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The Kaiser's Battle: 21 March 1918, the First Day of the German Spring Offensive
In March 1918, the last great battle of World War I started when three German armies struck a massive blow against the weak division of the British 3rd and 5th Armies. Planned to break the deadlock, the series of battles were known as Kaiserschlacht.
448 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1978
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213 people want to read
About the author
Martin Middlebrook
42 books62 followersMartin Middlebrook was a British military historian and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Appointed Knight of the Order of the Belgian Crown in 2004.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 24, 2020
Middlebrook had matured when he went back to the Western Front in '78. No longer does he center on ten individuals to tell the tale of thousands. Instead, he rounds up every octogenarian survivor he could find, along with the papers left by the already deceased.
The rule of thumb that a decent battle needs a 100 pages to start applies as well. The quality check on Middlebrook's analysis of the campaign's strategic origins and its tactical build-up compares favourably with up-to-date scholarship such as Stevenson's*. He brings a view of his own to 21 March 1918: the circumstances of that day can more often than not be extrapolated for the remainder of the campaign. While his selection of reminiscences differs from MacDonald's**, he wisely follows her lead.
The thrill of a resumed war of movement that might just end the war for the veterans was mixed with the primal fears of the young'uns:
I wasn't engaged to be married; I hadn't even a sweetheart. I was only twenty and hadn't ever been with a woman. I wanted to survive to have that experience. (Musketier Willi Raachkow, 230. Regiment Infanterie .
A few details warrant mentioning:
- The Flesquières salient, newly carved out by the ironclads of Cambrai, was NOT a quiet sector before that fateful Thursday. The units stationed there suffered reduction attempts by mustard gas.
- Haig expected the main attack to fall on St. Quentin, over a width of no more than 40 km based on enemy manpower estimates. He was wrong on both accounts.
- Overall, the first day's objectives were reached at no more than a quarter of the front, for an unexpected parity in casualties (38.-39.000)
-Middlebrook still holds that the morning fog was a boon to the attackers as they could get the drop on British machine-gun nests... 40 years later, Stevenson is content to conclude in a Solomon manner that it benefited and hindered both sides equally in different ways.
- A certain "Sandhurst lecturer"s brand new study The Face Of Battle: A Study Of Agincourt, Waterloo And The Somme on the Somme makes a ridiculed cameo. The Fifth Army was not as close to moral collapse as John Keegan claims. I have to give Middlebrook this one: cohesion of the line, fighting retreat.... sounds spirited overall.
- the AEF had no part in MICHAEL with the exception of the brief, accidental involvement of the 3rd Division's 6th Engineers during the British defence efforts at Amiens.
*
With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918 by David Stevenson
**
To the Last Man: Spring 1918 by Lyn Macdonald
The rule of thumb that a decent battle needs a 100 pages to start applies as well. The quality check on Middlebrook's analysis of the campaign's strategic origins and its tactical build-up compares favourably with up-to-date scholarship such as Stevenson's*. He brings a view of his own to 21 March 1918: the circumstances of that day can more often than not be extrapolated for the remainder of the campaign. While his selection of reminiscences differs from MacDonald's**, he wisely follows her lead.
The thrill of a resumed war of movement that might just end the war for the veterans was mixed with the primal fears of the young'uns:
I wasn't engaged to be married; I hadn't even a sweetheart. I was only twenty and hadn't ever been with a woman. I wanted to survive to have that experience. (Musketier Willi Raachkow, 230. Regiment Infanterie .
A few details warrant mentioning:
- The Flesquières salient, newly carved out by the ironclads of Cambrai, was NOT a quiet sector before that fateful Thursday. The units stationed there suffered reduction attempts by mustard gas.
- Haig expected the main attack to fall on St. Quentin, over a width of no more than 40 km based on enemy manpower estimates. He was wrong on both accounts.
- Overall, the first day's objectives were reached at no more than a quarter of the front, for an unexpected parity in casualties (38.-39.000)
-Middlebrook still holds that the morning fog was a boon to the attackers as they could get the drop on British machine-gun nests... 40 years later, Stevenson is content to conclude in a Solomon manner that it benefited and hindered both sides equally in different ways.
