Soon after taking over from Erich von Falkenhayn as Chief of the General Staff in September 1916, Paul von Hindenburg and Ludendorff, First Generalquartiermeister ordered the building of a new defensive line east of the Somme battlefront from Arras to Laon. Ludendorff was unsure as to whether retreating to the Hindenburg Line was the best thing to do, since he believed withdrawing might diminish the morale of German soldiers and civilians. The possibility of an offensive was considered if enough reserves could be assembled in the new year. A study suggested that seventeen divisions might be made available but that this was far too few for a decisive effect in the west. He was forced to accept the plan by Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, commander of Army Group Rupprecht (1st, 2nd, 6th a