Not your computer? Alfred von Schlieffen was born in Berlin. Schlieffen anticipated fierce French resistance, and thus knew that success depended on the deployment of the entire Germany army against France. 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. Six weeks later, Europe found itself on the brink of the 20th centurys first world war. That last group was to block any French attempt to counterattack, and it could be detached and transported to the extreme right if necessary. One day later, Germany invaded Belgium because of the Schlieffen Plan. In other words, he foresaw the need to maintain the initiative. in Land Warfare (International Perspective) with honors and a graduate certificate in German Military Studies from the American Military University. 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. The failure of the Schlieffen Plan ultimately forced Germany to fight a two-front war from which they could not overcome and did not have the colonies to support the war . Schlieffen Plan , Plan of attack used by the German armies at the outbreak of World War I. If you have interesting historical questions, just post them and we will answer in our OUT OF THE TRENCHES videos. The Schlieffen plan was designed to encircle the French in Belgium and cut off their retreat to the Marne. Since its inception, the Russians had improved militarily, and he did not want to have them invade Germany while he fought France. As Schlieffen retired from service in 1906, Helmuth von Moltke (the Younger) went on to replace him. Then Russia was quicker to respond than the Germans thought. Seeing that Kluck had extended his forces and exposed his right flank, he saw a weakness to exploit. Corrections? The Schlieffen plan failed mainly because the Belgians put up a fight, the Russians mobilised quicker than expected, and the plan was changed. 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. The second reason is the Russian army getting mobilized quickly. To accomplish this, he advocated the use of the flexible command system pioneered by Helmuth von Moltke the Elder. 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. Schlieffen favored the use of a strong defense, followed by a devastating counter-offensive to defeat Germanys enemies. war, France, Germany, Britain, Russia, Belgium, Schlieffen Plan. It is thus that he devised several different strategies in 1905 for various potential future conflicts. Schlieffen and his successor, Helmuth von Moltke the Younger, trained the German army well in what they termed Bewegungskrieg, or 'war of manoeuvre'. In March 1918, they found such a means. It is easy to argue that the failure of the Schlieffen plan was a failure of execution. German troops rushed through Belgium and Luxembourg into France. https://www.britannica.com/event/Schlieffen-Plan, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Schlieffen Plan, Russia had just been defeated by the Japanese. 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. Wirkung, Wahrnehmung, Analyse, Seehamer Verlag GmbH, 2000Leonhard, Jrn. The Schlieffen Plan was a German war strategy theorised by Alfred von Schlieffen and enacted in 1914 by Helmuth von Moltke. France had to end the war. It took little account of Allied counter-moves. The attack in 1914 was almost successful. Their solution was to fight Russia and France at the same time. Timeline of the History of the United States. This plan, named Aufmarsch I West, is what is now known as the Schlieffen Plan of WWI. This doctrine integrated the operational-level ideas taught by Schlieffen with the tactical concepts developed during World War One. 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. This was the way German armies had taken during the Franco-Prussian war in the past. France couldnt win because it didnt have a plan with Russia. Germany and their allies would invade France through Belgium, instead of directly attacking. The German armies, in an alteration of the plan, did not come around Paris to encircle it but instead began their inward turn that had been projected for the Schlieffen Plan, further east. The Schlieffen Plan changed a little as the European tension increased. It relied on maintaining a near-impossible momentum. 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 himself must take some of the blame for this confusion. In the Battles of the Frontiers, the Germans send their opponents reeling again and again. 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. Der Erste Weltkrieg. A Short History, Penguin, 2008.Keegan, John. The Great War. It was crafted by the German General Staff over a decade beyond Schleiffen's original formulation. With Germanys defeat in 1918, the German military blamed the Schlieffen Plan as flawed and the cause of their defeat. 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. Email or phone. Russia would then be defeated in two weeks at most and with minimal losses to German troops. Recognising that battlefield conditions changed rapidly and that orders often became overtaken by events, the German army encouraged its commanders to make decisions without waiting for orders from above, thus allowing them to take advantage of fleeting opportunities as they arose. Copyright 2023 History in Charts | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. 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 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. 