The German offensive and modified Schlieffen Plan had failed. The Schlieffen plan was produced to get around the problem of international diplomacy. It comes close to total victory at Mons and Charleroi where the BEF and French 5th Armies barely escape destruction. One element that was lacking from the German army in 1914 was the ability to move long distances quickly. For its part, the German navy was against the Schlieffen Plan because the bulk of military resources would be directed toward massive land engagements and not the development of more powerful battleships. Schlieffen set about creating a doctrine that would allow the outnumbered German army to outfight its opponents. Despite having fewer troops than in the original plan and less space through which to advance, the Germans at first seemed to be succeeding in their plan. https://www.history.com/news/was-germany-doomed-in-world-war-i-by-the-schlieffen-plan. Importantly, despite the obviousness of a two-front war against both Russia and France, Molke decided to implement both Aufmarsch I West and Aufmarsch II West. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Around 25% of the men who fought at the Marne were killed or injured. Guderain recognised the importance of tanks WHAT ARE YOUR SOURCES? This plan was designed by General Count Alfred von Schlieffen in December, 1905, with the aim of defeating France and Russia. Below is the article summary. Schlieffen was convinced that a modern enemy force could be defeated in the same way, and the execution of a massive flank attack became the main focus of his plan. British soldiers may not have been needed in this part of the war. 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. So he only needed a small defensive force toward Russia while Germany was fighting France. Kluck believed it was a safe move as he knew of no significant concentrations of enemy troops near Paris. In the Battle of the Marne, the French army attacked the Germans. This forced the Germans to close the gap, though this meant that the western most army did not go far enough west. This meant that German would be attacked on both sides of her country. Von Moltke made changes to the plan. The Schlieffen Plan called for Germany to take the offensive and attack France. This was the way German armies had taken during the Franco-Prussian war in the past. Corrections? Some people say that the generals caused the war. The Schlieffen Plan was initially perceived as flawless and strategic, and its purpose was to gain victory quickly for Germany. Fighting the British and French together on the Western Front was never part of the German strategy. In other words, he foresaw the need to maintain the initiative. This caught French troops off-guard and they soon surrendered. Since its inception, the Russians had improved militarily, and he did not want to have them invade Germany while he fought France. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Schlieffen Plan What is a Schlieffen Plan. Von Moltke changed certain aspects of the plan. As things were then, the German army was unable to defeat its enemies decisively in the war's early battles, and reluctantly settled into trench warfare in late 1914. Contrary to the beliefs of the Allied military establishment of the day, however, blitzkrieg was not a brand-new way of waging war. Your email address will not be published. It was called the Schlieffen Plan. Germany wanted to avoid this at all costs. 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. The Schlieffen plan made several assumptions: There would be minimal resistance from Belgium. Had the German army been mechanised at the outbreak of World War One, it is likely that the outcome of the war would have been very different. He was wrong. The British Navy was also checking on ships to see if there was food for Germany. This was because of how short-term it was. It was hoped that Paris itself would be surroundedFrench armies and French leadershipand that this would represent a military masterpiece, a battle of annihilation. The Schlieffen plan was also the only Germany's plan for war ("GCSE Bitesize: Extra Facts." BBC. The German general Schlieffen counted on two things. The Russian blow would first fall upon the very weak Hapsburgs with the French standing mobilized on the German border. Great Britain subsequently declared war on Germany for violating Belgiums neutrality. The French plan, endorsed by commander Joseph Joffre, called for an all-out attack into Germany to regain the lost territories of Alsace-Lorraine, avenging the humiliating defeat of 1871, and redeeming French honor. The plan used at the beginning of World War I had been modified by Helmuth von Moltke, who reduced the size of the attacking army and was blamed for Germanys failure to win a quick victory. In World War I, the Schlieffen Plan was conceived by German general General Alfred von Schlieffen and involved a surprise attack on France. At the start of the 20th century, Germany had a strategy for fighting a war in Europe. What would have happened if the Schlieffen Plan had succeeded? 