Schiefflan Plan Failure

• Three key reasons why the plan failed:
• Reason 1: Von Moltke’s changes to the plan
• -Von Moltke changed the plan in 1906- he reduced troop numbers and removed the Netherlands from the battle plan so all 600,000 troops would have to pass a 12 mile gap in Belgium
• -The German army was held up by the Belgian army for four weeks- double the amount of time predicted
• what was the reason for this?

  The changes meant the German army was caught in a bottle neck in Belgium and lacked men
• Reason 2: Speed of Russian Mobilisation
• -On the Eastern front, the Russians were able to launch an offensive against Germany much quicker than anticipated
• -An estimated 800,000 men attacked the German territory of East Prussia on the 17th August- this was only 13 days after the German attack on Belgium
• what was the reason for this?


  Germany had to move troops from the West to protect the East of Germany. These troops could of helped in the battle of the Marne
• Reason 3: Battle of the Marne
• -the Schiefflan plan had been largely successful and the Germans were able to reach the Marne River 30 miles to the north east of Paris
• The German forces were exhausted and some had marched more than 150 miles
• A major French and British counter-attack on the 3rd September and the Germans were pushed back 45 miles
• what was the reason for this

  Germany had failed to capture the French capital