P.S. https://www.history.com/news/was-germany-doomed-in-world-war-i-by-the-schlieffen-plan. Across the English Channel, a stunned British military establishment struggled to determine how it was that events had so quickly gone so horribly wrong. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. []. 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'. to continue to Slides. France had to be defeated - and this did not happen. Schlieffen favored the use of a strong defense, followed by a devastating counter-offensive to defeat Germanys enemies. Alfred von Schlieffen was the Chief of the Imperial German army between 1891 and 1906. Moltke believed that Russia would slowly mobilize for war, and if they defeated France in 6 weeks, Germany could then later deal with the Russian juggernaut. Kluck and Blow retreated in the face of the unexpected setback. The central groupconsisting of six infantry corps, Landwehr brigades, and a cavalry divisionwas to attack the French at La Fer and Paris, eventually encircling the capital on the north and east. The manpower ratio was 7:1 from right wing to left.That massive force was to break through at the Metz-Diedenhofen area and sweep all French forces before it, swinging like a door that had its hinge in the Alsace region. Both fronts would initially begin on the defense, though unleash fierce counter attacks on first on the French. This meant that German would be attacked on both sides of her country. Next. The Schlieffen Plan The most influential plan was that of Germany - the Schlieffen Plan - drawn up in 1905 by General Alfred von Schlieffen. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Related Article Summaries Germany summary Article Summary strategy summary Article Summary Erich Ludendorff summary Article Summary The slowing advance allowed France time to regroup and organize a defensive stand. In the lead up to World War I, Europe increasingly became caught up in a series of entangling alliances. This could have meant that the Western Front was limited to a 25-mile area of the Belfort Gap and not 200 miles of trench warfare. Russia also supported the Balkan region, including Serbia. Germany also had better-trained troops. He also took troops away from the vast movement that was projected for the invasion of northern France; he instead drew off some of those troops to the Eastern Front and others for the defense of the territory of Lorraine to the south. The Schlieffen Plan and Germany's Defeat on the Western Front The Schlieffen plan can and will never be dismissed from the reasons behind the German defeat, not only for the loss on the Western front but the war itself. Klucks shift east had left the German flank exposed. A Combat History of the First World War, Oxford University Press, 2013.Hart, Peter. By 21 May, this thrust had reached the Channel and encircled 35 Allied divisions, including the BEF. Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail? If you enjoyed what you read and are a teacher or tutor needing resources for your students from kindergarten all the way up to high school senior (or even adults! At the subsequent Battle of the Marne a heroic effort by the French defenders repulsed the Germans and sent them retreating back. Regardless of the historical accuracy of those words, the failure dashed German hopes for a quick victory on the Western Front. The Schlieffen Plan seemed to be working. It seemed clear to him, given the Alliances, that one day Germany would be at war with both Russia and its ally France. Moltke watered down the plan. The speed, flexibility and initiative of the German Wehrmacht took the Allies completely by surprise during the blitzkrieg at the start of World War Two. The Schlieffen plan failed because Germans underestimated Russia and the plan depended on rapid deployment, which was resisted by Belgium. The British Navy was also checking on ships to see if there was food for Germany. Accordingly, convinced that they were facing a repeat of the German strategy of 1914, Allied commanders moved the bulk of their forces from the Franco-Belgian border into defensive positions within Belgium to await the continuation of the German attack. It is thus that he devised several different strategies in 1905 for various potential future conflicts. The German Schlieffen Plan had prepared the nation for this exact moment and now was the time to implement it. This forced the Germans to close the gap, though this meant that the western most army did not go far enough west. Despite this, Germany fought off the British and advanced into French territory by the end of August. The Germans did not believe that Britain would go to war over their 1839 treaty with Belgium, which they described as a 'scrap of paper'. What was the Schlieffen Plan BBC - History - The Western Front, 1914 - 1918 Animation n n n Count Alfred von Schlieffen drew up the Schlieffen Plan in 1905 when he was German Chief of Staff. German general General Alfred von Schlieffen, The