World war I Ends

In March 1918, the Germans mounted one final, massive attack on the Allies in France. By late May 1918, the Germans had again reached the Marne River. Paris was less than 40 miles away. Victory seemed within reach. By this time, however, the German military had weakened. The effort to reach the Marne had exhausted men and supplies alike. Sensing this weakness, the Allies—with the aid of nearly 140,000 fresh U.S. troops—launched a counterattack. In July 1918, the Allies and Germans clashed at the Second Battle of the Marne. With the arrival of 2 million more American troops, the Allied forces began to advance steadily toward Germany. Soon, the Central Powers began to crumble. First the Bulgarians and then the Ottoman Turks surrendered. In October, revolution swept through Austria-Hungary. In Germany, soldiers mutinied, and the public turned on the Kaiser. On November 9, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down. Germany declared itself a republic. A representative of the new German government met with French Commander and the two signed an armistice, or an agreement to stop fighting. On November 11, World War I came to an end.