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When Russia left the First World War in 1918, the generals and politicians of the Central Powers were convinced that victory was in sight. Germany’s determination to end the war quickly resulted in the Ludendorff Spring Offensives that failed disastrously and within months the final cost of the war led to collapse not of Britain and France but of Germany and its allies.Explaining History is funded through advertising and donations. For more content, journalism and ideas, visit the Explaining His

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