * This eventually failed
 * The key Ludendorff Offensive was an initial attack, code-named "Michael", that aimed to smash through he allied lines in northern France
 * Russias' withdrawal freed 52 German divisions for transfer to the Western Front. This led Ludendorff to launch his offensive on March 21 at several points along the allied line

=Impacts of the entry of the USA and of the Russian Withdrawal=
 * Russian withdrawal meant Germany had to only fight on one front
 * USA entering the war brought millions of troops and boosted morale to the Allied Powers -> in some ways balance Russia's withdrawal
 * USA had better technologies than most European Allies. They contributed a large army, which balanced the war
 * The decision to bring America into the war was a slow and complex one
 * When USA joined the war against Germany, it was generally accepted that the Kaiser's armies were doomed to defeat
 * In March 1917 more Russian setbacks and deterioration in condition on the homefront culminated in the forced abdication of Tsr Nicholas II
 * With the entry of the US came increased blockades in German trade -> they were short on resources