Final answer:
German soldiers deserted during WWI primarily due to exhaustion, stress, and inadequate supplies, all of which led to a collapse in morale and fighting capacity.
Step-by-step explanation:
During World War I, German soldiers faced a myriad of adversities that led to desertions. In historical records, we find that soldiers ran away for several reasons. Primarily, exhaustion and stress wrought by protracted warfare in desolate trench conditions contributed to soldiers reaching their break point. Furthermore, inadequate supplies, including food and munitions, exacerbated by stretched supply lines and the need to send resources back to Germany, crippled soldier morale and capacity to continue fighting. Civil unrest, as well as mutinies like those seen in Kiel, indicates that it wasn't just front-line soldiers who reached their limits; the despair was widespread.