1. General War Strategies
World War I
General War Strategies

2. European Powers divided into two alliances
Triple Alliance Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary
Triple Entente France, Great Britain, Russia

3. General War Strategies
Plan 17 – France
Schlieffen Plan Germany
Plan B and R – Austria- Hungary
British Plans
Serbia US

4. 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

5. 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)

6. The Schlieffen Plan

7. 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

8. Plan 17 - France
France’s mobilization plan to recapture their territory of Alsace and Lorrain that was lost in the Franco-Prussia war ( )
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.

9. Plan Seventeen

12. 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

13. Plan R

14. 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

15. 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

16. Serbia
If war was declared, they would double their army from 5 divisions to 10 divisions.

17. United States Plan was to remain neutral
This changed with the interception of the Zimmerman Telegraph

18. Zimmerman Telegram January 1917
See handouts: Telegram, Explanation.
zimmermann-telegram

19. 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