- A certain "Sandhurst lecturer"s brand new study The Face Of Battle: A Study Of Agincourt, Waterloo And The Somme on the Somme makes a ridiculed cameo. The Fifth Army was not as close to moral collapse as John Keegan claims. I have to give Middlebrook this one: cohesion of the line, fighting retreat.... sounds spirited overall.
- the AEF had no part in MICHAEL with the exception of the brief, accidental involvement of the 3rd Division's 6th Engineers during the British defence efforts at Amiens.
*
With Our Backs to the Wall: Victory and Defeat in 1918 by David Stevenson**
To the Last Man: Spring 1918 by Lyn Macdonald
March 17, 2018
Mr Middlebrook's eye turns to the German Offensive of 21st Match 1918, possibly one of the most important data on the Western Front.
Taking the now familiar format of examining the forces in play, the attack and defence plans he them shows how these were utilised as the Germans overwhelm the overstretched British defenders and drive a wedge into the Western Front.
Examining the controversy surrounding British morale and the reasons for the German success, such as it was, and how this paved the way for the final Allied victory, this was a readable, well presented and honest book. Fair to all strata of the British forces and a timely read just before the centenary of the event.
Taking the now familiar format of examining the forces in play, the attack and defence plans he them shows how these were utilised as the Germans overwhelm the overstretched British defenders and drive a wedge into the Western Front.
Examining the controversy surrounding British morale and the reasons for the German success, such as it was, and how this paved the way for the final Allied victory, this was a readable, well presented and honest book. Fair to all strata of the British forces and a timely read just before the centenary of the event.
February 8, 2015
This book felt like a combination of a top-down history and a narrative from the soldier's perspective. I think in this instance Martin Middlebrook was influenced by The Face of Battle by John Keegan, which was published a couple years before this book. He also uses a vast number of personal accounts both from the German and English perspective to give a sense of the fighting on March 21, 1918. I thought it was a nice mix to give a good overview of the days battle. I was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Middlebrook and my personal copy is particularly special with an inscription written in the front from him.
February 7, 2021
In Spring 1918, time was running out for the Germans. Haunted by the nightmare of Americans crossing the sea to reinforce their beleaguered allies the British and French, The Germans were forced to seek a decisive battle before the Royal Navy blockades choked their industry and economy even further. Thus, General Ludendorff, German commander for the Western Front planned for the Spring Offensive, or ‘Kaiserschlacht’, Kaiser’s Battle.
In his disposal, Ludendorff had reinforcements freshly returned from Eastern Front, after Russia’s recent surrender. He aimed to push the British Expeditionary Forces to the northern France, while driving a wedge between British and French positions. To break the stalemate that so characterizes the trench warfare of the Western Front, his commanders utilized the stormtrooper-type tactic of passing through the most fortified defensive positions accompanied with creeping barrages of artillery. The opposing British, on the other side, were having the toughest time of their lives. Faced with shortage of reinforcements, Sir Douglas Haig had to make do with his thinly spread force, focusing his forces on the north and central while keeping his south thinly defended, planning to keep the French of their promise to defend their southern flank, while employing the defensive plan of forward zone and battle zone, hoping to wear out the Germans during their offensive.
While making their move, Germans were aided with the outbreak of fogs, allowing the Germans to creep much undetected by the British until very late. Thus the Germans were able to achieve breakthrough much faster than British’s expectations. Thus, the day ended with the farthest advance any army had achieved in the Western Front since 1914. The British troops, shocked by German advances, surrendered in drove, although the Germans suffered comparable casualties. However, although the Germans achieved a quite spectacular tactical advantage, during the next few days they fizzled out, while the British and French were able to regroup and blunt the German offensive, leaving Ludendorff unable to achieve any of his objectives, squandering his final batch of German troops. The result of this offensive, undoubtedly, hastened the surrender and fall of the German Empire.
This book, to my amazement, dedicated to describing what happened only during the first day of the Spring Offensive. While strategic and tactical decisions were discussed in this book, what interest me the most in this book was the soldiers’ stories of what happened during the day, from both British and German side. It moved my heart to see the humanity possessed by these soldiers even in face of such meat-grinding scene like the crater pocked, muddy field, trench-slitted fields of Western Front.
