The Schlieffen Plan

Question 1

How long did it take to draw up the Schlieffen Plan?

Answer 1

nine years

Question 2

Who was Alfred von Schliefffen?

Answer 2

the German army chief-of-staff

Question 3

What was the underlying belief on which the Schlieffen plan was based?

Answer 3

Germany would be facing a war on two fronts

Question 4

What aspects of the Schlieffen Plan was a major contributing factor to the outbreak of war?

Answer 4

• it was a plan of attack

- it wanted to go through neutral Belgium

Question 5

When did the German army ask permission to go through Belgium?

Answer 5

2nd August 1914

Question 6

How long did Russia take to mobilise?

Answer 6

ten days

Question 7

How did Bethmann-Hollweg describe Britain’s 1839 treaty with Belgium?

Answer 7

as a scrap of paper

Question 8

When did Belgium and Britain sign the treaty of London?

Answer 8

1839

Question 9

At what battle was the Schlieffen Plan eventually halted?

Answer 9

Battle of the Marne

Question 10

What were the two main points of the Schlieffen Plan?

Answer 10

• for the German army to sweep through Belgium and defeat France in the first few weeks of war
• this would then allow the German army to move to the Eastern Front to defeat the Russians