Study for WW1

Alfred von Schlieffen, the Prussian general and Chief of the German General Staff, developed the German plans for war. Aiming to make Germany the Continent's dominant power, the Schlieffen Plan, as proposed in 1905, provided the framework for Germany's offensive. In the likely event of war with Russia, the Schlieffen Plan, expecting French support for Russia, called on Germany to launch a devastating and fast-paced attack on France. Schlieffen reasoned that France, with miles of railroad and a large army, could mobilize and attack within days, thus requiring Germany to eliminate them or face a two- front war. Since Russia lacked a modern transportation system, its slow mobilization would allow Germany to apply a mere defensive force in the east until it defeated France in the west. Once France was out of the picture, Germany could devote all its military might to defeating the Russian Bear.

How, then, was Germany to defeat France in six weeks? The Schlieffen plan called for a massive invasion through Belgium and Luxembourg to at

Though out of chronological order, we will treat the impact of the Russian Revolution on World War I first.

Like the Schlieffen Plan, the French Plan VII called for the concentration of troops in a single area in an attempt to decisively defeat the enemy. Selecting Alsace-Lorraine for the offensive against Germany, France left Paris open to a northeasterly offensive from Germany, as proposed in the Schlieffen Plan. Regardless of the pros and cons to their plans, Europe's major powers were ready for war.

After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Germany secretly amassed thousands upon thousands of troops behind its lines approximately ten miles south of the River Somme, a known weak point in the Allied line. On March 21, General Ludendorff struck, pushing the weakened Allies back. However, Germany's success was fleeting. Though pushed back, the Allied line held and Allied Supreme Commander General Ferdinand Foch of France orchestrated extraordinary defensive and counteroffensive drives, pushing the Germans back. By July, over one million German troops had been killed and hundreds of thousands taken prisoner. The German army was collapsing.

Some topics in this essay:
Provisional Government, Nicholas II, Ottoman Empire, World War, France Schlieffen, Lawrence Arabia, Belgium Luxembourg, France Britain, Eastern Front, German U-boats, ottoman empire, submarine warfare, world war, schlieffen plan, unrestricted submarine warfare, march 1918, unrestricted submarine, st petersburg, provisional government, war russia, russian revolution, tsar nicholas ii, war march 1918,