f sd ienst ▁( ▁A ux ili ary ▁Services ▁Law ) ▁which ▁from ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁made ▁all ▁Germ ans ▁from ▁ ▁old ▁subject ▁to ▁comp uls ory ▁service . ▁The ▁new ▁programme ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁tre bling ▁of ▁art illery ▁and ▁machine - gun ▁output ▁and ▁a ▁dou bling ▁of ▁m un itions ▁and ▁tren ch ▁mort ar ▁production . ▁Exp ansion ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Army ▁and ▁output ▁of ▁war ▁materials ▁caused ▁increased ▁competition ▁for ▁man power ▁by ▁the ▁army ▁and ▁industry . ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁the ▁German ▁Army ▁had ▁ ▁in ▁rec ruit ▁dep ots ▁and ▁another ▁ ▁in ▁March , ▁when ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁class ▁of ▁cons cript s ▁was ▁called ▁up . ▁The ▁army ▁was ▁so ▁flush ▁with ▁men ▁that ▁plans ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁dem obil ise ▁older ▁Land wehr ▁classes ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁summer , ▁Fal ken h ay n ▁ordered ▁the ▁raising ▁of ▁another ▁ ▁for ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁ ▁The ▁cost ly ▁batt les ▁at ▁Verd un ▁and ▁the ▁Som me ▁had ▁been ▁much ▁more ▁demand ing ▁on ▁German ▁divisions ▁and ▁they ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁rel ieved ▁after ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁in ▁the ▁front ▁line , ▁last ing ▁about ▁ 1 4 ▁days ▁on ▁the ▁Som me . ▁A ▁larger ▁number ▁of ▁divisions ▁might ▁reduce ▁the ▁stra in ▁on ▁the ▁West he er ▁and ▁real ise ▁a ▁sur plus ▁for ▁off ens ives ▁on ▁other ▁front s . ▁H inden burg