The War Of The World War II - 1810 Words

On August 2nd, 1914, Germany’s military began moving troops through neutral Belgium in an indirect attempt to weaken the French Army. Ultimately the plan, first penned in 1905 by German Field Marshall, Alfred Von Schlieffen, involved a swift invasion of France, complete debilitation of its military, followed by a defensive operation on the Empire’s lengthy shared border with Russia. Although the assassination of Austro-Hungarian archduke Franz Ferdinand did not occur for nearly 9 years after the formation of the plan, tensions had been rising within continental Europe for the past two decades. Tensions were especially heavy along the western coast of the continent, where land disputes over the Alsace-Lorraine territories had strained†¦show more content†¦German militia understood that geographically, they had an advantage on the Eastern Front; as their own border with Russia extended downward, it merged with the border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to which t hey were closely allied with. In other words, they knew that if Russia launched an offensive attack, the neighboring Empire would be able to help hold off troops. Along the other side of Europe however, Germany was at a disadvantage. Although they shared a short border with France, Britain was an island which could not easily be invaded. Moreover, much of the French border was strictly guarded by military, leaving the only feasible invasion strategy through the neutral countries of Holland and Belgium, then eventually down into France. Because they understood that France and Russia were closely allied, and if an offensive attack was launched on France that Russia would mobilize troops, the German Army then set a six-week period to invade France, through its neutral border, before returning men to fight Russia on the other side of the country. This plan operated under the assumption that Russia would take at least two months before they could organize any substantial army force, and in that time, the western members of the Entente could be led to a quick surrender. The result was an elaborate and bold battle strategy prepared specifically for total European