With that plan, Schlieffen believed, Gemany could defeat France within six weeks, the campaign concluding with a decisive super Cannae in the south. On that day, it also declared war on France and sent its army through Belgium to attack Paris. Free essay example: "The Schlieffen Plan failed because the German high command made too many mistakes in August and September 1914". Thus, by decentralising command and by increasing the firepower of the infantry, they created a large number of platoon-sized units capable of independent action on the battlefield. It was made for the army of the German Empire in 1905. The retreat signaled the end of any hope of completing the Schlieffen Plan. One day later, Germany invaded Belgium because of the Schlieffen Plan. He reduced German forces that would attack France and invaded through Belgium instead of the Netherlands during the initial offensive. THE GREAT WAR covers the events exactly 100 years ago: The story of World War I in realtime. The Great War. The man who crafted it was the German general chief of staff, General Alfred von Schlieffen. Regardless of the historical accuracy of those words, the failure dashed German hopes for a quick victory on the Western Front. The Schlieffen plan was made before World War I. And the German solution to these problems was to apply Schlieffen's operational principles to small units as well as to large ones. 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. That last group was to block any French attempt to counterattack, and it could be detached and transported to the extreme right if necessary. 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.. 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. 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. The typical invasion route into France was through the Burgundian Gate. But it turned out to be an ugly way of wearing everyone down during World War I. All rights reserved. In early August, the enemies clashed. Through swift action, the Germans would outflank their enemies through the Low Countries, force France to surrender, and then turn to fight Russia. 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. Simply put, Germanys geopolitical challenge was the possibility of war on two fronts simultaneously. He is posting links, facts and backstage material on our social media channels. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. In World War I, the Schlieffen Plan was conceived by German general General Alfred von Schlieffen and involved a surprise attack on France. Moltke implemented some changes to the plan and was the leader in charge to execute the plan at the outset of WWI. First World War resources. Having defeated France, Germany would then be able to concentrate her efforts on defeating the Russians in the east rather then having to fight on two fronts at once. The British Navy was also checking on ships to see if there was food for Germany. These units had the freedom to fight as they thought best, without having to refer constantly to a higher commander. That lead to the turning point in this war because they could not fight on the sea anymore. Once France was defeated then troops would be sent from the west to the east to launch a subsequent counterattack on the Russians. 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. How Long did the Roman Republic and Empire Last? He thought that the war in the West would be quick, and he also thought that Russia would take a long time to mobilize. A small, neutral country. Required fields are marked *. It meant sending the entire flanking force through Belgium, a greater logistical challenge. Wirkung, Wahrnehmung, Analyse, Seehamer Verlag GmbH, 2000Leonhard, Jrn. In a two front war the Schlieffen Plan called for a defensive first strategy, followed by strategic counterattacks. In other words, he foresaw the need to maintain the initiative. With Austria defeated, Germany would have no choice but to come to terms, Both plans assumed that Italy would be allied. Why Did the Schlieffen Plan Fail? Some of the reasons this plan failed was because. This doctrine integrated the operational-level ideas taught by Schlieffen with the tactical concepts developed during World War One. However, a key vulnerability formed in the Germans attack. The Schlieffen Plan was a German war strategy theorised by Alfred von Schlieffen and enacted in 1914 by Helmuth von Moltke. Despite this, Germany fought off the British and advanced into French territory by the end of August. It was named after its developer, Count Alfred von Schlieffen (18331913), former chief of the German general staff. In the city, trenches were being dug and barricades built on the approach roads leading into the city. 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. It was devised by and named after German Field Marshal Count Alfred . Of course! Kluck believed it was a safe move as he knew of no significant concentrations of enemy troops near Paris. This was shown when there was a lot of killing at the Battle of Verdun in 1916. Around 25% of the men who fought at the Marne were killed or injured. World War One. The king of Belgium was neutral. Last updated 2011-03-30. However, in order to maximize German flexibility and preparedness, Schlieffen also devised an offensive strategy for a one-front war solely with France. Next. It however had a couple of weaknesses, especially due to Von Moltke's modifications which doomed it to failure. The Maginot Line: the Allies expected a protracted, defensive war, The Allies believed that 'blitzkrieg' was dependent on