strategy (WW1)

• Offensive strategies impacted what for nature?

  Used offensive tactics
• German strategy?


  To be quick and decisive and isolate enemies
• What are some of the strategies used?

  Schlieffen plan and strategic bombing
• What strategy did all major powers take?

  Detailed strategic plans to launch sweeping offensives against their opponents
• Schlieffen plan? Failure?


  Aimed to defeat France in 6 weeks before turning to defeat Russia but this was too rigid and inflexible. They HAD to have victory in 6 weeks but ran into problems like the railway timetable suffering heavy delays, the Belgian forces putting up a tough resistance and sabotaging the railways which further delayed the German assault, and the Russians mobilised faster than the Germans expected in only a few days because they had improved from the RJW.
• Plan XVII (17)?


  French strategy- involving a French assault on Alsace-Lorraine. Just 5 weeks after it started the French suffered 329000 casualties
• What does plan 17 show about the impact of strategy on nature and outcome in WW1?

  Other factors had a bigger impact on the nature and outcome of the war, the plan was reliant on these factors which determined its success. For example due to poor tactics, little infantry support from artillery and the quality of the German forces they fought against- the plan failed and was abandoned within weeks. Strategy was determined by other factors that changed how it would affect the nature and outcome of the war.
• Russian strategy name?


  Plan B
• What were all the strategies reliant on?

  Reliant on huge offensive forces to be successful. The size of armies was confronted by the inflexibility of railway transport that couldn't cope with their sheer size which prevented the sweeping movements the plans were based upon. TRANSPORT/INDUSTRY/TECH MAJORLY IMPACTED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STRATEGY
• Economic strategy of Britain?

  Used its powerful navy to starve Germany and Austria-Hungary into submission. They maintained a blockade around enemy ports to cut off supplies. By 1915 neutral vessels became under the widened definition of 'contraband' cargo so they began to seize all commodities bound for the central powers. Within a year German imports had been 53% of what they'd been before the war. It had a devastating impact on the Germans ability to wage war (NATURE) with the lack of resources and supplies affecting military and home front. 500-850,000 civilians died from the blockade.
• Overall how did the strategies affect the nature?

  Ensure heavy casualties and civilian targeting.
• Overall how did the strategies affect the outcome?

  The Schlieffen plan failed so they had to fight a 2 front war. The Allied strategy of an economic blockade on Germany made the G home front collapse so they had to stop the war despite being able to technically continue fighting
• How did General Falkenhayn's strategy of just attrition impact?

  General Falkenhayn created a plan to 'bleed the French white' at Verdun despite it having little strategic importance, he thought exhausting French resources and manpower would win the war. Thousands of Germans and French lives were lost to what amounted to an extended bloodbath in an attempt to win the war by attrition