"Schlieffen's Plan - A Study in Economy of Force" Topic

"At the dawn of the 20th century, Germany and France were already preparing for the war that would break-out in 1914. Following the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, these two Great Powers spent the intervening 44 years preparing for a Franco-Prussian War redux. But each had analyzed their first encounter, and drawn very different conclusions as to how best to fight the next one.

The problem for the potential combatants was one of space and magnitude of forces available to both sides. There was too little of one and too much of the other.

The Franco-German frontier was only 150 miles long; from Belgium and Luxembourg in the north, to the Swiss border in the south. Because of the conscription system developed and implemented by both countries in the years since 1870, both sides had greater masses available to fill this frontier zone than ever before; creating a virtual wall of divisions from north to south…"
Full article here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Howdy,

Sounded like an interesting premise. … but crappy article, with numerous major factual errors.

Ponder on,

JAS

There was a plan?

The plan "went south". Literally. The German command removed units from the right wing and placed them to strengthen the anticipated French attack with their right wing. The centers of both sides stalemated. The French started to win on their right, then retreated before that extra strength the Germans had moved there. The German right (Schlieffen's right) stalled out short of Paris because of the weakening of it through units sent to the left wing and to the Eastern Front at the last moment. So "the plan" went east too….