Editing German spring offensive (section)

==Last German attack (''Marneschutz-Reims/Friedensturm'')==
{{Main article|Second Battle of the Marne}}
Ludendorff now postponed {{lang|de|Hagen}} and launched the German Seventh, First and Third Armies in the {{lang|de|Friedensturm}} (Peace Offensive) of 15 July, a renewed attempt to draw Allied reserves south from Flanders and to expand the salient created by {{lang|de|Blücher–Yorck}} eastwards.<ref name=Hart298/> An attack east of Rheims was thwarted by the French defence in depth. In many sectors, the Germans, deprived of any surprise as their fuel-starved air force had lost air superiority to the Allies, advanced no further than the French Forward Zone, and nowhere did they break the French Battle (Second) Zone.<ref>Hart 2008, p.299</ref>

Although German troops southwest of Rheims succeeded in crossing the River Marne, the French launched a major offensive of their own on the west side of the salient on 18 July, threatening to cut off the Germans in the salient. Ludendorff had to evacuate most of the {{lang|de|Blücher–Yorck}} salient by 7 August and {{lang|de|Hagen}} was finally cancelled.<ref>Hart 2008, p.300</ref> The initiative had clearly passed to the Allies, who were shortly to begin the [[Hundred Days Offensive]] which ended the war.