plan failed because it wasnt realistic, both Russia and France wanted to battle Germany, they employed a similar (though not identical) version in WWII, The Impact of World War INew World Disorder, The Great Powers of World War IGermanys Revolution, War, Nutritionism, and the Great Depression, The Great Powers of World War I Germanys Revolution, The Assassination ofArchduke Franz Ferdinand: Europe on the Brink of World War I. Next This became a concern, the result of which was that the German armies moved closer together. Firstly, Germany did not implement the correct Schlieffen Plan. Schlieffen was an ardent student of military history, and his strategic plan was inspired by the Battle of Cannae (216 bce), a pivotal engagement during the Second Punic War. Die Bchse der Pandora: Geschichte des Ersten Weltkrieges, C.H. There were troops around Paris, and they were about to punish him for not sticking to the plan. He decided that France was the enemy to be defeated first, with Russia held off until the French were annihilated. He is posting links, facts and backstage material on our social media channels. They expected that battles would develop slowly and be dominated by 'traditional' arms - those of the infantry and the artillery. Moltke estimated six weeks for deployment, leading Germany to believe France could be defeated before the Russians fully mobilized. Kluck agreed. British soldiers may not have been needed in this part of the war. In World War I, the Schlieffen Plan was conceived by German general General Alfred von Schlieffen and involved a surprise attack on France. This plan was to attack France (while Russia mobilized its army) and then attack Russia. As most of the French army was stationed on the border with Germany, the Schlieffen Plan aimed for the quick defeat of France by invading it through neutral Belgium and moving rapidly on to capture Paris. The combination of the execution of the wrong strategy and a series of key incorrect assumptions is why the Schlieffen Plan failed. As Schlieffen retired from service in 1906, Helmuth von Moltke (the Younger) went on to replace him. 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. He joined the army when he turned 18 years old. A 200-mile advance through Belgium and France, with fierce fighting along the way, had exhausted many German troops. The Schlieffen plan was made before World War I. It had taken only a few short weeks for the Wehrmacht (the German army), under his control, to crush the army of the French Third Republic . It was a plan for Germany to avoid fighting at its eastern and western fronts at the same time. This was not the first time Germans had tried to fight in a war on two fronts. WHAT IS THE GREAT WAR PROJECT? He was born on February 28th, 1833. It called for the violation of Belgian and Dutch neutrality by invading both those countries to achieve surprise in a vast attack on France. Germany faced a war on two fronts. Despite the difficulties the Schlieffen Plan actually looked as if it might succeed. Your email address will not be published. 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. After all, during the disastrous campaign in Belgium and France, it had seemed as if German tanks and aircraft were everywhere. The Schlieffen Plans emphasized a huge concentration of force on the right wing, whereby the German movement would come plunging through northern France. He opposed the concept of Volk in Waffen (a nation in arms) but was overruled by Prussian Minister of War Julius Verdy du Vernois, who increased the size of the army with universal conscription. Germany, therefore, could eliminate one while the other was kept in check. WHAT ARE YOUR SOURCES? this doctrine created aggressive and flexible leaders. There were heavy casualties on both sides. The fate of the Schlieffen Plan proceeded a little more positively at first and seemed to be succeeding, but then it broke down in what afterward was called the Miracle of the Marne by French patriots, a truly remarkable moment of salvation and national mobilization to expel the German invader. The Allies believed that 'blitzkrieg' was dependent on new technology, such as tanks and dive-bombers And German strategists, most notably Alfred von Schlieffen, had concluded that Germany could not win a long, protracted war against such opposition. Once France was defeated then troops would be sent from the west to the east to launch a subsequent counterattack on the Russians. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. We are also happy to get your feedback, criticism or ideas in the comments. Updates? The first reason is that, in order to invade France, the German first and second armies were in Belgium needing to get to and conquer Fort Liege. [], On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Habsburg throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were both assassinated in the capital of Bosnia, Sarajevo. The Importance of the Battle of Bunker Hill, The Death Toll During the Plague of Justinian, A Lasting Legacy: The Ships of the Great White Fleet, timeline of the history of the United States. The Schlieffen Plan changed a little as the European tension increased. 