It was an ambitious plan designed to avoid Germany having to fight a two-front war against France and Russia. 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. At precisely the same time the Schlieffen Plan was put into action, its opposite, the Frenchs Plan XVII, was enacted. Around 25% of the men who fought at the Marne were killed or injured. https://www.history.com/news/was-germany-doomed-in-world-war-i-by-the-schlieffen-plan. It is said that German advance troops could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. In addition, as the Germans marched through France, their advance slowed. The battle was in France, 30 miles from Paris. The failure of the Schlieffen Plan Causes of WW1, First World War, Other History Topics. why did the schlieffen plan fail bbc bitesize; why did the schlieffen plan fail bbc bitesize . The objective of the alliance was to encourage co-operation against the perceived threat of Germany. 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. France couldnt win because it didnt have a plan with Russia. In 1914, German units inevitably outfought their opponents whenever they encountered each other on the battlefield. First World War resources. Von Moltke changed certain aspects of the plan. Great Britain subsequently declared war on Germany for violating Belgiums neutrality. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. Tanks, motor vehicles and aircraft merely enabled the Wehrmacht to apply these principles more efficiently. 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. Germany went to war with the plan of Helmuth von Moltke. The strategy had originally been developed in the 1890s by Count Alfred von Schlieffen. With Germanys defeat in 1918, the German military blamed the Schlieffen Plan as flawed and the cause of their defeat. The action of Russia determined when Germany had to start her attack on France. The bridges of Paris were mined in preparation for blowing them up in case the German troops reached the capital. It was devised by and named after German Field Marshal Count Alfred . The plan. The rest of the German forces had to fall back to keep in line with them. With that plan, Schlieffen believed, Gemany could defeat France within six weeks, the campaign concluding with a decisive super Cannae in the south. It relied on maintaining a near-impossible momentum. Q: What was the purpose of the Schlieffen Plan? 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. BBC, n.d Web.). Please feel free to fill out our Contact Form. 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. Russia also supported the Balkan region, including Serbia. WHAT IS THE GREAT WAR PROJECT? Germany wanted to avoid this at all costs. That army should have landed on the western side of Paris so as to encircle the city. Moltke ordered a German withdrawal toward the River Aisne. It was only defeated by the Battle of the Marne. The French advance east would make it easier for the Schlieffen Plan to envelop the French army when it hinged south after making its way through Belgium. Find out on AlternateHistoryHub: http://bit.ly/1VJ9T0UThe Schlieffen Plan was the blueprint for Germany's army to avoid a two-front war with Russia and France. But from time to time, Indy reads and answers comments with his personal account, too. In other words, he foresaw the need to maintain the initiative. Repelled by the waste and indecisiveness of trench warfare, they returned to the ideas of Schlieffen, and in 1921 the army published its new doctrine, Command and Combat with Combined Arms. Updates? It was made for the army of the German Empire in 1905. Your email address will not be published. That would lead to a war on two fronts, dividing Germanys military resources. 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. Indy explains the numerous reasons why the Schlieffen Plan was doomed to fail. This was shown when there was a lot of killing at the Battle of Verdun in 1916. 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? In truth, as events proved, they were completely unprepared to face Hitler's Wehrmacht. It was a plan for Germany to avoid fighting at its eastern and western fronts at the same time. Russia would then be defeated in two weeks at most and with minimal losses to German troops. The Maginot Line: the Allies expected a protracted, defensive war And the ideas that shaped how Hitler's army fought were influenced by the fighting methods German soldiers had used since the 1870s. This caught French troops off-guard and they soon surrendered. Fighting in late August caused General Karl von Blow, commander of the Second Army, serious problems. The Schlieffen Plan was a German war strategy theorised by Alfred von Schlieffen and enacted in 1914 by Helmuth von Moltke. For the full article, see, https://www.britannica.com/summary/Schlieffen-Plan. Once France was defeated then troops would be sent from the west to the east to launch a subsequent counterattack on the Russians. A small, neutral country. They'd expected Belgium not to fight back and allow German control but Belgium did. While the Allies suffered as heavily as the Germans, they gained a strategic victory. French and British forces counterattacked on the Marne from September 6 to 10, 1914. France had to end the war. If needed, Germany would also take part in a holding operation on the Russian/German border. It was named after its developer, Count Alfred von Schlieffen (18331913), former chief of the German general staff. 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. Kluck believed it was a safe move as he knew of no significant concentrations of enemy troops near Paris. The plan failed mainly because it was based on the assumptions which were highly unrealistic and not even under the control of German planners. German leaders called this plan Aufmarsch II West. Contrary to the beliefs of the Allied military establishment of the day, however, blitzkrieg was not a brand-new way of waging war. The Schlieffen Plan was put into action by Von Moltke on August 2, 1914. This was the opportunity the allies had been waiting for. In World War I, the Schlieffen Plan was conceived by German general General Alfred von Schlieffen and involved a surprise attack on France. Schlieffen envisioned the attack would take no more than 6 weeks, as the capture of Paris and encirclement of the French army would lead France to seek peace. Ironically, this is exactly what Germany was anticipating. This was a crucial moment: it was an admission that the Schlieffen Plan had ultimately not succeeded and was the beginning of trench warfare. Interested in reaching out? World War One. Germany faced a war on two fronts. Instead, Germany went on the offensive on the Western Front, despite not having the manpower. The