Allowed men and resources to be transported to the battlefield quicker
Example of effective use of trains by Moltke?
In the APW he used 5 railway lines to coordinate movement of his forces so he defeated the Austrians by frontal attack with one army, whilst the second attacked from the side.
In the FPW how did Moltkes use of railways affect the nature specifically?
Railways allowed for speedy mobilisation. For example in the FPW, Moltke perfected Prussian mobilisation plans making use of 4 strategically built railway lines to rapidly mobilise over 250,000 men at the outbreak of the war. This completely caught the French off-guard who’s mobilisation was slow and poorly organised, thus, giving the advantage to the Prussians from the outset of the war.
How did communication affect the nature of warfare?
The use of telegraphs allowed orders to be dictated from greater distances, generals became organisers rather than battlefield leaders. For example Moltke in the GWU. The Prussians extended their telegraph deep into enemy territory so that leaders, like Moltke, could receive fast feedback and updates on how battles are progressing. Telegraph communications helped the Prussians orchestrate their co-ordinated plans more effectively between HQ in Berlin and frontline.