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. 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). However, if considered from the perspective of tactical competence, the plan can be considered as successful. 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. This plan would make use of the extensive German rail network to quickly move troops between fronts and defeat each nation one at a time. In practice, however, both plans broke down in disaster. Plan XVII, which was launched on August 14, 1914, broke against German defenses in Lorraine and suffered enormous losses. Despite this, Germany fought off the British and advanced into French territory by the end of August. The German Army was moving too fast for their supply lines to keep up, and the soldiers were weary and underfed. Fighting in late August caused General Karl von Blow, commander of the Second Army, serious problems. The German general Schlieffen counted on two things. They had promised to protect Belgium from enemies back in 1839. Nonetheless, there were remarkable and celebrated successes that gave a sense of optimism about enacting the Schlieffen Plan. This plan was designed by General Count Alfred von Schlieffen in December, 1905, with the aim of defeating France and Russia. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. It was a plan for Germany to avoid fighting at its eastern and western fronts at the same time. 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. Q: What was the purpose of the Schlieffen Plan? Once in French territory, the German attackers would then pivot south in a hinge-like movement, enveloping the French army. His plan was revised at the outbreak of World War I. During the march south through France a hole formed between the main German forces. Instead, Germany went on the offensive on the Western Front, despite not having the manpower. Interested in reaching out? Shocked by their experience, the Allied military observers who had survived the fall of France attributed their defeat to the completely new form of warfare pioneered by the Wehrmacht - the blitzkrieg. But his influence continued after that day. The original Schlieffen Plan was later changed by other military leaders. 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. Guderain recognised the importance of tanks Always outnumbered by its enemies, it would have to match quantity with quality. A classic description of Europe at the time was of a powder keg just waiting to explode. In a two front war the Schlieffen Plan called for a defensive first strategy, followed by strategic counterattacks. This was the opportunity the allies had been waiting for. It was a plan that nearly succeeded but its success could only be measured by being 100% successful. As the German army moved through France and turned south they made it to within 20 miles of Paris, near the Marne River. THE GREAT WAR covers the events exactly 100 years ago: The story of World War I in realtime. units had the freedom to fight as they thought best After their defeat in 1918, German military intellectuals began reshaping the army. 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. It was called the Schlieffen Plan. Moltke talked to Kaiser Wilhelm II after German forces were defeated. 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? Check out these resources that help develop your pupils' understanding of what happened during the Great War and the impact it had. It was devised by and named after German Field Marshal Count Alfred . This happy feeling covered up the dangerous situation Germany was in. Belgium relied upon its concrete fortifications to hold up the Germans. However, a key vulnerability formed in the Germans attack. This failure had great significance as it largely impacted World War I. 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 These units had the freedom to fight as they thought best, without having to refer constantly to a higher commander. The Belgians fell back to Antwerp, their last redoubt, leaving the Germans free to advance through the rest of the country. 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. He is posting links, facts and backstage material on our social media channels. That northernmost force would consist of 5 cavalry divisions, 17 infantry corps, 6 Ersatzkorps (replacement corps), and a number of Landwehr (reserve) and Landsturm (men over the age of 45) brigades. It however had a couple of weaknesses, especially due to Von Moltke's modifications which doomed it to failure. This time, unlike the Allies, the Germans intended to fight the war offensively, and win quickly. For the full article, see, https://www.britannica.com/summary/Schlieffen-Plan. 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. Germany began its execution of the modified Schlieffen Plan on August 4, 1914 with the invasion of neutral Belgium. Since he did a good job there, he was promoted to Chief of the German General Staff. The so-called blitzkrieg of 1940 was really the German doctrine of 1914 with technology bolted on. During World War One, the armies of the two Allies had dug in for what became a long, drawn-out conflict. 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. https://www.history.com/news/was-germany-doomed-in-world-war-i-by-the-schlieffen-plan. This became a concern, the result of which was that the German armies moved closer together.