new technology, such as tanks and dive-bombers, Schlieffen's doctrine formed the basis of 'blitzkrieg', Guderain recognised the importance of tanks. There are many ways of incorporating World War 1 and the themes of friendship, impact and reconciliation into your classes. Because of that, the French had fortified this road with new forts. Instead, they ended up east of the city, exposing their right flank to the Parisian defenders themselves. Alfred von Schlieffen's Military Writings by Robert T Foley (Frank Cass, 2003), The Breaking Point: Sedan and the Fall of France, 1940 by Robert A Doughty (Archon Books, 1990), The Roots of Blitzkrieg: Hans von Seeckt and German Military Reform by James S Corum (University Press of Kansas, 1992), The Path to Blitzkrieg: Doctrine and Training in the German Army, 1920-1939 by Robert M Citino (Lynne Reinner, 1999), Germany and World War Two, Vol. The third group would concentrate on the most-southern right wing, with eight corps, five reserve corps, and Landwehr brigades, with the help of two mobile cavalry divisions. The battle was in France, 30 miles from Paris. There were heavy casualties on both sides. As the German army moved through France and turned south they made it to within 20 miles of Paris, near the Marne River. He was willing to let them take back Alsace-Lorraine for a short time. Sign in. The Belgium people fought against the Germans, slowing them down. This was because of how short-term it was. The slowing advance allowed France time to regroup and organize a defensive stand. British soldiers may not have been needed in this part of the war. In World War I, both Russia and France wanted to battle Germany. The Schlieffen plan had failed to knock the French out of the war. Schlieffen also stressed the need to keep the enemy reacting to German moves. Learn More: The Impact of World War INew World Disorder. A Complete History, Holt Paperbacks, 2004.Hart, Peter. The Schlieffen plan failed mainly because the Belgians put up a fight, the Russians mobilised quicker than expected, and the plan was changed. 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. 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. why did the schlieffen plan fail bbc bitesizeliver shih tzu puppies Once in French territory, the German attackers would then pivot south in a hinge-like movement, enveloping the French army. It was an ambitious plan designed to avoid Germany having to fight a two-front war against France and Russia. His adjustment left more German forces in the east. 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. 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. Beck, 2014If you want to buy some of the books we use or recommend during our show, check out our Amazon Store: http://bit.ly/TGWAmazonNOTE: This store uses affiliate links which grant us a commission if you buy a product there. this doctrine created aggressive and flexible leaders. This plan was designed by General Count Alfred von Schlieffen in December, 1905, with the aim of defeating France and Russia. In 1906, General Schlieffen retired from the army. At the same time, another factor came into play that had not been expected quite so soon. Schlieffen realized that it would be hard to break through the heavily defended Burgundian Gate. Essentially, speed would be of the essence: first, by very quickly destroying France, and then turning on the Russian great power, a country that was expected to be slower to mobilize and more ponderous in its preparations for war. https://www.britannica.com/event/Schlieffen-Plan, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Schlieffen Plan, Russia had just been defeated by the Japanese. In 1914, German units inevitably outfought their opponents whenever they encountered each other on the battlefield. Updates? This was the way German armies had taken during the Franco-Prussian war in the past. BBC, n.d Web.). Learn more. Russia would have to stop fighting. 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. Seeing that Kluck had extended his forces and exposed his right flank, he saw a weakness to exploit. There were a number of shortcomings associated with the plan. They were slowing down. Of course, you can embed our videos on your website. Across the English Channel, a stunned British military establishment struggled to determine how it was that events had so quickly gone so horribly wrong. The battles are remembered but not the schemes that led to them. The poor communication that frontline commanders and army headquarters had in Berlin was not helping Moltke to control his campaign. He was in a good position to dictate such terms. His plan was revised at the outbreak of 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 . The objective of the alliance was to encourage co-operation against the perceived threat of Germany. 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. And German strategists, most notably Alfred von Schlieffen, had concluded that Germany could not win a long, protracted war against such opposition. Russia would then be defeated in two weeks at most and with minimal losses to German troops. 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. Further summaries have been discovered over subsequent decades, opening new debates about Schlieffens true intentions and the implementation of his plan. What would have happened if the Schlieffen Plan had succeeded? 