Though a seemingly logical idea, the Schlieffen plan failed tragically for the Germans. Russia also supported the Balkan region, including Serbia. French forces were in full retreat. It meant sending the entire flanking force through Belgium, a greater logistical challenge. It was at first a strategic plan whose purpose was to draw in outline the intention and objectives on the understanding that it would b. If this happened then Germany assumed France would also attack them as she was a friend of Russia. In 1914, German units inevitably outfought their opponents whenever they encountered each other on the battlefield. The poor communication that frontline commanders and army headquarters had in Berlin was not helping Moltke to control his campaign. Germanys rise as a Great Power during the turn of the century is a story complete with revolution, political upheaval, unstable leaders, and generals dancing in tutus. The Russian blow would first fall upon the very weak Hapsburgs with the French standing mobilized on the German border. Schlieffen favored the use of a strong defense, followed by a devastating counter-offensive to defeat Germanys enemies. This failure had great significance as it largely impacted World War I. Robert T Foley is a specialist on the development of German strategy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and lecturer in Defence Studies at King's College London and the Joint Services Command and Staff College. n n The plan relied upon rapid movement. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. To meet the possibility of Germanys facing a war against France in the west and Russia in the east, Schlieffen proposed that, instead of aiming the first strike against Russia, Germany should aim a rapid, decisive blow with a large force at Frances flank through Belgium, then sweep around and crush the French armies against a smaller German force in the south. Read more. In World War I, both Russia and France wanted to battle Germany. It seemed to some that this represented the triumph of military technology over old-style fortifications, a success, for the cult of the offensive. The Germans relied on trains to quickly transport their troops but many train lines were destroyed. With these revisions and ultimately incorrect assumptions, the brilliant Schlieffen Plan was doomed to fail. 2015. It was named after its developer, Count Alfred von Schlieffen (18331913), former chief of the German general staff. Franco-British forces crashed into the side of Klucks army. In a general European war, Germany would face France in the west and Russia in the east, and would need to defeat France within six weeks before Russia mobilised her troops. Read more. Germany also had better-trained troops. Once one ally was defeated, Germany would be able to combine its forces to defeat the other through massive troop concentration and rapid deployment. PARTNER CHANNELSITS HISTORY: http://bit.ly/ITSHISTORYSHOWDER ERSTE WELTKRIEG: http://bit.ly/1wkyt WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WORLD WAR I AND WHERE ELSE CAN I FIND YOU? This plan, named Aufmarsch I West, is what is now known as the Schlieffen Plan of WWI. The Schlieffen Plan was a German war strategy theorised by Alfred von Schlieffen and enacted in 1914 by Helmuth von Moltke. In the lead up to World War I, Europe increasingly became caught up in a series of entangling alliances. Following an order from Colonel Hentsch, German forces fell back to the Aisne River and began to dig in. It was made for the army of the German Empire in 1905. That would lead to a war on two fronts, dividing Germanys military resources. Every day they stalled the German advance was a day in which the Schlieffen plan fell behind. The German advance, however, had been slowed, with the Schlieffen Plan running behind schedule at crucial moments. Not your computer? Plan XVII, which was launched on August 14, 1914, broke against German defenses in Lorraine and suffered enormous losses. What was the Schlieffen plan? It was essential for Germany to strike quickly . At the same time, another factor came into play that had not been expected quite so soon. The Schlieffen Plan was put into action by Von Moltke on August 2, 1914. It however had a couple of weaknesses, especially due to Von Moltke's modifications which doomed it to failure. Russia would then be defeated in two weeks at most and with minimal losses to German troops. Eventually, it led to Germanys downfall. His most recent book, German Strategy and the Path to Verdun, published by Cambridge University Press in November 2004. The plans weaknesseswere already beginning to show, although the German commanders chose not to see them. Then General Alexander von Kluck, commander of the German First Army, made a critical error. There were troops around Paris, and they were about to punish him for not sticking to the plan. Belgium told them to stop. Schlieffen had great respect for the powers of France and Russia and knew Germany stood little chance in an all-out simultaneous two front war against both. In 1906, General Schlieffen retired from the army. Because Europe was dividing into two fronts, he thought that Russia and France were serious enemies. Alfred von Schlieffen was the Chief of the Imperial German army between 1891 and 1906. German Emperor William II and his chancellor, Bernhard von Blow, believed that Great Britains alliance with Japan would lead to an encirclement of Germany and were cautious of such an attack. Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail? During World War One, the armies of the two Allies had dug in for what became a long, drawn-out conflict. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Fighting in late August caused General Karl von Blow, commander of the Second Army, serious problems. Great Britain subsequently declared war on Germany for violating Belgiums neutrality. Always outnumbered by its enemies, it would have to match quantity with quality. You can find a selection of answers to the most frequently asked questions here: http://bit.ly/OOtrenches CAN I SHOW YOUR VIDEOS IN CLASS? The lack of manpower led to a weakened attack that stalled and caused the formation of a gap in the German lines that French forces exploited. The decision to mobilize was made by the government, not by the generals. Schlieffen foresaw the potential to fight a two-front war against both France and Russia, and also a one-front war against France while Russia remained neutral. Six weeks later, Europe found itself on the brink of the 20th centurys first world war. His plan called for four army groups, called the Bataillon Carr, to mass on the extreme German right. []. the lack of communication between It was a plan for Germany to avoid fighting at its eastern and western fronts at the same time. In pursuing that goal of total annihilation, Schlieffen also broke with Moltke, whose strategy sought to neutralize ones opponent. It was designed for a war between France on one side and the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and Italy on the other. But it turned out to be an ugly way of wearing everyone down during World War I. But Germany said that if the Belgian government didnt let German troops go through its land, it would be an enemy. The First World War. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. A small, neutral country. At the centre of the Schlieffen Plan was that France would be defeated first, making it difficult for Russia and Britain to continue fighting. English. Even if Britain did defend Belgium, the Kaiser believed that there was no need to fear the British Expeditionary Force, which he called a 'contemptible little army'. This plan was to attack France (while Russia mobilized its army) and then attack Russia. Its role was to advance deep into France and swing around Paris, surrounding the French capital and any forces based near it. Corrections? 1. By 21 May, this thrust had reached the Channel and encircled 35 Allied divisions, including the BEF. P.S. Once again, Germany planned a surprise attack on France. It called for the violation of Belgian and Dutch neutrality by invading both those countries to achieve surprise in a vast attack on France. All of these reasons combined to make the Schlieffen plan fail. After crossing the Somme west of Paris at Abbeville and Chaulnes, the main body of the Bataillon Carr would turn to engage the defenders of the French capital, with the Ersatzkorps lending support. The German general Schlieffen counted on two things. Schlieffen was very worried about Germanys position with Russia and France. Simply put, Germanys geopolitical challenge was the possibility of war on two fronts simultaneously. Blitzkrieg seemed to be based around the pervasive use of new technology. What would have happened if the Schlieffen Plan had succeeded? Were offering background knowledge, news, a glimpse behind the scenes and much more on: reddit: http://bit.ly/TheGreatSubRedditFacebook: http://bit.ly/WW1FBTwitter: http://bit.ly/WW1SeriesInstagram: http://bit.ly/ZpMYPL CAN I EMBED YOUR VIDEOS ON MY WEBSITE? BBC, n.d Web.). Firstly, Germany did not implement the correct Schlieffen Plan. The victorious Allies looked upon the Schlieffen Plan as the source of German aggression against neutral countries, and it became the basis of war guilt and reparations. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. This was not the first time Germans had tried to fight in a war on two fronts. Six days of battles followed, known collectively as the Battle of the Marne. In 1839, Britain made a treaty with Belgium to keep them neutral. He was younger and his plan was different than Schlieffens. These units had the freedom to fight as they thought best, without having to refer constantly to a higher commander. Use a private browsing window to sign in. He served as chief of staff from 1891 to 1905 and excelled precisely at careful preparation and thinking in abstract terms about the military challenge that Germanys geopolitical position represented. Schlieffen anticipated fierce French resistance, and thus knew that success depended on the deployment of the entire Germany army against France. The resistance of the Belgians and the BEF prevented this. These plans are typically called wargaming. Prussia invented the modern version of wargaming in the 18th century, but it not adopted widely by other nations until after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. WHAT IS THE GREAT WAR PROJECT? Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * BBC, n.d Web.). Email or phone. Germany and Austria would beat Russian forces. Made by von Schlieffen, Germany b. Soldiers complained that this kind of warfare was more strenuous than earlier mobile battles. The second reason is the Russian army getting mobilized quickly. And German strategists, most notably Alfred von Schlieffen, had concluded that Germany could not win a long, protracted war against such opposition. Under the direction of Hans von Seeckt, commanders fashioned the doctrine that the Wehrmacht was to employ in World War Two. How did the Schlieffen Plan support Kaiser Wilhelm's goals in the quote above? Europe Goes To War, Knopf, 2013.Hirschfeld, Gerhard. From the Lecture Series: World War IThe Great War, December 1, 2017 History, Military History, World History. ), check out our partner sites KidsKonnect, SchoolHistory, and HelpTeaching for hundreds of facts, worksheets, activities, quizzes, courses, and more! All rights reserved. This meant that German would be attacked on both sides of her country. It is famous not for its cunning and careful calculation, but for its failure. The Schlieffen Plans emphasized a huge concentration of force on the right wing, whereby the German movement would come plunging through northern France. It is said that German advance troops could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. It was devised by and named after German Field Marshal Count Alfred . This doctrine stressed speed of manoeuvre and attacking the enemy where he was weakest, and usually this meant attacking the flanks. In World War I, the Schlieffen Plan was conceived by German general General Alfred von Schlieffen and involved a surprise attack on France. It imposed severe restrictions on the possibility of finding a diplomatic solution to the July Crisis, because of its narrow time-frame for the initial deployment of troops. Contrary to the beliefs of the Allied military establishment of the day, however, blitzkrieg was not a brand-new way of waging war. The Team responsible for THE GREAT WAR is even bigger: - CREDITS -Presented by : Indiana NeidellWritten by: Indiana NeidellDirector: David VossDirector of Photography: Toni StellerSound: Toni StellerSound Design: Marc Glckshttps://www.facebook.com/ReflectionzOfficialEditing: Toni Steller Research by: Indiana NeidellFact checking: Latoya Wild, David VossA Mediakraft Networks Original ChannelBased on a concept by Spartacus OlssonAuthor: Indiana NeidellVisual Concept: Astrid Deinhard-OlssonExecutive Producer: Astrid Deinhard-Olsson and Spartacus OlssonProducer: David VossSocial Media Manager: Florian Wittig and Laura PaganContains licenced Material by British PathAll rights reserved - Mediakraft Networks GmbH, 2015 Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF), mobilized quickly and was thrown into battle in northern France. Although the two armies had more than 3,500 tanks between them, these were largely cast in a supporting role. Without checking with his superiors, Kluck swung his forces southeast. They expected that battles would develop slowly and be dominated by 'traditional' arms - those of the infantry and the artillery. Germany planned to attack France through Belgium as soon as Russia had announced she was mobilizing. THE GREAT WAR covers the events exactly 100 years ago: The story of World War I in realtime. Schlieffen later rewrote his plan, including an offensive against the neutral Dutch and restructuring the ratio of artillery and infantry. Above all else, this doctrine created aggressive and flexible leaders. The attack in 1914 was almost successful. This was the way German armies had taken during the Franco-Prussian war in the past. If successful, Germany would move troops from the French front to the Russian front within a weeks time using modernized railways (trains). Find out on AlternateHistoryHub: http://bit.ly/1VJ9T0UThe Schlieffen Plan was the blueprint fo. Nearly two million soldiers fought. Below is the article summary. He reduced German forces that would attack France and invaded through Belgium instead of the Netherlands during the initial offensive. They'd expected Belgium not to fight back and allow German control but Belgium did. This is a transcript from the video series World War I: The Great War. Raymond Limbach is an independent historian who has an M.A. It also assumed that Germany would defeat France in less than six weeks. Russia would take six weeks to mobilise their army. In fact, although it is a German word, the term itself was created by an English newspaper sometime in 1939. Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail? At Cannae the Carthaginian general Hannibal defeated a much larger Roman force with a successful double envelopment, turning the Roman armys flanks and destroying it. At the center of Europe, it might find itself forced to fight against both France in the west and Russia in the east.