The last group consisted of three cavalry divisions, three infantry corps, two Ersatzkorps, and a reserve corps on the left wing. Nearly two million soldiers fought. 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. 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. Germany had trouble controlling the seas and that is one reason they lost the war. A 200-mile advance through Belgium and France, with fierce fighting along the way, had exhausted many German troops. The plan failed because it wasnt realistic, requiring a flawless unfolding of events which never occurs in wartime. The Schlieffen Plan was designed by Germany's Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen in 1905-06 as a deployment plan against the alliance that surrounded it. It likely means that France would have invaded Germany, but at least they were busy with taking back their land. It does have some truth in it, but there is more to it than this statement says. Great Britain subsequently declared war on Germany for violating Belgiums neutrality. She feared an attack fir many reasons and so the Schlieffen plan was born. Belgian resistance was strong, and it took the German army longer than anticipated to make their way through the country. The Schlieffen Plan was used by Germany in WWI, but they employed a similar (though not identical) version in WWII. Then Russia was quicker to respond than the Germans thought. 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. It is thus that he devised several different strategies in 1905 for various potential future conflicts. In the process of the German advance, as the Schlieffen Plan continued to move through the stages of its prospective sections, it was discovered that a gap had opened up between the advancing German armies, between the First Army under General von Kluck and the Second Army under General von Blow. Negotiations also began to add Russia to this alliance. Their weapons and strategies had moved on in 25 years, and they did not fall as easily as Schlieffen had anticipated. The slowing advance allowed France time to regroup and organize a defensive stand. Instead, Germany went on the offensive on the Western Front, despite not having the manpower. The Schlieffen Plan was the German grand strategy to fight, and win, a two front war against France and Russia. [], 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. Heavy German guns were brought up to demolish other forts. To accomplish this, he advocated the use of the. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. But if they had not, it might have been easier for Britain to just keep the German ships in the Baltic and defend France from naval attacks. 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. 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. However, many things came from the Schlieffen plans failure. 1. These units had the freedom to fight as they thought best, without having to refer constantly to a higher commander. Moltke ordered a German withdrawal toward the River Aisne. Because Europe was dividing into two fronts, he thought that Russia and France were serious enemies. If needed, Germany would also take part in a holding operation on the Russian/German border. 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 king of Belgium was neutral. Next. [], Amelia Earhart Found Again? 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. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. \" HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOUR CHANNEL?You can support us by sharing our videos with your friends and spreading the word about our work.You can also support us financially on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thegreatwarPatreon is a platform for creators like us, that enables us to get monthly financial support from the community in exchange for cool perks. From the Lecture Series: World War IThe Great War, December 1, 2017 History, Military History, World History. The execution of this plan compelled Britain to declare war on Germany in 1914. In the Battles of the Frontiers, the Germans send their opponents reeling again and again. Indy Neidell takes you on a journey into the past to show you what really happened and how it all could spiral into more than four years of dire war. If successful, Germany would move troops from the French front to the Russian front within a weeks time using modernized railways (trains). Despite this, Germany fought off the British and advanced into French territory by the end of August. In the course of the negotiations Ptain - victor of the battle of Verdun in World War One - agreed to cede three-fifths of French territory to German control. French forces were in full retreat. The Schlieffen Plan was the name of the German grand strategy for fighting a two-front war against France and Russia. The French grand strategy, titled Plan XVII, was to attack Germany across the border at their former provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, south of Belgium and Luxembourg. The primary divisions were among the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy) as well as the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, and Russia). This doctrine integrated the operational-level ideas taught by Schlieffen with the tactical concepts developed during World War One. The plan for the war made it very difficult to find a diplomatic solution. The result strategically was that the German armies had left their flanks exposed to Paris itself, not expecting that Paris would be the site of considerable resistance or military peril. What would have happened if the Schlieffen Plan had succeeded? This happy feeling covered up the dangerous situation Germany was in. Its role was to advance deep into France and swing around Paris, surrounding the French capital and any forces based near it. In World War I, the Schlieffen Plan was conceived by German general General Alfred von Schlieffen and involved a surprise attack on France. He was willing to let them take back Alsace-Lorraine for a short time. 