The First World War eventually came to an end in 1918.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2025). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] By May US troops were on the front lines.
2. [1] US troops were able to fill the gaps created by the Ludendorff offensive.
3. [1] The arrival of US forces meant the Allies could move more experienced soldiers to face the German offensives in the summer.
4. [1] Their arrival was a big psychological boost for the Allied troops.
5. [1] Their arrival meant that the Allies were increasing their troop numbers while the Germans were losing men. This gave the Allies a numerical superiority.
6. [1] They helped halt the German advance on Paris.
7. [6] Level 4: Explains two reasons.
8. [4-5] Level 3: Explains one reason.
9. [5] The Allies agreed to the Armistice because they knew that they could force harsh terms on Germany. Germany was in such a weak state that it had to accept these terms. Their troops had to leave France and Belgium and surrender war materials, such as machine guns and warships. At the same time, the Allies carried on with the blockade. The Allies knew that this was effectively the end of the war and that the Germans would not be able to resume fighting.
10. [2-3] Level 2: Identifies or describes valid reason(s); addresses the question but does not explain.
11. [1] The war had caused enormous numbers of casualties.
12. [1] They could impose harsh terms on Germany.
13. [1] To prevent further deaths.
14. [1] President Wilson was keen on ending the fighting.
15. [1] Level 1: Writes about the topic but does not address the question.
16. [1] The Armistice was very important because it ended the fighting in the First World War.
17. [10] Level 5: Explains both sides and supports a valid judgement on 'how far'.
18. [10] Although Germany's offensive failed, the German army had not been defeated and could carry on fighting. The factor that brought about Germany's defeat was the situation in Germany itself. The riots across the country, the dire economic situation and the abdication of the Kaiser all meant that Germany could not continue fighting. This was much more important than the failure of the offensive.
19. [7-9] Level 4: Explains both sides.
20. [4-6] Level 3: Explains one side.
21. [6] The failure of the German offensive of 1918 was fatal for Germany. Ludendorff knew that the longer the war went on the weaker Germany would be. This is why he decided on the offensive: it was Germany's last chance. He knew that large numbers of American troops were arriving in Europe and that it was getting harder to find more German troops. When the offensive failed, it became likely that Germany would lose the war.
22. [6] OR The situation in Germany in 1918 was very serious. The Allied blockade of Germany was having a serious effect and many Germans were starving. There were mutinies at two naval bases and riots were spreading across Germany. Finally, the Kaiser abdicated. All this made it impossible for Germany to continue fighting the war.
23. [2-3] Level 2: Identifies or describes valid points; addresses the question but does not explain.
24. [1] Hundreds of thousands of American troops were arriving in Europe.
25. [1] The Allies had a numerical superiority.
26. [1] The longer the war went on the weaker the German military situation would be.
27. [1] Ludendorff knew this was Germany's last chance.
28. [1] There were food shortages in Germany and riots were breaking out.
29. [1] The Kaiser abdicated.
30. [1] Severe political instability in Germany.
31. [1] Level 1: Writes about the topic but does not address the question.
32. [1] Events in Germany were very important. They were so serious that they had a big impact on everything.