General War Strategies World War I General War Strategies
European Powers divided into two alliances Triple Alliance 1882 Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary Triple Entente 1907 France, Great Britain, Russia
General War Strategies Plan 17 – France Schlieffen Plan Germany Plan B and R – Austria- Hungary British Plans Serbia US
Germany Remember – France and Russia are in an alliance --- German may have to face a war on two fronts Germany needs a plan ---- France was the immediate threat (because they had an extensive railway system), then Russia A Two-Front Attack
Schlieffen Plan – Germany Created in December 1905 by General Alfred von Schlieffen August 1914 ‘A Two front war with France and Russia’ A two-front attack. On the Russian-German boarder. Russia would need weeks to mobilize, so Germany would defeat France fast and then transfer troops to the Russian Front They would use most of their men and quickly defeat France on the western front with a ‘surprise’ attack (going through the neutral territory of Belgium). The Battle of the Marne. Germany believed they would beat France and then move back to the Russian border to win there. Russians were stronger than they expected, Germany lost on both fronts. The execution of the plan led to Britain declaring war on Germany August 4, 1914 Remember – Russia and France had an alliance since 1894 (4 min video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJXAcl8D51Y
The Schlieffen Plan
Britain declares war on Germany Belgium was neutral. Germany demanded that Belgium let them through on their way to France. On August 4, Britain declared war on Germany for violating Belgium’s neutrality…remember Britain was aligned with France and Russia
Plan 17 - France France’s mobilization plan to recapture their territory of Alsace and Lorrain that was lost in the Franco-Prussia war (1870-1871) Adopted by French General Staff in 1913 Didn’t take into account that Germany may invade France through Belgium (neutrality) Plan put into action in August 1914 Disaster for France Over 300 thousand casualties.
Plan Seventeen
Plan B & R– Austria-Hungary 1914 Plan B – (Balkans) - an invasion of Serbia Three armies attack Serbia and three armies guard the Russian border to prevent an attack from Russia Plan R – Modifications of Plan B against Russian (in case plan B failed) If Russia invaded A-H, then 4 armies here and only 2 to attack Serbia Goal was to prevent Russia from helping Serbia. Failed because AH needed German support and G was sticking to their Schlieffen plan
Plan R
Britain Had no general war strategy. They did not want war to break out and were not looking to expand their territory Britain wanted to protect her interested and trading links When war broke out, Britain came to the aid of Belgium and France
Britain BEF=25 000 troops Elite fighting force— marines Attack Germans from behind as they march through Belgium. Surround them with aid from the French
Serbia If war was declared, they would double their army from 5 divisions to 10 divisions.
United States Plan was to remain neutral This changed with the interception of the Zimmerman Telegraph
Zimmerman Telegram January 1917 See handouts: Telegram, Explanation. http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/what-was-the- zimmermann-telegram
In a matter of weeks…. Austria-Hungary sends an ultimatum to Serbia Serbia (with Russian support) says NO and then they start to mobilize. Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary Germany declares war on Russia Germany declares war on France Germany invades Belgium Britain declares war on Germany US enters the war in April 1917