Question

What was a reason for the German surrender in 1918?

Answer 1

The big picture is that the German economy, the Army, the country and the food production system were all in a state of collapse.

Morale among the troops was completely broken after the few final assaults of 1917/1918 failed - they had been promised resounding victories and instead lost most of the remaining officers, best troops, equipment and ammunition supplies.

On the home front, workers were in revolt against the government, strikes were frequent, the money was almost worthless and food was in extremely short supply, with no one available to produce more.

Opposition to the war was widespread in all sections of society, with most reasonable people fully aware that the war could not be won.

It had been a major aim of the German High command to prevent supplies, food and troops coming across the Atlantic from the USA (just as in the second World War), but the British blockade of German sea ports was much more effective in preventing materials and food reaching Germany.

Yes, Germany still had plenty of troops willing to fight, but they were now mostly old men and boys, many without any military training. They had almost no food and no ammunition, there was no war production left in operation and they were unsupported, without effective leadership and with morale at rock bottom.

Surrender was the only option. "British 4th Army alone took 21,000 prisoners in the very small sector Albert to Boves in the period 8 to 12 August 1918; German units, worn down by attrition, were demoralized and many surrendered without offering any resistance. This decline of fighting power was beyond all doubt and irreversible" (taken from an account of "The Black Day" of the German army by Anthony Livesey). So much for "they didn't surrender".
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