Breaking Down

By 1917 war was putting ever-greater strain on armies and home fronts. A growing number of civilians, politicians and soldiers were looking for a way out. Austria-Hungary and Turkey began to crumble. But Russia, one of Britain’s allies, broke first and left the war. By 1918 Germany could concentrate its army on the Western Front. It would gamble on one last offensive to defeat Britain and France.
Image - Banner carried during the Bolshevik party's takeover of the government of Russia in the autumn of 1917. IWM FLA 2055.