Final answer:
German leaders hoped to force the Allies to negotiate a peace treaty during World War I, and in World War II, they aimed to use captured Allied troops as a bargaining chip in the Battle of the Bulge. Despite initial successes, both offensives ultimately failed, with the Spring Offensive running out of steam and the Ardennes Offensive leading to heavy German losses.
Step-by-step explanation:
German leaders launched massive attacks along the Western Front during both World Wars, but their reasons differed slightly depending on the context. During World War I, they sought a swift victory similar to the Franco-Prussian War and hoped to quickly defeat France before turning to the Eastern Front. However, by 1918, after years of trench warfare and stalemate, the arrival of American forces shifted the balance against Germany. In a desperate effort known as the Spring Offensive, German leaders hoped to force the Allies to negotiate a peace treaty by breaking through the lines and threatening Paris.
In World War II, during the waning phase of the conflict, Hitler launched the late offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge. The aim was to break through the Allied lines, capture several divisions, and use them as hostages to force the Allies into negotiations. The offensive was initially successful due to tactical surprise and the rough terrain of the Ardennes, which the Allies had thought unsuitable for such a large-scale attack.
Despite their hope for a strategic victory, both offensives ultimately failed. In World War I, the German forces were pushed back after the Spring Offensive ran out of steam. In World War II, the Ardennes Offensive resulted in German losses and marked the final German offensive on the European front. The end of the war saw Germany signing an armistice and later being held responsible in the Treaty of Versailles for initiating the conflict.