Belgians fell back to Antwerp, their last redoubt, leaving the Germans free to advance through the rest of the country. At the center of Europe, it might find itself forced to fight against both France in the west and Russia in the east. To accomplish this, he advocated the use of the. So he only needed a small defensive force toward Russia while Germany was fighting France. Germany also had better-trained troops. Schlieffen wished to emulate Hannibal by provoking an Entscheidungsschlacht (decisive battle), using a massive force, in a single act, to bring a swift and conclusive victory. https://www.britannica.com/event/Schlieffen-Plan, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Schlieffen Plan, Russia had just been defeated by the Japanese. They advanced a hundred miles in France. Regardless of the historical accuracy of those words, the failure dashed German hopes for a quick victory on the Western Front. Schlieffen himself must take some of the blame for this confusion. Life in the Trenches After the initial invasion of France by the Germans, the Allied troops pushed the German troops back to a stalemate position. The combination of the execution of the wrong strategy and a series of key incorrect assumptions is why the Schlieffen Plan failed. Since he did a good job there, he was promoted to Chief of the German General Staff. 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 But it turned out to be an ugly way of wearing everyone down during World War I. 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. Europe Goes To War, Knopf, 2013.Hirschfeld, Gerhard. He joined the army when he turned 18 years old. It was thought up by a German general by the name of Alfred Von Schlieffen. Why were Pacifists opposed to the war? These units had the freedom to fight as they thought best, without having to refer constantly to a higher commander. Schlieffen Plan In 1904 France and Britain signed the Entente Cordiale (friendly understanding). The British Navy was also checking on ships to see if there was food for Germany. Schlieffen had great respect for the powers of France and Russia and knew Germany stood little chance in an all-out simultaneous two front war against both. German troops rushed through Belgium and Luxembourg into France. In early August, the enemies clashed. 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. answer choices Russia mobilised its army more quickly than expected. The Great War. 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. This led to Germany sending more troops from France to Russia, which reduced the number of troops on the Western Front. They might not need to send ground troops or use up their people. The plan failed because it wasnt realistic, requiring a flawless unfolding of events which never occurs in wartime. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In the Battle of Jutland, both sides claimed victory. On that day, it also declared war on France and sent its army through Belgium to attack Paris. They thought that Russia would be slower than Germany because they needed more time to gather their soldiers. It seemed to some that this represented the triumph of military technology over old-style fortifications, a success, for the cult of the offensive. 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. One notable exception is the Schlieffen Plan. 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. It was crafted by the German General Staff over a decade beyond Schleiffen's original formulation. The German offensive and modified Schlieffen Plan had failed. Aufmarsch II was an impractical plan. France and Russia could then launch simultaneous offensives that Germany would have little chance of defeating. This is not true. This forced the Germans to close the gap, though this meant that the western most army did not go far enough west. War never goes perfectly, and so the plan failed. This time, though, rather than invading France by way of North Belgium, Germany defied Frances expectations by invading instead from South Belgium. Moltke estimated six weeks for deployment, leading Germany to believe France could be defeated before the Russians fully mobilized. Germany had trouble controlling the seas and that is one reason they lost the war. Because of that, the French had fortified this road with new forts. It likely means that France would have invaded Germany, but at least they were busy with taking back their land. Learn more. Use a private browsing window to sign in. The Schlieffen plan was made before World War I. It called for 80% of German forces along the western border, and 20% on the eastern border. All of these reasons combined to make the Schlieffen plan fail. We are also happy to get your feedback, criticism or ideas in the comments. 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. A series of battles followed. He fought in wars against other countries like Austria-Prussia and France. Following an order from Colonel Hentsch, German forces fell back to the Aisne River and began to dig in. Schlieffens plan was a sweeping, bold conception of how to achieve victory in a two-front war. The original Schlieffen Plan was later changed by other military leaders. Without checking with his superiors, Kluck swung his forces southeast. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. It is easy to argue that the failure of the Schlieffen plan was a failure of execution. Answer (1 of 8): Broadly speaking, the plan was too ambitious. Required fields are marked *. The Upper Rhine to the Swiss border and the Lower Alsace were to be defended by Landwehr brigades. If Germany stood on the defensive, Russia could complete its mobilization while France brought her reserves to combat effectiveness. 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. Then General Alexander von Kluck, commander of the German First Army, made a critical error. It does have some truth in it, but there is more to it than this statement says. Through swift action, the Germans would outflank their enemies through the Low Countries, force France to surrender, and then turn to fight Russia. Their weapons and strategies had moved on in 25 years, and they did not fall as easily as Schlieffen had anticipated. It was designed for a war between France on one side and the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and Italy on the other. The man who crafted it was the German general chief of staff, General Alfred von Schlieffen. To read more on what we're all about, learn more about us here. 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. Of course, you can embed our videos on your website. P.S. The events in May and June 1940 proved that this outdated vision of war could not have been further from reality. The plan was devised and wargamed in 1905 by then-Chief of the General Staff of the German Army, Alfred von Schlieffen. Raymond Limbach is an independent historian who has an M.A. However, many things came from the Schlieffen plans failure. Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail? The Schlieffen Plans emphasized a huge concentration of force on the right wing, whereby the German movement would come plunging through northern France. Upon discovering that they were overextended and in peril of being simply overwhelmed by the German advance, both British and French forces moved back in a fast retreat, seeking a place to make a concerted stand. Learn More: The Impact of World War INew World Disorder. The Teaching Company, LLC. This is a transcript from the video series World War I: The Great War. In 1914, the war began. He was wrong. Strategist and German corps commander Gen. Friedrich Adolf von Bernhardi was strongly critical of Schlieffen, arguing that the need for manpower and the creation of new units would weaken the regular army. As well as the fact that Germany's army simply wasn't strong enough. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. This was the way German armies had taken during the Franco-Prussian war in the past. The second reason is the Russian army getting mobilized quickly. Updates? Germany, therefore, could eliminate one while the other was kept in check. It is famous not for its cunning and careful calculation, but for its failure. Keep reading to learn more Schlieffen Plan facts. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Schlieffen also stressed the need to keep the enemy reacting to German moves. A Complete History, Holt Paperbacks, 2004.Hart, Peter. 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. 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? Wirkung, Wahrnehmung, Analyse, Seehamer Verlag GmbH, 2000Leonhard, Jrn. Gerhard Ritter, a prominent German historian, published those studies in 1956 and concluded that the Schlieffen Plan was German doctrine prior to World War I. The Schlieffen plan could only have worked if events had gone perfectly. At the centre of the Schlieffen Plan was that France would be defeated first, making it difficult for Russia and Britain to continue fighting. The English and French troops were able to stop the Germans before they reached Paris. The Schlieffen plan was made before World War I. From the Lecture Series: World War IThe Great War, December 1, 2017 History, Military History, World History. He made the Schlieffen Plan in 1905. However, if considered from the perspective of tactical competence, the plan can be considered as successful. Find out on AlternateHistoryHub: http://bit.ly/1VJ9T0UThe Schlieffen Plan was the blueprint fo. 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. Negotiations also began to add Russia to this alliance. In pursuing that goal of total annihilation, Schlieffen also broke with Moltke, whose strategy sought to neutralize ones opponent. The BEF was sent to join the line of French troops defending the border with Belgium. Multiple mysteries in the disappearance of pilot Amelia Earhart and finally a possible answer. Alfred von Schlieffen was the Chief of the Imperial German army between 1891 and 1906. 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. 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. 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. Schlieffen anticipated fierce French resistance, and thus knew that success depended on the deployment of the entire Germany army against France. They moved through Belgium, then plunged into France. Schlieffen was very worried about Germanys position with Russia and France. 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. Von Moltke made changes to the plan. 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. Belgium refused to let Germany pass through their land without fighting. It called for the violation of Belgian and Dutch neutrality by invading both those countries to achieve surprise in a vast attack on France. The Schlieffen Plan was the name of the German grand strategy for fighting a two-front war against France and Russia. Belgium relied upon its concrete fortifications to hold up the Germans. 2015. Your email address will not be published. Corrections? As the German army moved through France and turned south they made it to within 20 miles of Paris, near the Marne River. 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. The boldness necessary for it to succeed had been watered down. To avoid that situation, Schlieffen planned to attack France first, while Russia was still mobilizing. The Schlieffen Plan was a strategic plan made by Count Alfred von Schlieffen, who worked for the German navy. 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'. the lack of communication between Copyright 2023 History in Charts | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. In practice, however, both plans broke down in disaster. The Schlieffen plan failed because Germans underestimated Russia and the plan depended on rapid deployment, which was resisted by Belgium. Thus, in order to win, Schlieffen knew the German army would have to defeat its opponents quickly and decisively. His plan was revised at the outbreak of World War I. Belgium told them to stop. Moltke watered down the plan. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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 . At the same time, another factor came into play that had not been expected quite so soon. Fighting the British and French together on the Western Front was never part of the German strategy. They all came together and supported WWI. As German armies approached Paris, the French government packed up and fled to Bordeaux. While the French, Belgians, and British were not doing well, they were not doing as badly as predicted in the original plan. English. Once one ally was defeated, Germany would be able to combine its forces to defeat the other through massive troop concentration and rapid deployment. 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. 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'. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It also assumed that Germany would defeat France in less than six weeks. Before 1914-18, Germany had perceived itself as surrounded by enemies who were superior both in numbers and resources. 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. After Schlieffens retirement as Chief of Staff in 1906, it was updated by his successor, Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke. WHO IS REPLYING TO MY COMMENTS? It comes close to total victory at Mons and Charleroi where the BEF and French 5th Armies barely escape destruction.