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. Forgot email? The Schlieffen Plans emphasized a huge concentration of force on the right wing, whereby the German movement would come plunging through northern France. The boldness necessary for it to succeed had been watered down. . This doctrine stressed speed of manoeuvre and attacking the enemy where he was weakest, and usually this meant attacking the flanks. WHAT ARE YOUR SOURCES? At the outbreak of war in 1914, Schlieffens plan would be altered by Moltke, but it would never be fully implemented as he envisioned. They were aided in this by a heroic and legendary effort, which was celebrated ever afterward, as hundreds of taxicabs600 of them, to be precisebrought troops that had been stationed in Paris itself out to the battlefield, shuttling these men back and forth to get them to the places where they needed to be. 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. 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. The second reason is the Russian army getting mobilized quickly. Subscribe to our channel and dont miss our new episodes every Thursday. Belgium relied upon its concrete fortifications to hold up the Germans. 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? It was hoped that Paris itself would be surroundedFrench armies and French leadershipand that this would represent a military masterpiece, a battle of annihilation. He thought that war was inevitable. What was the Schlieffen plan? France would surrender once Paris was taken, and then Germany would attack Russia. Nearly every country nowadays will plan for future conflicts. [], 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 Great War. It was only defeated by the Battle of the Marne. WHO IS REPLYING TO MY COMMENTS? 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. Conclusion This caused the plan to fail because the army was now stuck in a battle of trench warfare and this bogged down their advance and meant that other countries including Rusia had more time to prepare. Find out more about how the BBC is covering the. French forces were in full retreat. The First World War, Vintage, 2000.Hastings, Max. Schlieffen insisted on an immediate attack on France in 1905 as a preventive war, arguing that Russia had just been defeated by the Japanese and France was involved in a crisis in Morocco. Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail? The English and French troops were able to stop the Germans before they reached Paris. But it turned out to be an ugly way of wearing everyone down during World War I Eventually, it led to Germany's downfall. Read more. Shortcomings of the plan: Why didn't the Schlieffen Plan work? Keep reading to learn more Schlieffen Plan facts. Failure forced Germany to settle into a brutal war of attrition that dramatically lowered their probability of victory in World War I. Count Alfred von Schlieffen died on January 4th, 1913. A series of battles followed. In addition, as the Germans marched through France, their advance slowed. war, France, Germany, Britain, Russia, Belgium, Schlieffen Plan. But from time to time, Indy reads and answers comments with his personal account, too. 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. 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 Schlieffen Plan What is a Schlieffen Plan. This was the opportunity the allies had been waiting for. It was a plan for Germany to avoid fighting at its eastern and western fronts at the same time. 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. This is due to the fact that the failure prolonged the . Germany and their allies would invade France through Belgium, instead of directly attacking. 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. Interested in reaching out? The Schlieffen Plan called for Germany to take the offensive and attack France. Nearly two million soldiers fought. The action of Russia determined when Germany had to start her attack on France. 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. Germany, therefore, could eliminate one while the other was kept in check. The resistance of the Belgians and the BEF prevented this. They might not need to send ground troops or use up their people. This failure had great significance as it largely impacted World War I. They thought that Russia would be slower than Germany because they needed more time to gather their soldiers. 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. In pursuing that goal of total annihilation, Schlieffen also broke with Moltke, whose strategy sought to neutralize ones opponent. 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. Use a private browsing window to sign in. The Schlieffen plan was also the only Germany's plan for war ("GCSE Bitesize: Extra Facts." BBC. The UK would not get involved. What happened as a result of the failure of the Schlieffen Plan? 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. Instead, they fought on land. At the subsequent Battle of the Marne a heroic effort by the French defenders repulsed the Germans and sent them retreating back. The Schlieffen plan failed because Germans underestimated Russia and the plan depended on rapid deployment, which was resisted by Belgium. What was Belgium? Your email address will not be published. 