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. Of course, you can embed our videos on your website. []. Your email address will not be published. Der Erste Weltkrieg. AND WHO IS BEHIND THIS PROJECT? and in the process, capturing Paris. Thus, in order to win, Schlieffen knew the German army would have to defeat its opponents quickly and decisively. It seemed to some that this represented the triumph of military technology over old-style fortifications, a success, for the cult of the offensive. WHAT IS THE GREAT WAR PROJECT? [], 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. One day later, Germany invaded Belgium because of the Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan, devised a decade before the start of World War I, outlined a strategy for Germany to avoid fighting at its eastern and western fronts simultaneously. Simply put, Germanys geopolitical challenge was the possibility of war on two fronts simultaneously. Related Article Summaries Germany summary Article Summary strategy summary Article Summary Erich Ludendorff summary Article Summary This was shown when there was a lot of killing at the Battle of Verdun in 1916. In 1897, Schlieffen developed a tactical plan that - acknowledging the German army's limited offensive power and capacity for strategic maneuvers - basically amounted to using brute force to advance beyond the French defenses on the Franco-German border. In reality, the Russians first attacked in less than half that time, forcing Moltke to further weaken the German offensive on the Western Front by sending additional troops east. The Schlieffen plan had failed to knock the French out of the war. The BEF had sailed for France believing that they and their French ally were well equipped and well trained to fight a modern war. The second reason is the Russian army getting mobilized quickly. To avoid that situation, Schlieffen planned to attack France first, while Russia was still mobilizing. The resistance of the Belgians and the BEF prevented this. The Teaching Company, LLC. The Russians reached the border much sooner and in a greater army than expected, forcing Moltke to send more troops to the Russian Front than planned. The so-called blitzkrieg of 1940 was really the German doctrine of 1914 with technology bolted on. French forces were in full retreat. He thought that the war in the West would be quick, and he also thought that Russia would take a long time to mobilize. 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? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Timeline. In pursuing that goal of total annihilation, Schlieffen also broke with Moltke, whose strategy sought to neutralize ones opponent. Marshal Joseph Joffre, the French Commander in Chief, had been assembling a new army near Paris. France and Russia could then launch simultaneous offensives that Germany would have little chance of defeating. why so many soldiers survived the trenches, how Pack Up Your Troubles became the viral hit. 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. A huge German force would come swinging through northern France after invading Belgium and Holland, arcing around Paris to achieve decisive victory within a timetable of about six weeks. II: Germany's Initial Conquests in Europe by German Research Institute for Military History (Clarendon Press, 1991), Storm of Steel: The Development of Armor Doctrine in Germany and the Soviet Union, 1919- 1939 by Mary B Habeck (Cornell University Press, 2003). 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. Heavy German guns were brought up to demolish other forts. The plan was devised and wargamed in 1905 by then-Chief of the General Staff of the German Army, Alfred von Schlieffen. The Schlieffen Plan, devised by Germany, was intended to force France into submission and then invade Russia. The Schlieffen Plan failed for several reasons including a lack of manpower, underestimation of the speed of Russian troop deployments, and the belief that Britain would not defend neutral Belgium. They had promised to protect Belgium from enemies back in 1839. The Schlieffen Plan changed a little as the European tension increased. Seeing that Kluck had extended his forces and exposed his right flank, he saw a weakness to exploit. The strategy had originally been developed in the 1890s by Count Alfred von Schlieffen. Across the English Channel, a stunned British military establishment struggled to determine how it was that events had so quickly gone so horribly wrong. But his influence continued after that day. THE GREAT WAR covers the events exactly 100 years ago: The story of World War I in realtime. If Germany stood on the defensive, Russia could complete its mobilization while France brought her reserves to combat effectiveness. By early September, they had reached the Marne River, some 20 miles from Paris. Germany went to war with the plan of Helmuth von Moltke. The slowing advance allowed France time to regroup and organize a defensive stand. Before 1914-18, Germany had perceived itself as surrounded by enemies who were superior both in numbers and resources. The uniqueness of the Schlieffen Plan was that it ran counter to prevailing German military wisdom, which was principally derived from Carl von Clausewitzs seminal work On War (1832) and the strategic thought of the elder Helmuth von Moltke. It would be easy to say that even if it had been successful that Germany would have won in a quick conflict. Thus between 10 May and 21 June 1940, the Wehrmacht had accomplished what the army of Kaiser Wilhelm II had not managed to do in four years of desperate fighting in World War One. The First World War. Schlieffen's speedy attack and expected defeat of France never occurred - it's failure did usher in the era of trench warfare that is so much linked to World War One. 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. Within 10 days the Russians had invaded Germany, which meant that the Germans had to switch troops away from western Europe to hold up the Russian invasion. The Belgium people fought against the Germans, slowing them down. