Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail?

Question 1

Russian Mobilisation

Answer 1

• more quickly than expected
• continued to engage with G army

Question 2

What were the 6 main reasons of the failure? (RIPE BB)

Answer 2

Russian mobilisation
Isolation
Paris
Exhaustion
Belgium resistance
BEF

Question 3

Russian Mobilisation: how many troops did G have to send out of the army advancing into Paris?

Answer 3

120,000 troops

Question 4

Isolation (2)

Answer 4

• French had to regroup after heavy defeat of Alsace-Lorraine
• moved their forces to defend Paris

Question 5

Paris: what did the modification of the Sch. Plan allow B to do?

Answer 5

continue to send troops ashore as the English Channel ports were not attacked

Question 6

Paris

Answer 6

G forces moved South rather than encircle Paris (remember - Moltke modified the Sch. Plan)

Question 7

Exhaustion (2)

Answer 7

• due to isolation
• G were finding it difficult to keep their army supplied with food & ammunition

Question 8

Exhaustion: what happened during Aug?

Answer 8

• There were long marches
• under the summer heat = led to devastating conditions

Question 9

Belgium Resistance (3)

Answer 9

• G high command found the plan too daring
• so he changed the route of attack
• he avoided Holland and took a more direct and narrower rout through Belgium

Question 10

Belg Resistance: how many G troops marched into Belgium?

Answer 10

1 million

Question 11

Belg. Resistance: why didn’t they expect any resistance? (3)

Answer 11

• Belg. was a neutral country
• had only 150,000 soldiers
• were underestimated

Question 12

Belg. Resistance: impact on G (2)

Answer 12

• G didn’t expect a fierce Belgium resistance
• it DELAYED the G

Question 12

BEF: how many soldiers sent to France?

Answer 12

120,000

Question 13

BEF: what did they manage to do? (2)

Answer 13

• SLOW DOWN the G advance
• made G fail to reach Paris in 6 weeks (part of the Sch. Plan)

Question 14

BEF: in which battle did they manage to slow the G down?

Answer 14

The Battle of Mons