Explain How The Schlieffen Plan Was Meant To Work

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Explain How The Schlieffen Plan Was Meant To Work

Britain and France signed the Entente Cordiale (friendly understanding) during 1904. Germany was seen as a perceived threat so consequently Britain and France wished to have higher levels of co-operation with her. Negotiations had also begun to arise to accumulate Russia with this alliance; the German military began to expect an attack from these three powers, which is what led to the decision of the Schlieffen Plan.

Alfred von Schlieffen, German Army Chief of Staff, was appointed to start devising a strategy, with an objective that would prevent Germany fighting a war on two fronts in December 1905. This preceded the Dual Entente that was agreed between France and Russia that meant if a stronger power invaded one of them; the other in turn would join the war with their counterpart. Due to this Germany felt encircled, and they believed the way to win a war on two fronts was to defeat one of them first, not simultaneously.

This power was to be France, as Germany knew that Russia would take about six weeks to mobilise all of their troops. This was crucial, as it should give them just enough time to conquer France to then direct their attention to the Eastern Front before Russia could react. Russia’s inability to mobilise quickly was key to Schlieffen’s Plan, the roots of this was due to the vast landscape throughout their country, but most importantly it circled around their very poor infrastructure, including their heavy defeat to Japan in 1905 which damaged both their industry and economy. This meant it was vitally important to force France to surrender before Russia was ready to use all its forces. Kaiser Wilhelm II was quoted once having said, “Paris for lunch, dinner at St. Petersburg” (World History p.92), a rather quick assumption bearing in mind their situation.

To begin with Schlieffen decided to pass Paris by the right wing to the west of the city. His plan insisted of capturing most of the French army and force France to surrender, rather than damaging industry to weaken French efforts among the war fronts. In order to do so he would collate 90% of his most able troops attend the western front to make an overwhelming assault with Paris as their main goal. Schlieffen feared the many French forts, which lay on the border with Germany. To overcome this he suggested a scythe like offensive through Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. The other 10% of his army was to be deported on the Eastern front in the case that Russia advanced within the expected time if they were to mobilise quickly. The route that they planned is as shown on picture 1.

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The strongest army along the right wing that consisted of 90% of his troops attacked down the western front. The main route to get there was through the flat plains of Flanders. This was to be accomplished quickly due the neutral grounds and flat land of Belgium, with little or no resistance at all from the Belgians. The first wave of attack called for a great wheeling movement through Belgium, this would allow the German army to circle behind Paris and capture the French at the Gura Mountains and the Swiss frontier. Although this plan was severely halted by ...

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