The Schlieffen Plan

The Schlieffen Plan

The aim of the plan

The aim of the plan was to avoid fighting two wars at once (France and Russia)

The Plan

The plan was to attack France, not on the main border, which was fortified, but to attack through Belgium and circle the capital Paris. This is all supposed to happen before the predicted 6 weeks it would take for the Russians to get their army ready for action. This would mean Paris would be taken by Germany, therefore capturing France, then the troops could go across the country and attack Russia.

What actually happened:

Germans went into Belgium

Belgians blew up railways which stopped Germans

Belgians stopped supplies and reinforcements getting to the Germans

Britain wanted to join war because Germany was attacking France and Belgium

Sir Edward Grey made parliament fight, he said 'if we don't fight Germany will dominate Europe and trade will suffer'

British government sent a telegram to tell Germans to leave Belgium

No reply to the telegram

Britain was at war with Germany

Everyone in all the countries were rushing to join the army, they thought their country was right and they would win

100,000 soldiers from the BEFC (British Expeditionary Force) landed in France

over 1,000,000 French soldier were ready to use plan seventeen to attack Alasce and Lorraine

after 3 weeks it all went wrong

German troops pushed into France

Russians mobilised more quickly than expected, and invaded

troops were taken from France to defend on the eastern front

French and German soldier met at the river Marne

All the French and English troops went to defend on the river Marne, the battle of the Marne