Here's what we know about the operations fought, how it ended, and how Germany's near victory evaporated.
When did the Spring Offensive begin?
The Spring Offensive was a series of German attacks along the Western Front towards the end of the First World War.
Also called the Luderndorff Offensive after the German general who masterminded the operation, they were launched on March 21 1918 and finally ended on July 18, 1918.
Where did the Luderndorff Offensive take place and why?
The Germans Army thought this was perhaps their only chance of defeating the Allies.
They had just gained 500,000 troops from the Russian Front and wanted to expose Allied weakness as they awaited reinforcements from the US.
General Luderndorff was confident of their success, saying at the time: “We must strike at the earliest moment before the Americans can throw strong forces into the scale. We must beat the British.”
What happened in the battles?
Operation Michael
On March 21st, 1918, Erich Luderndorff launched the first offensive, Michael, the biggest of them all.
Within five hours Germans had fired one million artillery shells at the British lines held by the Fifth Army – more than 3,000 shells every minute.
By the end of the first day, the Germans had taken 21,000 British solders prisoner and made huge advances through the lines of the army.
After years of static warfare British military commanders were floored by the sudden attack, which left 7,512 of theirs dead and 10,000 wounded.
The Fifth Army withdrew, as Germans celebrated their biggest breakthrough in three years of warfare on the Western Front.
Such was its success that Emperor Wilhelm II declared March 24th as a national holiday – but their celebration came too soon.
Ludendorff's troops deliberately carried few things except weapons to speed their advance, but their progress had put their supply lines under huge strain as they were then too fast for their supplies.
The 18th Army had been particularly successful, advancing all the way to Amiens in France.
However, rather than use the Army to assist other units moving forward, Luderndorff instead ordered them to take Amiens.
As supplies grew scarce, horses that should have been used for the advance were killed for their meat.
Their attack imploded after the starving troops ransacked shops in Albert on their way to Amiens, derailing their plans.
By this point, 250,000 American troops had poured into the Western Front, strengthening the Allied prospects.
After fruitless attempts to capture Amiens, Ludendorff called off Operation Michael on April 5.
Operation Georgette
The attack started on April 9 after a Feuerwalze attacked the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps, who were weakened after a year spent in the trenches.
The bombardment crumbled under the attack, but the 55th British Division were able to hold their position.
It was feared that the Germans could advance the remaining 15 miles to the key channel of Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk within a week.
But the Germans experienced logistical issues and British, French and Anzac forces slowed and stopped their advance.
Ludendorff called an end to Georgette on April 29.
Operation Blücher–Yorck
The third battle was planned to bring forces away from the Channel and allow the Germans to advance north.
The German attack was launched on May 27 between Soissons and Reims to take advantage of depleted British divisions which were "resting" after their exertions.
Despite French and British resistance on the flanks, German troops advanced to the Marne River, victory seeming within grasp.
The city was in a state of panic, with German long-range guns shelling since March 21.
Many citizens had already and the government drawing up plans to evacuate to Bordeaux.
By May 30 the German Army had captured just over 50,000 Allied soldiers and over 800 guns.
But advancing within 35 miles of Paris on June 3, the German armies experienced supply shortages, fatigue, lack of reserves and many casualties.
Operation Gneisenau
Ludendorff wanted to extend Blücher-Yorck westward with Operation Gneisenau, intending to draw yet more Allied reserves south, widen the German salient and link with the German salient at Amiens.
The Germans managed to advance 11 miles despite fierce French and American resistance.
At Compiègne, a sudden French counter-attack on 11 June by four divisions and 150 tanks caught the Germans by surprise and halted their advance. Gneisenau was called off the following day.
How did it end?
Ludendorff now postponed his planned last offensive Hagen and launched the German Seventh, First and Third Armies into the Friedensturm (Peace Offensive) of July 15.
This was a renewed attempt to draw Allied reserves south from Flanders but was a disaster.
An attack east of Rheims was thwarted by the French defence and they were unable to advance any further than the French Forward Zone.
Although German troops southwest of Rheims succeeded in crossing the River Marne, the French launched a major offensive of their own on the west side of the salient on July 18, threatening to cut off the Germans in the salient.
The French Army let the Germans advance knowing that their supply lines were stretched to the limit before hitting back with a massive counter-attack.
While neither side won a decisive victory, the Allies launched the Hundred Days Offensive three weeks later, ending the war.
Germany suffered 688, 341million casualties, while the Allies lost a total of 863,374million, the vast majority from Britain and France.
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