Editing Western Front (World War I) (section)

=== Hindenburg line ===

{{Main|Hindenburg Line}}

[[File:Hindenberg line bullecourt.jpg|thumb|The Hindenburg Line at [[Bullecourt]] seen from the air]]
In August 1916 the German leadership along the Western Front had changed as Falkenhayn resigned and was replaced by Hindenburg and Ludendorff. The new leaders soon recognised that the battles of Verdun and the Somme had depleted the offensive capabilities of the German Army. They decided that the German Army in the west would go over to the strategic defensive for most of 1917, while the Central Powers would attack elsewhere.{{sfn|Herwig|1997|pp=246–252}}

During the Somme battle and through the winter months, the Germans created a [[fortification]] behind the Noyon Salient that would be called the Hindenburg Line, using the defensive principles elaborated since the defensive battles of 1915, including the use of [[Eingreif division]]s.{{sfn|Wynne|1976|p=290}} This was intended to shorten the German front, freeing 10 divisions for other duties. This line of fortifications ran from [[Arras]] south to [[Saint-Quentin, Aisne|St Quentin]] and shortened the front by about {{convert|30|mi|km|sigfig=1|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Herwig|1997|pp=246–252}} British long-range reconnaissance aircraft first spotted the construction of the Hindenburg Line in November 1916.{{sfn|Dockrill|French|1996|p=68}}