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. ), check out our partner sites KidsKonnect, SchoolHistory, and HelpTeaching for hundreds of facts, worksheets, activities, quizzes, courses, and more! The strategy had originally been developed in the 1890s by Count Alfred von Schlieffen. As German armies approached Paris, the French government packed up and fled to Bordeaux. But Germany said that if the Belgian government didnt let German troops go through its land, it would be an enemy. It also assumed that Germany would defeat France in less than six weeks. Due to the Schlieffen Plan, a war against Russia in the east forced the Germans to immediately make war against France in the west. At dawn on 10 May, the Germans began an invasion of Belgium and the Netherlands. The plan, however, was flawed from the start. It called for the violation of Belgian and Dutch neutrality by invading both those countries to achieve surprise in a vast attack on France. One element that was lacking from the German army in 1914 was the ability to move long distances quickly. History. The Belgians fell back to Antwerp, their last redoubt, leaving the Germans free to advance through the rest of the country. On August 7, the main citadel of Liege, a key strategic point that was supposed to hold up the German advance, was captured. The plan for this strategy, which Schlieffen, the German General Staff created, had an important effect on the war. Stressing the cult of the offensive, Plan XVII tended to underestimate German reserves that could be deployed in the defense of these territories and, in a very real sense, played into the expectations of the Schlieffen Plan. 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. Some people say that the generals caused the war. The Allies believed that 'blitzkrieg' was dependent on new technology, such as tanks and dive-bombers Nonetheless, Paris was to be defended. This meant that German would be attacked on both sides of her country. 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. Die Bchse der Pandora: Geschichte des Ersten Weltkrieges, C.H. Moltke ordered a German withdrawal toward the River Aisne. With this approach in mind, the French army was sent to man France's heavily fortified border with Germany, the Maginot Line, and to await a German attack. Der Erste Weltkrieg. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Despite the difficulties the Schlieffen Plan actually looked as if it might succeed. 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. Though not confirmed, allegedly after the failure at Marne the defeated General Moltke reported to Kaiser Wilhelm II, Your majesty, we have lost the war.. Germany could place their military might on one frontier, and then move it to another one. After von Schlieffen died, this plan was further worked on and altered by Helmuth von Moltke, his successor. The Schlieffen plan was designed to encircle the French in Belgium and cut off their retreat to the Marne. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. This plan was to attack France (while Russia mobilized its army) and then attack Russia. Fighting the British and French together on the Western Front was never part of the German strategy. Your email address will not be published. If successful, Germany would move troops from the French front to the Russian front within a weeks time using modernized railways (trains). Germany went to war with Russia on August 1st, 1914. Aufmarsch II West was intended to be the main German strategy in a two front war with France and Russia. First, they underestimated how quickly the Russians could deploy their troops. Should one nation go to war, it could drag virtually the entire continent along with it. Six days of battles followed, known collectively as the Battle of the Marne. 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. 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. Move and position individuals in accordance with their plan of care El Plan de Santa Barbara This essay was written by a fellow student. Though a seemingly logical idea, the Schlieffen plan failed tragically for the Germans. https://www.history.com/news/was-germany-doomed-in-world-war-i-by-the-schlieffen-plan. This view that the Germans used technology, namely the tank and the dive-bomber, to create a new and unique form of warfare has often dominated understanding of how the Germans fought in World War Two. 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. Please leave a comment below Cancel reply. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Email or phone. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The plan was to invade France and capture Paris before the Russians could mobilize. The Schlieffen Plan was the name of the German grand strategy for fighting a two-front war against France and Russia. This assumption proved to be false, as Britain joined the war just days after the German invasion of Belgium. It took little account of Allied counter-moves. 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. What would have happened if the Schlieffen Plan had succeeded? blitzkrieg was not a brand-new way of waging war. 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. Great Britain subsequently declared war on Germany for violating Belgiums neutrality. It seemed to some that this represented the triumph of military technology over old-style fortifications, a success, for the cult of the offensive. https://www.military.com/history/world-war-i-schlieffen-plan.html, https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-one/causes-of-world-war-one/the-schlieffen-plan/, https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/world-history/the-schlieffen-plan. The German Army was moving too fast for their supply lines to keep up, and the soldiers were weary and underfed. The Schlieffen plan could only have worked if events had gone perfectly. From the operational ideas of Schlieffen they placed the emphasis on speed, flank attacks, encirclements and decisive battle.