World War I Podcast

By late September 1918, Germany’s military leaders were aware that victory was completely out of reach. General Erich Ludendorff and Field Marshall Paul von Hindenburg began to call for an immediate armistice, arguing that it was in Germany’s best interests to try to negotiate a peace before Allied boots crossed into Germany. Their willingness to seek an armistice was not just about gaining advantage for Germany in the post-war period however. They were also driven by two other motivations: the desire to neutralize a potential communist revolution in Germany and the desire to shift responsibility for Germany’s defeat to a civilian government. As Germany moved towards an armistice in October and November 1918, the seeds of World War II were being planted. (20:40)