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. It was a plan that nearly succeeded but its success could only be measured by being 100% successful. Once one ally was defeated, Germany would be able to combine its forces to defeat the other through massive troop concentration and rapid deployment. At the centre of the Schlieffen Plan was that France would be defeated first, making it difficult for Russia and Britain to continue fighting. Use a private browsing window to sign in. The Schlieffen Plan failed for 6 key reasons: The Germans could not keep to the 6-week timetable for defeating France: the Belgian Army slowed the German advance at forts around Liege, while the BEF slowed it further at the Battle of Mons . In 1906, General Schlieffen retired from the army. The objective of the alliance was to encourage co-operation against the perceived threat of Germany. There are so many what ifs that it is hard to know how the outcome of the war would have been different if Germany had not made their plan. Answer (1 of 8): Broadly speaking, the plan was too ambitious. On 21 June 1940, early in the second year of World War Two, the French president, Marshall Philippe Ptain, sued for peace with Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. 2015. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. ), check out our partner sites KidsKonnect, SchoolHistory, and HelpTeaching for hundreds of facts, worksheets, activities, quizzes, courses, and more! Their solution was to fight Russia and France at the same time. Some of the reasons this plan failed was because. He proposed in 1905 that Germanys advantage over France and Russiaits likely opponents in a continental warwas that the two were separated. The plan was to invade France and capture Paris before the Russians could mobilize. One element that was lacking from the German army in 1914 was the ability to move long distances quickly. and in the process, capturing Paris. 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. The plan was devised and wargamed in 1905 by then-Chief of the General Staff of the German Army, Alfred von Schlieffen. With these revisions and ultimately incorrect assumptions, the brilliant Schlieffen Plan was doomed to fail. It was designed for a war between France on one side and the German Empire, Austria . 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Enzyklopdie Erster Weltkrieg, Schningh Paderborn, 2004Michalka, Wolfgang. Schlieffen thus turned a doctrinal debate (as chronicled by military historian Hans Delbruck) toward the strategies of annihilation (Vernichtungsstrategie) and attrition (Ermattungsstrategie). But it turned out to be an ugly way of wearing everyone down during World War I Eventually, it led to Germany's downfall. Schlieffen favored the use of a strong defense, followed by a devastating counter-offensive to defeat Germanys enemies. On that day, it also declared war on France and sent its army through Belgium to attack Paris. Schlieffen himself estimated that Germany needed 48.5 corps to succeed in an offensive attack, yet Molke only deployed 34 corps, 6 of which he held back to defend Alsace and Lorraine. His most recent book, German Strategy and the Path to Verdun, published by Cambridge University Press in November 2004. WHAT IS THE GREAT WAR PROJECT? 1914-1918, Profile Books, 2013.Stone, Norman. A battle in the open would generally only last for a day or so, trench battles went on for several days inflicting relentless stress and fatigue. The Schlieffen Plan disregarded the political implications of what was regarded as essentially a technical solution to a military problem. https://www.history.com/news/was-germany-doomed-in-world-war-i-by-the-schlieffen-plan. Of course, you can embed our videos on your website. The German Army was moving too fast for their supply lines to keep up, and the soldiers were weary and underfed. He made the Schlieffen Plan in 1905. The German offensive and modified Schlieffen Plan had failed. 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. Tell your teachers or professors about our channel and our videos. Please feel free to fill out our Contact Form. From the operational ideas of Schlieffen they placed the emphasis on speed, flank attacks, encirclements and decisive battle. That began a political firestorm within the German Confederation, causing later ministers of war to be more cautious about manpower proposals. With Austria defeated, Germany would have no choice but to come to terms, Both plans assumed that Italy would be allied. It seemed to some that this represented the triumph of military technology over old-style fortifications, a success, for the cult of the offensive. Germany went on the offensive against France, but with only 80% of their forces as the Russians tied up the other 20% on the eastern border. 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 French followed their own strategy, Plan XVII, with support from the British. They did not believe the British would stand firm on their commitment to defend Belgium and they would not become bogged down in a continental European war. However, a key vulnerability formed in the Germans attack. the lack of communication between the soldiers and their leaders and, the leadership that the leader led them throughout the plan, the amount of assumptions that the Germans made . The failure of the Schlieffen Plan Causes of WW1, First World War, Other History Topics. His plan called for four army groups, called the Bataillon Carr, to mass on the extreme German right. 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. Though a seemingly logical idea, the Schlieffen plan failed tragically for the Germans. The British Navy was also checking on ships to see if there was food for Germany. 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. Through swift action, the Germans would outflank their enemies through the Low Countries, force France to surrender, and then turn to fight Russia. In one of history's great ironies, Hitler insisted that the armistice be signed in the very railway car in which Germany had been compelled to admit defeat at the end of World War One. The Maginot Line: the Allies expected a protracted, defensive war 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. Last updated 2011-03-30. The Schlieffen Plan - Why Britain Joined WW1 - GCSE HistoryThe Schlieffen Plan was the whole reason why Britain joined WW1. P.S. War never goes perfectly, and so the plan failed. Moltke watered down the plan. But Germany said that if the Belgian government didnt let German troops go through its land, it would be an enemy. A small, neutral country. He decided that France was the enemy to be defeated first, with Russia held off until the French were annihilated. In the Battle of the Marne, the French army attacked the Germans. It was supposed to be the solution for a quick victory against arch enemy France by invading Belgium and the Netherlands to circumvent French defenses. What was the Schlieffen plan? Von Moltke made changes to the plan. 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 Germany's failure to win a quick victory. 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.