Why Germany Lost the First World War (Documentary)
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Published 2023-11-10
Watch 16 Days in Berlin on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/16-days-in-berlin-01-prologue-the…
Germany's defeat in the First World War has been blamed on all kinds of factors or has even been denied outright as part of the stab in the back myth. But why did Germany actually lose?
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» SOURCES
Leonard P. Ayers, ed. The war with Germany: a statistical summary. 1919.
Stevenson, David. With Our Backs to the Wall. Victory and Defeat in 1918. 2011.
Stevenson, David. 1914-1918. The History of the First World War. 2012.
Ferguson, Niall. The Pity of War. Explaining World War I. 1999.
Hart, Peter. The Great War 1914-1918. 2013.
Watson, Alexander. Ring of Steel. Germany and Austria Hungary at War. 2014.
Zroka, Ryan. “If Only This War Would End:” German Soldiers in the Last Year of the First World War. PhD Dissertation, University of California San Diego, 2013.
Afflerbach, Holger. Auf Messers Schneide. Wie das Deutsche Reich den Ersten Weltkrieg verlor. 2018.
Tunstall, Grayden. „The Military Collapse of the Central Powers.” encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/the_mili…
Goya, Michel. Les Vainqueurs: Comment la France a gagné la Grande Guerre. 2018.
Keegan, John. The First World War. 2000.
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»CREDITS
Presented by: Jesse Alexander
Written by: Jesse Alexander
Director: Toni Steller & Florian Wittig
Director of Photography: Toni Steller
Sound: Toni Steller
Editing: Toni Steller
Motion Design: Philipp Appelt
Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: above-zero.com/
Research by: Jesse Alexander
Fact checking: Florian Wittig
Channel Design: Yves Thimian
Contains licensed material by getty images and AP Archive
Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3
All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2023
All Comments (21)
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Support us and get 40% off Nebula: go.nebula.tv/the-great-war Watch 16 Days in Berlin on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/16-days-in-berlin-01-prologue-the…
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One quote from a historian whose name I forget has stuck with me: “The German Army of the first half of the 20th century was tactically brilliant, operationally deficient, and strategically bankrupt.”
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I'm sincerely in awe at the creativity the German military leadership deployed in both world wars to find excuses to blame anything and everything but themselves for the defeats.
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1:40 "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face" -Helmuth von Tyson
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It's still fascinating that (MAINLY) one country was able to hold a line for 4 years WHILE fighting a second front
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8:51 " In October , Lundendorff told Berlin to ask for an armistice since the war was lost . " Yet , it was Lundendorff who claimed that Germany was never defeated on the Battlefield and gave credibility to the myth that Germany had been stabbed in the back by politicians in Berlin . He was a bit of a nut case .
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Thank you for highlighting several key factors leading Germany to seek an armistice that I hadn't previously heard about. These include the Bulgarian collapse, Germany's inability to replace casualties from its own and Allied offensives, and the large-scale surrenders by German soldiers in the last three months of the war (basically, during the late-war Allied offensives).
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Thank you Great War, for your extensive and dedicated commitment to sharing the history of the great war with us!
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One key point that was missed: the strangulation of Germany by blockade. This became even worse after April 1917 when all chance of shipping from the US ( via the Netherlands despite British searches ) stopped. The Turnip Winter of 1916-1917 was just the start of acute shortages in Germany ( and that was before the US joined in!)
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15:46 My grandfather was born in 1914. I believe he spent his childhood in Frankfurt. Before his family immigrated to the United States. But one thing he did mention about his childhood was that there was never anything to eat. I don't know any further details. All I know was he was fluent in both English and German.
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I really enjoyed this story about the Germans in WW1. Would be able to do a story similar on the Austrian/ Hungarians at the same time period with who they were fighting on what fronts. This theatre of the war gets looked over mostly.
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Too many enemies to defeat.
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Excellent episode! Thanks! I'm especially grateful that you posted this today because I am currently reading a book about Germany between the wars, so this backstory is super useful! Thanks again!
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What I understand after watching documentaries on WW1, is that the second OHL (Great General Staff) under Falkenhayn was the most successful throughout the war. Many blame Falkenhayn for the defeat at Verdun, but even so Germany campaigned victorious on all fronts in 1914-1916, even the Western front where the germans forced a string of defeats against the allies before Verdun. Hindenburg and Ludendorff excelled on the East but ultimately they failed as chief staff officers.
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Thank you for posting this overview of the German dilemma in WW I. Your contributions in Nebula as well as here are much anticipated and appreciated
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The Schlieffen plan was the best chance for German victory, but it failed due to decisions of two men. 1 is Von Moltke younger, he was too cautious about defense against Russia so he weakened the offense in France. 2 is Prinz Ruppreht, who with Bavarian troops did invade through Franco- German border pushing French divisions back, so Northern and Eastern French armies made a united front at Marne river. Also German army failed to cut and encircle any Entente army.
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Always happy when there's a new video. I'd like to hear more from Ottomans and Bulgaria perspective.
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Germany didn't have to fight either war. What a waste.
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Thank you for this video. Germany had the best military in the world—except for its logistics and strategy. Of course, that's like saying "strawberry lipstick is delicious, except for its taste".
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This is the best youtube channel. Period. I love your content so much. Thank you Jesse and team for your awesome work.
