Kaiserschlacht (1918)

This military documentary looks at the last great German offensive of the First World War, the so-called 'Kaiserschlacht', or 'Emperor's Battle'. Dubbed 'Operation Michael', this 1918 offensive saw the German Army amass 6,000 artillery pieces and a million troops to launch a devastating blow on the unsuspecting British and French lines. Yet, after some of the bloodiest fighting of the entire war, and despite impressive initial German gains, the 'Kaiserschlacht' was doomed to failure as the Germans ran out of men and equipment. After having broken the offensive and three years of stalemate, the Allies were able to finally defeat the German Army in the field. Features archive footage, expert analysis and period imagery.