In his disposal, Ludendorff had reinforcements freshly returned from Eastern Front, after Russia’s recent surrender. He aimed to push the British Expeditionary Forces to the northern France, while driving a wedge between British and French positions. To break the stalemate that so characterizes the trench warfare of the Western Front, his commanders utilized the stormtrooper-type tactic of passing through the most fortified defensive positions accompanied with creeping barrages of artillery. The opposing British, on the other side, were having the toughest time of their lives. Faced with shortage of reinforcements, Sir Douglas Haig had to make do with his thinly spread force, focusing his forces on the north and central while keeping his south thinly defended, planning to keep the French of their promise to defend their southern flank, while employing the defensive plan of forward zone and battle zone, hoping to wear out the Germans during their offensive.
While making their move, Germans were aided with the outbreak of fogs, allowing the Germans to creep much undetected by the British until very late. Thus the Germans were able to achieve breakthrough much faster than British’s expectations. Thus, the day ended with the farthest advance any army had achieved in the Western Front since 1914. The British troops, shocked by German advances, surrendered in drove, although the Germans suffered comparable casualties. However, although the Germans achieved a quite spectacular tactical advantage, during the next few days they fizzled out, while the British and French were able to regroup and blunt the German offensive, leaving Ludendorff unable to achieve any of his objectives, squandering his final batch of German troops. The result of this offensive, undoubtedly, hastened the surrender and fall of the German Empire.
This book, to my amazement, dedicated to describing what happened only during the first day of the Spring Offensive. While strategic and tactical decisions were discussed in this book, what interest me the most in this book was the soldiers’ stories of what happened during the day, from both British and German side. It moved my heart to see the humanity possessed by these soldiers even in face of such meat-grinding scene like the crater pocked, muddy field, trench-slitted fields of Western Front.
May 21, 2018
Middlebrook's "The Kaiser's Battle" is a gloriously detailed book. It shows the first day of the assault in the Spring of 1918 that humiliated the British Forces carving an unheard of success in World War One. The German army was more skilled and better led. They were kind and civilized to prisoners and professional in their conduct of the attack. All of this is clearly laid out in the book. What the book lacks is a perspective other than that of Douglas Haig, the man who led the British forces on the Western Front. Like so many books historians have relied too heavily on the papers of Haig that help perpetuate the distortions that Haig committed at the time in his reporting of his command. He lied to parliament, he lied to his troops and he clearly fooled himself into believing the utter nonsense that helped send millions to their deaths.
Blaming the Irish troops and the British politicians for the failures meeting the German Spring Offensive of 1918 on its first day, the leader of the British Forces in the First World War on the Western Front Douglas Haig is well known for having his view of history as the main one. The war of attrition and blood letting was all he knew and he refused to see a break through was never possible. So he had all of those cavalry men awaiting the break through doing nothing while they were desperately needed as infantry. He lied to the civilian government and alienated allies. A man who built a career on not seeing the truth and has had his distorted memoirs used by historians like Middlebrook to give his truth reality.
The finest example of this subservient perspective we see at the start of the book. We see Middlebrook saying how undignified Lloyd George the Prime Minister was because he withheld troops from Haig. Why? Because Lloyd George knew that Haig would mount another foolish, vain and bloody assault if he had those troops. Not only that but Haig had been evading civilian command and could not be trusted. How is the actions of Lloyd George then considered undignified? To avoid giving a mass murderer means to kill again? This talk of what is undignified is foolish fawning by a historian who has lost perspective.
The troops were a victim of Haig's lies, and thanks to historians we are still victims in our ignorance of those lies thanks to historians like this. Read this book for the details of the battle but nothing is less worth reading than his editorials mouthing the foolishness of Haig.
Blaming the Irish troops and the British politicians for the failures meeting the German Spring Offensive of 1918 on its first day, the leader of the British Forces in the First World War on the Western Front Douglas Haig is well known for having his view of history as the main one. The war of attrition and blood letting was all he knew and he refused to see a break through was never possible. So he had all of those cavalry men awaiting the break through doing nothing while they were desperately needed as infantry. He lied to the civilian government and alienated allies. A man who built a career on not seeing the truth and has had his distorted memoirs used by historians like Middlebrook to give his truth reality.
