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Alfred Schlieffen, Graf von
Alfred Schlieffen, Graf von , 1833–1913, German field marshal and strategist. In the tradition of the Prussian officer corps, Schlieffen was a professional soldier who considered political questions beyond his responsibility. As chief of the German general staff from 1891 through 1905 he developed the famous Schlieffen plan. According to the plan, Germany could solve the problem of war on two fronts by first defeating France in a lightning campaign and then throwing its full weight against Russia. The plan called for a flanking movement by an overwhelmingly strong right (i.e., northern) wing, which was to advance through Belgium and Holland and, in an enveloping move, compel the bulk of the French forces either to fight with their backs to the frontier fortresses or to flee into Switzerland. Much weaker contingents were to be used to hold back the French in the south and the Russians in the east. The plan (which disregarded Belgian and Dutch neutrality) demanded boldness for its execution. When World War I broke out in 1914 the Schlieffen plan was employed in a modified form, but a number of factors—including Russian military strength, German lack of mobility, effective French delaying action, and the reluctance of Schlieffen's successor, H. J. L. von Moltke , to weaken his eastern front—led to its failure. In World War II, unhampered by a Russian threat in the east and possessing highly mobile forces, the German command successfully employed (May–June, 1940) a variation of the Schlieffen plan to defeat France.
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"Alfred Schlieffen, Graf von." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Alfred Schlieffen, Graf von." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Schlieff.html "Alfred Schlieffen, Graf von." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Schlieff.html |
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Schlieffen Plan
Schlieffen Plan The military plan developed in 1905 by the Chief of the General Staff, Alfred Graf von Schlieffen (b. 1833, d. 1913), in case Germany was involved in a two-front war against France and Russia. In such an event, German forces would first circumvent the French defence lines by attacking through Belgium and the Netherlands to secure a quick victory in the west, before taking on the Russians in the east. The plan had no regard for political considerations at all, so that when it was implemented at the start of World War I, Belgium, despite its neutrality, was simply overrun, an act which finally spurred the British to join forces with their French allies and declare war on Germany. The plan also strengthened the Germans' desire to go to war as soon as possible, because they held that if war became inevitable, they would have to strike as quickly as possible to surprise the French.
Marne, Battles of the |
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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Schlieffen Plan." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAN PALMOWSKI. "Schlieffen Plan." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-SchlieffenPlan.html JAN PALMOWSKI. "Schlieffen Plan." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-SchlieffenPlan.html |
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Schlieffen Plan
Schlieffen Plan German war strategy devised by Alfred von Schlieffen, chief of staff (1891–1905). It was designed for a possible war against France and Russia. An all-out attack in the w would rapidly defeat the French, enabling Germany to transfer its full force to the e against Russia, whose mobilization would be slower. A modified version was put into effect in 1914.
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"Schlieffen Plan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Schlieffen Plan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-SchlieffenPlan.html "Schlieffen Plan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-SchlieffenPlan.html |
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Schlieffen plan
Schlieffen plan a plan or model for the invasion and defeat of France formulated by the German general Alfred, Graf von Schlieffen (1833–1913) before 1905 and applied, with modifications, in 1914.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Schlieffen plan." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Schlieffen plan." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Schlieffenplan.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Schlieffen plan." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Schlieffenplan.html |
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