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In so doing, they fell right into Hitler's trap. Though a seemingly logical idea, the Schlieffen plan failed tragically for the Germans. Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail? To accomplish this, he advocated the use of the flexible command system pioneered by Helmuth von Moltke the Elder. Rather than repeating the World War One Schlieffen Plan, the Germans in 1940 advanced with their main thrust through the Ardennes Forest, in order to smash the vulnerable flank of the Allies. With Austria defeated, Germany would have no choice but to come to terms, Both plans assumed that Italy would be allied. Required fields are marked *. war, France, Germany, Britain, Russia, Belgium, Schlieffen Plan. They were marching east of Paris instead of going west and encircling the city. While the Allies suffered as heavily as the Germans, they gained a strategic victory. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Thus they would be able to end the war quickly since they would make it impossible for resources to reach any army or people on land. 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. His adjustment left more German forces in the east. World War One. Multiple mysteries in the disappearance of pilot Amelia Earhart and finally a possible answer. According to PBS, there were two main causes of the stalemate during WWI: the failed military tactics of The Schlieffen Plan, and the new war tactics required for trench warfare. Please leave a comment below Cancel reply. Sign in. Developed long before the war itself, the German Schlieffen Plan was part of an extensive military preparation. Those forces were to wheel south and east after passing through neutral Belgium, turning into the flanks and rear of the hardened French defenses along the German border. Schlieffen realized that it would be hard to break through the heavily defended Burgundian Gate. The bridges of Paris were mined in preparation for blowing them up in case the German troops reached the capital. It was essential for Germany to strike quickly . Their solution was to fight Russia and France at the same time. 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. WHO IS REPLYING TO MY COMMENTS? The German advance had been hampered by fiercer Belgian resistance than had been anticipatedas well as by the destruction of railroads and other strategic assets by the Belgians or the Frenchand was also slowed by German anxieties by the fear of snipers. Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail? On August 4, 1914, German troops invaded Belgium. 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. 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.. He contacted Kluck and asked for help. The Schlieffen Plan was put into action by Von Moltke on August 2, 1914. Under the direction of Hans von Seeckt, commanders fashioned the doctrine that the Wehrmacht was to employ in World War Two. Or just share our videos on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit etc. The biggest problems in World War One, however, were at the lower, tactical level. The combination of the execution of the wrong strategy and a series of key incorrect assumptions is why the Schlieffen Plan failed. In 1914, German units inevitably outfought their opponents whenever they encountered each other on the battlefield. Die Bchse der Pandora: Geschichte des Ersten Weltkrieges, C.H. n n The plan relied upon rapid movement. France had to end the war. Germany began its execution of the modified Schlieffen Plan on August 4, 1914 with the invasion of neutral Belgium. In the first days of World War I, many Germans felt like they bonded with each other. We are happy if you show our channel to your friends, fellow students, classmates, professors, teachers or neighbours. Find out on AlternateHistoryHub: http://bit.ly/1VJ9T0UThe Schlieffen Plan was the blueprint fo. Both the original Schlieffen Plan and Moltkes rewrite were locked at the Reichsarchiv at Potsdam, and access to the documents was strictly limited. The plan for the war made it very difficult to find a diplomatic solution. Six days of battles followed, known collectively as the Battle of the Marne. But from time to time, Indy reads and answers comments with his personal account, too. Some of the reasons this plan failed was because. France couldnt win because it didnt have a plan with Russia. The Allies believed that 'blitzkrieg' was dependent on new technology, such as tanks and dive-bombers Schlieffen thus turned a doctrinal debate (as chronicled by military historian Hans Delbruck) toward the strategies of annihilation (Vernichtungsstrategie) and attrition (Ermattungsstrategie). Schlieffen Plan, battle plan first proposed in 1905 by Alfred, Graf (count) von Schlieffen, chief of the German general staff, that was designed to allow Germany to wage a successful two-front war. The plan was heavily modified by Schlieffens successor, Helmuth von Moltke, prior to and during its implementation in World War I. Moltkes changes, which included a reduction in the size of the attacking army, were blamed for Germanys failure to win a quick victory. In truth, as events proved, they were completely unprepared to face Hitler's Wehrmacht. With this doctrine, despite being outnumbered in tanks and combat aircraft, they were able to outfight the Allies at every turn in 1940, and cause the rapid and total collapse of Allied resistance.