The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Bolshevik Russia and the Central Powers brought the war in the east to an end and spelled serious trouble for the allies.

At a stroke, this freed up 50 German divisions for one final push in the west that the German high command hoped would bring victory before the weight of newly-arriving American servicemen could be brought to bear.

Within three weeks, the Spring Offensive would start, which would see a significant breakthrough in the west but in turn would expend the final energy of the Imperial German army.

This would set the scene for the famous hundred days advance of the allies and ultimate victory in November.

Sophie’s Great War tours specialise in bespoke tours of all western front battlefields, giving a unique perspective on WW1 trenches today.

Many visitors from North America have a keen interest in the battles of 1918, flowing from the Spring Offensive, as this represent first actions of Pershing’s ‘doughboys’.

In addition, many Canadian and Australian visitors like to see the crucial battlefields of 1918 where the forces from the two countries were so effective in first repelling and then rolling back the Germans.

March also marks the traditional start of ‘guiding’ season on the western front with groups of escorted visitors travelling with our specialist guides to follow the stories of individual soldiers, units or visit specific battlefields. There is no better way of seeing ww1 trenches and these battlefields.