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. Before that, they had hold in the west and attack in the east.. Blitzkrieg seemed to be based around the pervasive use of new technology. With soldiers from Britain fighting alongside France, Germanys plan to attack quickly was slowed down because they faced resistance and needed more time for their troops to get there. This is due to the fact that the failure prolonged the . This was the opportunity the allies had been waiting for. This is not true. He was sure that if Germany were to fight a war against Russia and France at the same time, it would not be able to win. The resistance of the Belgians and the BEF prevented this. AND WHO IS BEHIND THIS PROJECT? How did the Schlieffen Plan support Kaiser Wilhelm's goals in the quote above? While the Allies relied upon tanks to break through the stalemate of the trenches in 1918, the Germans used a largely infantry force empowered by a sound tactical doctrine. Check out our timeline of the history of the United States for a great place to start and navigate through American history! Use a private browsing window to sign in. Forgot email? Helmut von Moltke adapted the original plan by Alfred von Schlieffen and ultimately failed when the Germans were beaten at the Battle of the Marne. They'd expected Belgium not to fight back and allow German control but Belgium did. The UK would not get involved. At precisely the same time the Schlieffen Plan was put into action, its opposite, the Frenchs Plan XVII, was enacted. Although the French army put up token resistance for several more weeks, their spirit was broken and the German advance south from Belgium was swift and decisive. Count Alfred von Schlieffen died on January 4th, 1913. Germany invaded neutral countries to the west, which made things much worse and unleashed the war with them. Copyright 2023 History in Charts | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. The Schlieffen Plan was the name of the German grand strategy for fighting a two-front war against France and Russia. Simply put, Germanys geopolitical challenge was the possibility of war on two fronts simultaneously. Instead of doing this head-on against the heavily fortified French border, Germany would instead first invade neutral Belgium and the Netherlands and then attack France through their northern borders. During World War One, the armies of the two Allies had dug in for what became a long, drawn-out conflict. He was in a good position to dictate such terms. Videos: British PathPictures: Mostly Picture Alliance Background Map: http://d-maps.com/carte.php?num_car=6030\u0026lang=enLiterature (excerpt):Gilbert, Martin. Franco-British forces crashed into the side of Klucks army. The plans call for speed was all very well, but outside their own borders, the Germans could not rely on control of a railway system to advance their forces. Some people say that the generals caused the war. Alfred von Schlieffen was born in Berlin. Schlieffen thus turned a doctrinal debate (as chronicled by military historian Hans Delbruck) toward the strategies of annihilation (Vernichtungsstrategie) and attrition (Ermattungsstrategie). The man who crafted it was the German general chief of staff, General Alfred von Schlieffen. However, the modern technology was merely used to enhance the capabilities that had already been provided, thanks to the army's strategic doctrine. Fighting the British and French together on the Western Front was never part of the German strategy. Eventually, it led to Germanys downfall. He contacted Kluck and asked for help. The failure of the Schlieffen Plan Causes of WW1, First World War, Other History Topics. The experience of World War One had convinced German leaders that these ideas needed to be applied not only at top operational level, but also at the tactical level - by combined-arms teams capable of independent fire and manoeuvre. 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. blitzkrieg was not a brand-new way of waging war. Were happy if we can contribute with our videos. Omissions? Unlike a generation later when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi high command actively sought to create a two-front war, Imperial Germany knew that a war with either Russia or France meant a war with both.. On August 7, the main citadel of Liege, a key strategic point that was supposed to hold up the German advance, was captured. The Schlieffen Plan was a strategic plan made by Count Alfred Graf von Schlieffen (Born ; 28 February 1833 : Berlin, Brandenburg, Prussia, German Confederation-Died ; 4 January 1913 : Berlin, Brandenburg, Prussia, Germany) who worked for the German navy .It was made for the army of the German Empire in 1905.
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