Reasons for the stalemate

Question 1

What is mobilisation?

Answer 1

The placing of an army in a state of immediate readiness for war.

AJP Taylor: no difference between war and mobilisation for Germany
The prewar plans meant the country’s hands were tied by military prep and mobilisation

Question 2

What does war by timetable mean?

Answer 2

Key to successful mobilisation was railway networks and transport.
Taylor: once the railway timetables were put into action, they couldn’t be halted.

Question 3

What is the Schleifen Plan?

Answer 3

Germany’s strategic war plan against France and Russia. Attack France through Belgium, defend French border, full weight of their army on France like a hammer swing then attack Russia (they would take longer to mobilise).

Question 4

Why did the plan fail due to Moltke’s changes?

Answer 4

• weakened swing due to loss of nerve
• forces restricted to a narrow area (pushing troops through a bottleneck, with a single railway).
• delays gave enemies time to mobilise and for Britain to get into Belgium
• Quick Russian mobilisation- diverted troops
• slowed down by Belgian resistance
• battle of Marne

Question 5

Why is the Battle of Marne important?

Answer 5

Saw the development of trench warfare, taste of what was to come (large losses on both sides), marked the culmination of the Western Front

Question 6

What is plan 17?

Answer 6

French war strategy centred on the recovery of Alsace-Lorraine

Question 7

Why was plan 17 a failure?

Answer 7

• Britain not informed- no cooperation possible
• relied on rapid Russian mobilisation
• old fashioned warfare against deadly, advanced defensive weapons
• left Franco-Belgian border virtually undefended (target of Schleifen plan)

Question 8

What were the expectations of war?

Answer 8

expected a war that would be over quickly (over by Christmas)
Faith in a knockout blow- war of speed and mobility not the holding of positions

Question 9

What was the race to the sea?

Answer 9

Attempted rival outflanking movements aiming to get around the back of the enemy and gaining control of the channel ports.

Question 10

What was the impact of the race to the sea?

Answer 10

When it failed, troops were forced to dig in and a line of trenches gradually stretched from Aisne northwards. - drawn out trench warfare

Question 11

What was the “scrap of paper”?

Answer 11

The German term for the 1838 treaty of London guaranteeing Belgian neutrality - reason for Britains entry into the war against Germany

Question 12

What is fraternisation?

Answer 12

Friendly relations between enemy troops

E.g. Christmas 1914, German and British troops fraternised in no mans land, playing football, sharing drinks and photos