3. How did the European
powers plan for the
likelihood of war?
PLANNING FOR WAR: FOCUSING
QUESTION
4. In the years before WWI, each European power
made elaborate and detailed plans in case
war broke out.
The plans detailed not only the battle plans
but also the logistics of war.
Recruiting, organising and arming troops and
then transporting them to the front to fight.
All of these were planned for, so that if war
arrived the pieces could be put in place.
THE NECESSITY FOR PLANNING
5. Readying an army for war is called
mobilisation and doing so rapidly was an
essential part of a quick victory.
The decision to mobilise troops, either
partially or fully, was seen as a virtual
declaration of war.
The key to fast mobilisation was through
rail, which could transport large armies, set
by the example of Prussia's victories over
Austria and France.
MOBILISATION
6. Rails largest problem, however, was
timetabling. Once a plan was set in motion
it was impossible to change without
throwing the rest of the timetable into
chaos.
Between 1900 and 1914 Germany
increased the number of railway lines to its
borders with France and Belgium.
France needed over 4000 trains to
effectively mobilise, while Russia set up to
defend its western borders.
MOBILISATION
7. The German plan was named after count
von Schlieffen. The Germans saw war
with France as inevitable since France
would want revenge for 1871.
Due to France's alliance with
Russia, Germany was now facing two
fronts.
Schlieffen believed that the German
army was strong enough to fight both
sides.
THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN
8. In order to fight both, schlieffen planned
on first crushing France since Russia
would take six weeks to mobilise its
forces.
Due to Germanys rail network, he
believed they could knock out the French
in under six weeks and then move to the
eastern front to face the Russians.
THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN
9. The plan had two major flaws. First, there was
no plan for a fight with only Russia. A war with
Russia meant that Germany must first attack
France.
Secondly, to quickly defeat France, the
Germans had to avoid the heavily fortified
border.
To get by this, the Germans planned to invade
France through Belgium, Holland and
Luxemburg.
THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN
10. Belgium was a neutral country, and her
right to stay neutral was guaranteed by a
treaty signed by all the great
powers, including Britain.
By invading in this way, Germany was
risking Britain entering the war.
In 1911, von Moltke modified the
plan, making it more moderate.
THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN
11. In the new plan, less neutral territory
was to be invaded and a change in how
the troop deployment worked.
The plan was still inflexible and made
any war that was to be fought a large
one.
Further flaws developed in 1914, as
Germany underestimated Russia's
military and the Anglo-French alliance.
THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN
12. France planned to attack with high-speed
mobilisation of a large force to capture Alsace
and Lorraine before crossing over the Rhine.
Britain planned to send an expeditionary force
backed by a territorial army at home.
Russia planned to attack Austria-Hungary and
Germany.
Austria-Hungary planned slightly different
attacks towards Russia and Serbia
OTHER WAR PLANS
13. Militarism
Continual improvements in rail networks allowed for greater
troop mobilisation
The German, French and Russian plans called for large armies.
Alliances
Germany, in order to attack Russia, first had to attack France.
By doing so, however, they risked Britain entering.
Nationalism
Belief in the German armies ability to fight on two fronts.
The French continued to look at Alsace and Lorraine.
M.A.I.N POINTS
