Europe in 1914 Archduke

Major Fronts of the Great War

The Schlieffen Plan: 1905 General von Schlieffen. Did not want to fight on 2 fronts Defeat France in 6 weeks. Estimated it would take Russia 12 weeks to mobilize

The Plan in detail: I Schlieffen split the army in two The Northern Army (1.3m men) was ten times size of the Southern Army. SA attack first to draw troops from Paris Because the SA was so weak, the French would drive it back and chase after it.

The Plan in detail: II SA had to be deliberately weak so it would retreat and get the French to follow The Russians had to take at least 12 weeks to mobilise The Northern Army had to advance rapidly

The Plan in detail: III NA would trap the French from behind and crush it like a nut between a ‘hammer and an anvil’. With Paris encircled, France would surrender.

The Schlieffen Plan

The Plan in practice Schlieffen died in 1913 Feared that the weak Southern Army would driven back to Germany Changed the ratio between the NA and SA from 10:1 to 10:4

Failure SA drove the French bak Belgium and Britain step up The Germans were stopped and forced back by the French at the battle of the Marne NA sent130,000 troops to the Eastern Front because the Russians had mobilised in six weeks.

This cartoon was in Punch, in 1914 Bravo Belgium!