Schlieffen Plan Flashcards
Why was Germany’s weakness Austria?
Austria-Hungary had a small army with many men who were drafted from the Austrian Empire, not wanting to fight.
The war was fought between the…
Central powers - Germany and Austria-Hungary, and the Triple Entente, (the allies): Russia, Britain, and French.
The British army was small but…
Professional. The BEF - British Expeditionary Force - was formed which could be transported quickly to France.
The French had a large army but lacked…
The organisation and efficiency of their German counterparts. They only aimed to capture Alsace-Lorraine, and Russia was poorly equipped.
Why did the Germans make the plan?
They feared a war on two fronts.
The plan was prepared by Count von Schlieffen in 1905. What were the assumptions made?
Russia would take a while to mobilise due to their poor quality of transport.
Meanwhile, the French would be defeated as the Germans would sweep through Belgium, either not being resisted or defeating them quickly, before seizing Paris while the French were distracted at Alsace Lorraine. It was hoped the BEF would arrive too late, and the French would surrender with low morales.
Why did they decide not to take the border of France?
It would be too strong, with fortresses, so the Belgium frontier would be used, despite neutrality.
What was the Belgian resistance?
The Belgians were strongly equipped with deep concrete forts in Antwerp, Liege, and Namur. One million Germans entered on the 3rd of August, only to be met with resistance. Heavy guns were needed to pound resistance, and this gave the BEF time to arrive.
What did the French resistance involve?
The French had attacked Alsace-Lorraine. However, due to the resistance of the Belgians and the BEF, this gave the French time to make a stand on the Marne.
How was the plan changed?
Despite Von Schlieffen’s wishes to keep the right wing strong, the troops at Belgium were 100,000 men short as there were additional troops needed in Russia. Von Moltke, the new commander, ignored his advice. This made the army too weak to carry out the plan.
What other changes were made to the plan?
Schlieffen wanted a sweep through the Netherlands, Luxemburg, and Belgium, but this sweep was made more narrow, and Paris was not encircled, as instead the Germans moved East to make a stand on the Marne.
How did the BEF surprise the Germans?
The British were considered to be a small and weak army.
However, they were ready much earlier, beginning to arrive on the 18th in France. This meant that troops from the East had to be sent to face the BEF.
On the 23rd of August, the British met the Germans on the outskirts of the Mons and though they were outnumbered and had to retreat, this slowed the Germans down.
The Kaiser called the British army a…
‘Contemptible little army.’
The BEF were under the command of…
Sir John French.
The advance through Belgium and into north France left Germans…
Exhausted.
