There was one point and only one point where the Germans were at their closest to victory, the beginning stages of the war. read more
Had Helmuth von Moltke the Younger, the overall German commander in the West not altered the Schlieffen Plan drastically from its original format, remained level-headed, and commanded effectively at the Battle of the Marne, Germany very well would have won World War 1. read more
One school of thought is indeed that the fresh US troops were one of the decisive factors in halting the spring offensive which otherwise might have been the winning offensive for the Germans. This claim is supported by the great advances that had been made by the Germans, the mutiny of French troops the year before and the various signs of war weariness in the powers that had been fighting since 1914. read more