LECTURE #2
Schlieffen Plan
➔ The August Advance “Germany rolled the iron dice” - mainly
a defensive gamble
◆ Designed in 1894 (militarism) when the Franco-Russian
Alliance was created.
◆ Schlieffen made it, and it was completed in 1905.
◆ SUCCESS - Speed, Surprise, Deception and Massive
Numbers
➔ Numbers - ratio of 7:1 (seven-eighths - right-wing in
Belgium, one-eighth facing Russia) should be able to plow
through with speed.
➔ This man DIED saying “keep the right wing strong”
➔ Speed - 6 weeks
➔ Deception - left-wing tricking France into German territory
“making gains”
◆ MOLTKE - DID NOT KEEP THE RIGHT WING STRONG instead
balanced them out - due to fear of French retaliation
◆ Did NOT work, they got stuck in trench warfare thanks
to the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) and were
forced south too early.
● MISSED PARIS a crushing blow.
➔ RACE TO THE SEA - an attempt to outflank and encircle your
enemy, lengthening the trench line until it couldn’t go
anymore.
◆ Led to TRENCH WARFARE - as both sides tried their best
to keep whatever land they had gained.
PAPER 1- don’t write anything about wwi WITHOUT mentioning a
“war of attrition” and stalemate.
- Germans release 170 tonnes of mustard gas
- 10000 casualties in the first opening mins, and 70k after
the battle.
- Technology leads to high casualties and stalemates.
They cleared 4km of the trenches and STILL couldn’t
break through.
Schlieffen Plan
➔ The August Advance “Germany rolled the iron dice” - mainly
a defensive gamble
◆ Designed in 1894 (militarism) when the Franco-Russian
Alliance was created.
◆ Schlieffen made it, and it was completed in 1905.
◆ SUCCESS - Speed, Surprise, Deception and Massive
Numbers
➔ Numbers - ratio of 7:1 (seven-eighths - right-wing in
Belgium, one-eighth facing Russia) should be able to plow
through with speed.
➔ This man DIED saying “keep the right wing strong”
➔ Speed - 6 weeks
➔ Deception - left-wing tricking France into German territory
“making gains”
◆ MOLTKE - DID NOT KEEP THE RIGHT WING STRONG instead
balanced them out - due to fear of French retaliation
◆ Did NOT work, they got stuck in trench warfare thanks
to the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) and were
forced south too early.
● MISSED PARIS a crushing blow.
➔ RACE TO THE SEA - an attempt to outflank and encircle your
enemy, lengthening the trench line until it couldn’t go
anymore.
◆ Led to TRENCH WARFARE - as both sides tried their best
to keep whatever land they had gained.
PAPER 1- don’t write anything about wwi WITHOUT mentioning a
“war of attrition” and stalemate.
- Germans release 170 tonnes of mustard gas
- 10000 casualties in the first opening mins, and 70k after
the battle.
- Technology leads to high casualties and stalemates.
They cleared 4km of the trenches and STILL couldn’t
break through.
