WWI: What were the Germans doing in 1917?

Question

I'm taking a world war one course right now and all my notes for 1917 are about Allied offensives (Nivelle's offensives, Arras, Vimy, Messines, 3rd Ypres/Passchendale, Cambrai...) - I don't have a single note about what the Germans were doing other than running defense! Were they totally distracted by the Eastern Front and all the stuff happening in Russia at the time or were they not in a position to conduct offensives... Or were they so disheartened by the failure of their big 1916 Verdun experimental offensive that they couldn't drum up the nerve to go on the offensive again? Help me out!

Any links appreciated.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Nothing new on the Western Front? There indeed was no German offensives there. There was a lot of movement on the Eastern Front, which finally led to the peace of Brest-Litowsk between Russia and Germany.
Germany was waiting for units from the eastern theatre to return, only then it would go back on the offensive, and this happened in 1918.

Answer 2

You are right, not much is written, maybe not much happened.
Do not forget the Russian Revolution was in 1917 and the Americans joined the war. A submarine warfare started between the US and Germany in 1917 probably not many events have happened,it called the period of Stalement. You can read the whole description in Vikpedia but here is the chapter about 1917-1918:

Events of 1917 would prove decisive in ending the war, although their effects would not be fully felt until 1918. The British naval blockade of Germany began to have a serious impact on morale and productivity on the German home front. In response, in February 1917, the German General Staff (OHL) was able to convince Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg to declare unrestricted submarine warfare with the goal of starving Britain out of the war. Tonnage sunk rose above 500,000 tons per month from February until July, peaking at 860,000 tons in April. After July, the reintroduced convoy system was extremely effective in neutralizing the U-boat threat. Britain was safe from the threat of starvation, and the German war industry remained deprived materially.

The decisive victory of Austria-Hungary and Germany at the Battle of Caporetto led to the Allied decision at the Rapallo Conference to form the Supreme Allied Council at Versailles to coordinate plans and action. Previously British and French armies had operated under separate command systems.

In December, the Central Powers signed an armistice with Russia, thereby releasing troops from the eastern front for use in the west. Ironically, German troop transfers could have been greater if their territorial acquisitions had not been so dramatic. With both German reinforcements and new American troops pouring into the Western Front, the final outcome of the war was to be decided on that front. The Central Powers knew that they could not win a protracted war now that American forces were certain to be arriving in increasing numbers, but they held high hopes for a rapid offensive in the West. Using freshly rested troops to reinforce the front (mainly Australian and Canadian shock troops) and new infantry tactics devised by Australian Sir General Monash led the Allies to victory. Furthermore, the rulers of both the Central Powers and the Allies became more fearful of the threat first raised by Ivan Bloch in 1899, that protracted industrialized war threatened social collapse and revolution throughout Europe. Both sides urgently sought a decisive, rapid victory on the Western Front because they were both fearful of collapse or stalemate.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I

http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/features/feature64/Great_War.htm
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-53145/World-War-I

Answer 3

Just a correction to the first answer by 'the guy who got his history mixed up.' Hitler was a mere corporal in WW I, and in 1917 he most certainly wasn't planning anything with any generals or any Japanese for the Second World War.
For 1917 - look for The Zimmermann Telegram, submarine warfare, U.S. declaration of war, Third Ypres, and the British capture of Jerusalem.

Answer 4

In 1917, the near of the end of Word War One, the Germans knew that they were going to lose this war. They gave up. The German soldiers were still commanded to go out and fight for the country. The Generals and Hitler were planning their teaming with Japan to start World War Two in a surprise attack.