Page 18 - History of War - Issue 01-14

THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN

A solution to the problem was drawn up
by German Field Marshal Count Alfred von
Schlieffen. Rather than attack the Eastern and
Western Fronts simultaneously, he suggested
that Germany should quickly defeat the French
(whom it had overcome in a matter of weeks
in 1870) before the much larger Russian
Army had a chance to mobilise, then launch an
attack on their unprepared eastern foe. And so,
ON SCHLIEFFEN
V V ON SCHLIEFFEN westward the German military machine rolled…
VON SCHLIEFFEN
SUGGESTED THAT
SUGGESTED THAT
SUGGESTED THAT Swift and decisive
When the Germans invaded France, most
military thinkers in every country expected the
GERMANY SHOULD GERMANY SHOULD
GERMANY SHOULD
war to be swift and decisive. The Industrial
Revolution had provided the combatants with
QUICKL Y the new weaponry and the great industrial might
new weaponry that would make it so. In reality,
QUICKLY DEFEAT THE DEFEAT THE
hen chauffeur Leopold Lojka
of the belligerent nations would make offensives
took a wrong turn while driving
costly and futile, but military planners would
FRENCH BEFORE THE
in Sarajevo one summer’s
cling to their offensive beliefs like grim death.
The French Army, numbering some two million
morning in 1914, little did he
men under the command of General Joseph
know that he was also about
RUSSIANS HAD A
Joffre, was wedded to the idea of an audacious
to change the course of history
and affect the lives of millions
attack aimed at achieving a Napoleonic-style
of young men. His passengers
were Archduke Franz Ferdinand,
Plan 17, called for a mass invasion of the
heir-apparent to the Austro-
German-held states of Alsace-Lorraine. Joffre
Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie, who CHANCE TO MOBILISE decisive victory. Its offensive scheme, dubbed
and his Generals believed that French fi ghting
were visiting the Bosnian capital on business. demands, giving Austria-Hungary an excuse to spirit, or èlan, would make up for what Plan
Hours before, a young soldier with connections declare war, which it did on 28 July 1914. 17 lacked in subtlety. But the plan had several
to Serbian militant group the Black Hand – who The crisis quickly escalated into what we weaknesses, including the fact that it left much
were seeking independence for Slavic people now know as the Great War, with Russia of northern France thinly defended. Such details
from Austro-Hungarian rule – had attempted to stating its allegiance to its protégé Serbia, and mattered little to the French, who planned to
assassinate the couple by throwing a bomb at Austria-Hungary’s neighbour Germany – ruled by sweep forward so fast that any German riposte
their limousine, but had failed to hit his targets. Emperor Wilhelm II, or “Kaiser Bill” – reacting would come too late to stave off their defeat.
Now, as the car trundled off the beaten track, it by declaring war on Russia. France and Britain The BEF numbered but 150,000 men under
caught the attention of a second assassin from then condemned the Kaiser’s aggressive stance the command of Sir John French, and it entered
the group, Gavrilo Princip, who was relaxing at a (especially when he moved his troops into the French plans almost as an after-thought.
café. Seizing his chance, he fi red seven rounds. neutral Belgium). All of which left the Germans The French expected their victory to be so swift
Unlike his comrade, he didn’t miss. facing a threat on both sides: Russia to the that the BEF would barely have time to reach
For Austria-Hungary, already irked by Serbian east, and Britain and France to the west – French soil before the war was over. As a result,
interference in Bosnia, the assassination was although the Kaiser wasn’t too fazed by Britain, Joffre relegated it to the northernmost portion
the fi nal straw. Its government drew up a list of calling the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) of the line, furthest from Alsace-Lorraine and
ten intentionally unacceptable demands for the “a contemptible little army”. (The BEF, with seemingly furthest from trouble.
Serbs, known as the July Ultimatum, then waited customary aplomb, turned the pejorative term In formulating his plan, von Schlieffen realised
for the inevitably reluctant response. Sure into a compliment and referred to themselves that the French would probably attempt to
enough, Belgrade agreed to only eight of the ever after as the “Old Contemptibles”.) seize their lost states of Alsace-Lorraine, and
The timid General General Helmuth
General Helmuth von Moltke succeeded Alfred von von Moltke (right)
Schlieffen as Chief of the German General Staff in 1906.
Von Moltke saw fit to make several alterations to the

Schlieffen Plan. Afraid of losing too much territory, he

weakened the right flank of the German advance and
strengthened the defensive formations in Alsace-Lorraine.
As the war began, the General remained far behind the
front lines and lost touch with his advancing forces. As
a result, he overestimated the success of the German
advance. Adding to his difficulties was a Russian invasion

on the Eastern Front and a British landing at Antwerp. The
Schlieffen Plan called for German forces to ignore such
distractions and to focus on the speedy defeat of France,

but von Moltke’s confidence wavered. He removed troops

from the right flank of the German advance to deal with
the perceived threats. The Schlieffen Plan was shattered.
Furthermore, von Moltke’s mistakes helped lead to
the critical Battle of the Marne. At this pivotal point, he
yet again lost contact with his forces and sent Richard
Hentsch, a mere Colonel, to the front to deal with the
situation. His control lost and his nerve broken, von Moltke
abandoned the offensive. Constant tinkering and timidity
had led the Germans to a strategic defeat that would
ultimately help transform the war into a stalemate. On 14
September 1914, von Moltke was relieved of his command.
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