The finest example of this subservient perspective we see at the start of the book. We see Middlebrook saying how undignified Lloyd George the Prime Minister was because he withheld troops from Haig. Why? Because Lloyd George knew that Haig would mount another foolish, vain and bloody assault if he had those troops. Not only that but Haig had been evading civilian command and could not be trusted. How is the actions of Lloyd George then considered undignified? To avoid giving a mass murderer means to kill again? This talk of what is undignified is foolish fawning by a historian who has lost perspective.
The troops were a victim of Haig's lies, and thanks to historians we are still victims in our ignorance of those lies thanks to historians like this. Read this book for the details of the battle but nothing is less worth reading than his editorials mouthing the foolishness of Haig.
June 30, 2025
Like with his book on the Somme offensive, which was launched on July 1st, 1916, the author uses the start of the German spring offensive to take us to a defining moment on the Western Front. On March 21, 1918, the Germans launched a massive offensive with the goal to knock the British Expeditionary Force out of the war and race to the French coast. By doing so, the remnants of the British army would be unable to get supplies and hopefully this would bring the Allies to their knees and lead to a negotiated peace. The shadow of the US Army, which was slowly starting to appear in France hung over the German effort. Now was the time to do this, now was the moment that the German divisions arriving from the Eastern Front would be available to strike.
As always, Martin Middlebrook does a great job to show the reader what was taking place at that time in the war, what the goals were for both sides, but more importantly, he adds a large number of eyewitness accounts to this. These memories, or even wartime notes, allow us to get an impression of what these men went through. What was it like to prepare for the offensive, and what was it like to be on the receiving end of it. What was taking place at the different HQ's and what was the information available to predict what could take place.
There is a lot of information inside the book, but the way it is written takes you there. We, as the reader, get to see all of this from different perspectives. But the author also takes the time to show us what could have happened, with the benefit of hindsight of course, how things could have gone.
It also clearly shows, from the testimonies of the German soldiers, how much better the situation was for the British soldiers at the front. The supply and food situation came as a shock to the German soldiers who saw them confronted with food stuff that they had been dreaming of for years now, but was everyday fare for the Tommies.
New tactics were used on both sides and they had their pros and cons.
As with the Somme book, I really enjoyed reading this and can only highly recommend this title.
As always, Martin Middlebrook does a great job to show the reader what was taking place at that time in the war, what the goals were for both sides, but more importantly, he adds a large number of eyewitness accounts to this. These memories, or even wartime notes, allow us to get an impression of what these men went through. What was it like to prepare for the offensive, and what was it like to be on the receiving end of it. What was taking place at the different HQ's and what was the information available to predict what could take place.
There is a lot of information inside the book, but the way it is written takes you there. We, as the reader, get to see all of this from different perspectives. But the author also takes the time to show us what could have happened, with the benefit of hindsight of course, how things could have gone.
It also clearly shows, from the testimonies of the German soldiers, how much better the situation was for the British soldiers at the front. The supply and food situation came as a shock to the German soldiers who saw them confronted with food stuff that they had been dreaming of for years now, but was everyday fare for the Tommies.
New tactics were used on both sides and they had their pros and cons.
As with the Somme book, I really enjoyed reading this and can only highly recommend this title.
May 10, 2018
I’m afraid my fun was slightly spoiled by a pretty poor translation from the original to Dutch. Besides the quality of Dutch, which was incorrect as well as unclear, the chapters weren’t written in a clear buildup and it often felt as if it was stating loads of facts: this regiment was there, facing such and such while that regiment was there, facing... As i haven’t read the original and I was a huge fan of Middlebrooks book on the Somme I can’t imagine the original being as poorly written as this translation.
The analyses which Martin makes 4 times in the book are on point and critical without falling for the ‘60’s & 70’s trap’ of being overly critical of high command. Middlebrook uses more sources compared to his Somme book which gives a more rounded view on the matter whilst also being confusing at times: you might need a map while reading to ensure you know where the quote is located. The map was, however, not included in my copy which i found highly annoying!
All in all i suspect I’ll fetch an original copy somewhere online and read it again in the hope it will turn out as good as i have come to expect of a Martin Middlebrook WW1 book.
The analyses which Martin makes 4 times in the book are on point and critical without falling for the ‘60’s & 70’s trap’ of being overly critical of high command. Middlebrook uses more sources compared to his Somme book which gives a more rounded view on the matter whilst also being confusing at times: you might need a map while reading to ensure you know where the quote is located. The map was, however, not included in my copy which i found highly annoying!
