Part 7/11:
The German strategy, which aimed to simultaneously attack multiple fronts and encircle Allied forces, was reminiscent of past overambitious campaigns that proved disastrous—most notably the Austro-Hungarian failures in World War I. Ludendorff’s hope to split defenses and encircle British and French forces proved overly optimistic and unrealistic given the military resources and logistics at hand.
On March 25, the Germans broke through in multiple sectors, seizing towns like Noyon and Bapaume, and approaching within 80 kilometers of Paris. The Allies responded by assigning full control of the Western Front to Foch, who ordered French forces to retreat but also to hold crucial positions such as Amiens.