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How Did The Schlieffen Plan

Satisfactory Essays

Devon Moore
Pickle
World History
16 March 2017
Two Front War and the Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan was created for a possibility of war for Germany against France and Russia. German Chief of Staff Alfred von Schlieffen made the plan in 1903 as requested by Kaiser Wilhelm II and was later revised in 1905. Since the France-Russian alliance was in place Germany couldn’t attack one or the other, they would have to take them on at the same time in a two front war. Wilhelm II also knew that Britain in an entente with France would be their if conflict took place putting Germany at war with three powerful states.
Schlieffen came to the conclusion it would take six weeks for Russia to mobilize while it would take both Germany and France would …show more content…

With this information Schlieffen came to the decision it was not necessary to defeat Great Britain and only to make sure Britain could not use its strengths, he advised Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz to build the German supply dreadnaughts or warships he believed this would ensure Germany could stand up to anything the British navy could use. Germany’s navy build-up did not go unnoticed and once Britain learned that Germany was stockpiling supplies for the Dreadnaughts they too began to build. Which developed into large-scale and very expensive arms race between the two powers. Since the immediate defeat of France was necessary to ensure victory the task had to be executed as quick as possible. Schlieffen soon realized it would be easier to attack france at its rear rather than through the heavily fortified and shared border and with Switzerland’s mountains made it practically invasion proof leaving the France-Belgium border. Britain was very protective of Belgium’s neutrality a factor Schlieffen ultimately ignored because He was sure Belgium would be defeated well before British troops could cross the channel and supply

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