The Schlieffen Plan

As World War One began in 1914, Germany found itself facing the possibility of attacks from east and west. The solution, which was soon put into action with German declarations of war against both France and Russia, was the Schlieffen Plan.

Changing Heads of German Strategy

In 1891, Count Alfred von Schlieffen became German Chief of Staff. He had succeeded the wholly successful General Hellmuth von Moltke, who together with Bismarck had won a series of short wars and created the new German Empire. Moltke feared a great European war might result if Russia and France allied against Germany, and decided to counter it by defending in the west against France, and attacking in the east to make small territorial gains. Schlieffen was soon faced with the encirclement Germany feared when Russia and France allied, and he decided to draw up a new plan, one which would seek a decisive German victory on both fronts.

The Schlieffen Plan

The result was the Schlieffen Plan. This involved a rapid mobilization, and the bulk of the entire German army attacking through the western lowlands into northern France, where they would sweep round and attack Paris from behind its defences. France was assumed to be planning – and making – an attack into Alsace-Lorraine (which was accurate), and prone to surrendering if Paris fell (possibly not accurate). This entire operation was expected to take six weeks, at which point the war in the west would be won and Germany would then use its advanced railway system to move its army back to the east to meet the slowly mobilizing Russians. Russia could not be knocked out first, because their army could withdraw for miles deep into Russia if necessary. Despite this being a gamble of the highest order, it was the only real plan Germany had.

There was, however, one major problem. The ‘plan’ was not operational, and wasn’t even really a plan, more a memorandum briefly describing a concept. Indeed, Schlieffen may even have written it just to persuade the government to increase the army, rather than believing it would ever be used. The plan required munitions in excess of what the German army had at that point, although they were developed in time for the war. It also required more troops on hand to attack than could be moved through the roads and railways of France. This problem was not solved.

Moltke Modifies the Plan

Moltke’s nephew, also von Moltke, took over Schlieffen’s role in the early twentieth century. He feared that Russia’s transport system had developed and they could mobilize quicker, so when working out how the plan would be run, he altered it slightly to weaken the west and reinforce the east. However, he ignored the supply and other problems which had been left due to the vagueness of Schlieffen’s plan.

World War One

When war looked likely in 1914, the Germans decided to put the Schlieffen Plan into effect, declaring war on France and attacking with multiple armies in the west, leaving one in the east. However, as the attack went ahead Moltke modified the plan by withdrawing more troops to the east. In addition, commanders on the ground also veered away from the design. The result was the Germans attacking Paris from the north. When the Germans were halted and pushed back at the Battle of the Marne, Moltke was considered to have failed, and replaced in disgrace. A debate over whether the Schlieffen Plan would have worked if left alone began.