preview

General Chief Of Staff: Moltke The Younger

Decent Essays

General Chief of Staff Helmuth Von Moltke, also known as Moltke the Younger, foreshadowed his own demise as well as that of the German Armies upon his appointment to General Chief of Staff. Moltke fully admitted that his personal shortcomings and lack of self-confidence did not suit him for the demands of the position . He lived in the shadow of his uncle, the great Helmuth Karl Bernhard Von Moltke, also known as Moltke the Elder. Moltke the Elder, considered an architect of military victories that led to the creation of modern Germany , left a legacy for his nephew to follow and a military leadership reputation to uphold. Moltke the Younger’s mission command and leadership style left the troops of the great German armies searching for …show more content…

Moltke did however, have a significant role identifying and accurately addressing these factors. First, he failed in fully understanding the Schlieffen Plan. The Schlieffen Plan was a plan intended to ensure German victory over a Franco-Russian alliance by holding off Russia with minimal strength and swiftly defeating France by a massive flanking movement through the Low Countries, devised by Alfred, Count von Schlieffen in 1905 . Moltke’s role as Chief of the General Staff was to develop and update Germany’s strategic plans for a possible future war . Unable to grasp Schlieffen’s reasoning that a temporary sacrifice of territory in Alsace-Lorraine would not interfere with the right-wing offensive, Moltke chose to reinforce his left at the expense of the right wing, heavily engaged with Russia at the time . The next factor in the loss of the battle was that the Soldiers themselves were exhausted. They marched over 241km in 33 days with frequent fighting along the way. The troops faced several challenges, such as obstacles and resupply as Belgium and France had demolished bridges and railways in order to restrict the supply capabilities to the German forces. Underestimation was the …show more content…

This rapid turn of events thrust Motlke’s forces into an unforeseen two front battle. The German Armies now had to fight the Russians on the right and the French on the left. The British forces were yet another underestimation on Moltke’s behalf. Germany assumed that the alliance between Britain and France was merely words and did not expect the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) to deploy and advance on the German Army in the manner they did. When Moltke’s Generals assumed operational control and diverted from the Schlieffen plan, it opened a gap in the German’s offensive line approximately 48km wide, allowing the BEF and the French fifth Army to flank the German troops. This decisive turning point denied Paris to the Germans and forced the German Army back to the river Aisne where they repelled successive allied attacks from the shelter of the trenches . Finally, Moltke’s inability to retain control and communication with his Armies’ Commanders led to a disjointed effort, enabling British and French forces to break through critical gaps in the offensive line. Utilizing a system of decentralization, with Moltke based in Koblenz, almost 500 kilometers (km) away, his Generals often did what they saw best, not always in the best interest

Get Access