Ludendorff's Offensive

Military disaster breaks the duo of the German demigods of war.

In 1917 it was already obvious that Germany could not hope to achieve total victory... unless the war ended quickly. The growing troubles in improvisation and collapsing industrial output due to naval blockade left no doubts about it. The Empire had to achieve victory as soon as possible, if it wanted to have any chances of it.   The prime idea was the offensive in the east, against the ailing Russian Republic. The new emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, adamantly refused to participate in any offensive moves on the Eastern Front - his extremely careful approach was dictated by the effects of both the Battle of Galicia and Brusilov Offensive - Austro-Hungary in its current state couldn't risk another defeat.   Because of that, an emergency plan was drafted to push the western front. The operation was supposed to achieve some major breakthrough of the frontline, while simultaneously drawing more and more blood from the already ailing Entente. It was also supposed to reinforce the newly attained position of Ludendorff as a de facto military leader of the German Empire, with even the Kaiser himself no longer having anything to say.   The offensive - loudly acclaimed as Ludendorff's Offensive, as a part of reinforcing his authority and further improving his fame as the winner of Tannenberg (and, as one writer called him and Hindenburg, a demigod of war).   However, even the greatest aren't infallible. The hastily drafted offensive ended up in a massive military disaster. German forces failed to break the frontline, and while some ground was gained, the 'disaster' part was obvious, even for the authoritarian society of the German Empire. Especially after the badly organized Russian Kerensky Offensive in the east succeeded in causing a lot of territorial loses to Germany (with the Austro-Hungarians actually faring better than them).   Ludendorff didn't fall easily, but after a brief power struggle, he was finally ousted and forced into early retirement. Hindenburg was redirected to command the eastern front. The new chief of German General Staff was August von Mackensen, supported by his close aid Hans von Seeckt, a duo not unlike Hindenburg and Ludendorff.   This power struggle was important also because it made the calls to resume the unrestricted submarine warfare fade for a while, and opened the way for Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg to improve his position as a Chancellor and a stabilizing philter for the rather impulsive Kaiser Wilhelm.