Before World War I, It was no secret that Germany wanted to destroy France, it had long been planned, and the German military leaders at that time were thinking about countermeasures against France, and even Kaiser Wilhelm II was confident and sworn to destroy France. However, when the outbreak of The First World War, Germany and Britain and France were caught in a protracted war, which violated the original intention of schlieffen's plan, resulting in Germany's inability to quickly eliminate France and being caught between two sides, and doomed to defeat in the First World War.
Why didn't the Germans do this in full accordance with the Schlieffen Plan, especially if they didn't listen to his last words, or history would be rewritten? What kind of strategy did Schlieffen's last words say to break the enemy?
Schlieffen Project
In Schlieffen's 1906 plan to destroy France, he divided his forces into eight parts, seven-eighths of which were used against France, stressing that the Germans must quickly encircle and take out France in 6 weeks, with the left wing as a defense, the right wing passing through Belgium to eliminate the main French force from behind, and then occupyIng Paris to win the victory.
The remaining one-eighth of the troops defended the Russians on the eastern front, and when the war on the western front was over, the main German army was transferred east to defeat the Russians.
The key is on the right wing
The right wing that encircled France was schlieffen's emphasis on the offensive force, and he hoped that his right wing would cross the Maas and Belgium like a sickle, and the reason why it was important to follow the Oise River straight down to Paris was that there were many tasks.
(1) The main French forces must be eliminated.
(2) If the Belgian blockade is met before entering France, the task of crushing the Belgian army must also be carried out by the right wing.
(3) Its forces were also to extend westward into Lille in France, a position just north of Paris near the English Channel, with clear intentions to block and annihilate the British Expeditionary Force.
For this reason the German right wing must be strong, well-equipped and large in order to accomplish this difficult task.
As long as the Germans occupied Paris and the heavy industrial zone between Paris and Belgium, they could crush the main French army and the will to resist in one fell swoop, and France would not be able to bear the heavy casualties and loss of industrial centers.
In summary, the power of the right was the top priority of Schlieffen's plan, and he retired honorably in 1906 when the plan was introduced, and the old man after retirement was still perfecting his plan. In 1913, before his deathbed, he repeatedly stressed that "there must be a war, the key lies in the right wing, as long as the right wing is strong enough..."
This is the last word...
It is not possible to let the military ability and quality of the Germans be outstanding in Europe, but there are also a few mediocre people in Germany, and the Schlieffen Plan itself can sweep France out, and as for whether it can completely subdue France, although it cannot be assumed, the fate of France has indeed escaped because of a German with mediocre intelligence!
This man is "Little Moltke," compared to his uncle Moltke Sr. and his predecessor Schlieffen, this man has a cowardly personality, no far-sightedness, and is a coward. He did not have the courage to concentrate his forces in one battle, worried about the lack of strength on the left wing and the weakness of the eastern front, and after he took office, he often used his hands and feet against the original Schlieffen plan, constantly distributing the strength of the right wing to the left wing and the eastern front, weakening the strength of the right wing, and completely forgetting the original intention of the Schlieffen plan and his last words on his deathbed.
If Schlieffen was still alive, he would point to this successor and say, "Silly boy, the key is the right wing, the right wing, you can't divide the troops, you soft egg!" "
The final result, as everyone knows, is that although Germany carried out the war according to Schlieffen's plan, this plan was not another plan, it had long been changed beyond recognition, and its offensive ability was greatly reduced. After the war, many historians and critics believe that Moltke Jr. was doomed to the failure of this plan when he took Schlieffen's last words, and it was also a failure of German strategy.
What exactly does a German panzer division look like? Look at these classic photos and you'll also fall in love with someone you shouldn't love
Old photos of the German army in the Soviet-German War: the woods on the Eastern Front ... It has become an eternal pain in the hearts of Germans!
Old photos of the German North African Legion in World War II are rare to see, netizens: three armored divisions are enough to dominate the desert
German No. 4 actual combat photos appreciation, the only mass-produced tank in World War II, into a multinational museum collection style
How did France humiliate Germany after World War I? After reading the Treaty of Versailles, I know that Germany will definitely take revenge!