All in all i suspect I’ll fetch an original copy somewhere online and read it again in the hope it will turn out as good as i have come to expect of a Martin Middlebrook WW1 book.
August 24, 2025
An essential read…
This book was a great read, not quite as good as the author’s, ‘The First Day of The Battle of the Somme’ - but almost. The veterans accounts really define this book and should be an essential read for any serious student of The Great War. There are many typos, lack of full stops and punctuation, but that is not the author’s fault. Use your intelligence and it shouldn’t adversely affect the quality of the narrative. Detailed and pacy, Middlebrook builds the suspense describing the last ditch German attempt to win the war before the Americans arrived in significant numbers. If there is one criticism it’s that there is not enough research into the numbers of NCO’s and other rank casualties. It’s always the privileged officers that get a mention. Through upbringing their perspective was different due to their experiences of war. Other than that a fine read and onto the next MM book. 5 stars.
This book was a great read, not quite as good as the author’s, ‘The First Day of The Battle of the Somme’ - but almost. The veterans accounts really define this book and should be an essential read for any serious student of The Great War. There are many typos, lack of full stops and punctuation, but that is not the author’s fault. Use your intelligence and it shouldn’t adversely affect the quality of the narrative. Detailed and pacy, Middlebrook builds the suspense describing the last ditch German attempt to win the war before the Americans arrived in significant numbers. If there is one criticism it’s that there is not enough research into the numbers of NCO’s and other rank casualties. It’s always the privileged officers that get a mention. Through upbringing their perspective was different due to their experiences of war. Other than that a fine read and onto the next MM book. 5 stars.
October 23, 2025
A detailed, readable and well-written work.
Middlebrook looks at the first day of Ludendorff’s spring offensive on March 21. He does a good job describing the battle from both sides at the command level and from soldiers on the ground. His coverage of the battle’s consequences is good. His coverage of the infantryman’s war and its horrors are vivid: “Such moments were the ultimate test in a soldier’s life. It was in this way that the governments of so-called civilized nations attempted to impose their will on others and it was this experience that God was called upon to bless by the churchmen of both sides.”
The narrative is balanced and clear, and Middlebrook does a good job combining his own narrative with good firsthand accounts, and in balancing the narrative with assessments of the situation. The book does have a few typos, though. And at one point Ludendorff is called “von Ludendorff.”
An informative, comprehensive and well-researched work.
Middlebrook looks at the first day of Ludendorff’s spring offensive on March 21. He does a good job describing the battle from both sides at the command level and from soldiers on the ground. His coverage of the battle’s consequences is good. His coverage of the infantryman’s war and its horrors are vivid: “Such moments were the ultimate test in a soldier’s life. It was in this way that the governments of so-called civilized nations attempted to impose their will on others and it was this experience that God was called upon to bless by the churchmen of both sides.”
The narrative is balanced and clear, and Middlebrook does a good job combining his own narrative with good firsthand accounts, and in balancing the narrative with assessments of the situation. The book does have a few typos, though. And at one point Ludendorff is called “von Ludendorff.”
An informative, comprehensive and well-researched work.
May 28, 2018
Author Martin Middlebrook rounded out his account of the first day of the German offensive by describing in summary the remaining days of the battle, discusses casualties for both sides, as well as the fates of various individuals including General Gough, commander of the British 5th Army that bore the brunt of the German attack. Recommended! Definitely adding his other battle histories to my list of books to hunt for.
November 11, 2017
Solid review of the first day of this important battle.
December 31, 2018
Brilliant! A good counterpoint to Middlebrook's First Day of the Somme.
August 27, 2023
Excellent synopsis and focus in the 1st day of the Spring Offensive. Good mix of soldiers memories from both sides and the facts around the opening day of the offensive.
Read
September 27, 2015Middlebrook has a penchant for taking a single day and using it as the basis for a broader historical inquiry. Just as he did with the First Day on the Somme, so has done in this volume; it focuses primarily on the one day, but has frequent recourse to the campaign as a whole.
October 7, 2025
Interesting read, strange I chose to read this while in a Starbucks in Da lat.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews