Hermus Johannes Ludwig von Moltke, a German general, was also known as Moltke the Younger because of the same name as his uncle. Born into a Prussian Junker aristocratic family, he was nurtured from an early age by fanatical chauvinism and militarism, eager to be like his uncle Moltke the Elder and to kill enemies and make meritorious achievements.
Compared with most officers in Germany, Moltke Jr.'s career can be described as a smooth one. Moltke the Elder of the German Sword could scare off most of its competitors, plus his title as Attendant Attaché of Kaiser Wilhelm II. He easily defeated many more capable and talented officers than him and became the chief of the German General Staff. The Kaiser loved vanity, he wanted his army to be mighty, and he was displeased with officers of civilian origin. As a result, a large number of noble children served as high-ranking military officials. Little Moltke was loved by the Kaiser because he accompanied the Kaiser for many years. Even if little Moltke knew that he did not have such a high ability to take on this big task, but the king's life was on top, he had to do it if he couldn't.
Under the clouds of the Russian Revolution and growing German-French tensions over Morocco, Moltke Jr. ascended to the throne of Chief of Staff of the General Staff on January 1, 1906. Less familiar with military affairs, he began to preside over the transformation of Schlieffen's plan in the early days of World War I. It was really sad for the German command to allow a man who was suspicious by nature and hesitant to make big decisions to accept such a bold plan. He was worried that the forces on the Western Front were too weak to break through the French defenses, and he was worried that the troops on the Eastern Front were too few to resist the onslaught of the Russians. He studied it at the command for half a day and came to the conclusion that the Schlieffen plan was unrealizable. The Kaiser asked him to write about the deployment in place of Schlieffen's plan, which he could not write yet. The result was to apply the model of Schlieffen's plan, changing the route of march of the right troops on the Western Front, not through the Netherlands to Belgium. He thought that Belgium, a permanently neutral country, was better off than the Netherlands, but he did not expect the fortress of Liège to become an unexpected stronghold for the battle. At this point, the Schlieffen-Moltke project was finally completed.
Is this revised plan perfect? Ludendorf, who participated in the formulation of the plan, believes that this plan is based on the current situation and is relatively good, but it requires the "art of command" of the commander-in-chief of the battlefield very high. But whether Moltke, who was born with a golden key and has not entered the grassroots troops, has this "art", no one knows. But Moltke Jr. is indeed more optimistic. He believed that Germany's high military literacy and the efficient command art of the German General Staff would help them win all wars. In May 1914, Moltke Jr. believed that all preparations for war had been completed. On June 1, he publicly shouted: "We are ready. ”
But when the war really began, he was nervous. In the east, Russia began military mobilization in advance, but a large number of German troops on the western front were blocked in the fortress of Liège. Having not really experienced the war, he completely panicked, which led to a command error that followed, which in turn led to the defeat of the Battle of the Marne. Moltke Jr.'s own command had huge problems, as the chief of the general staff, his command of the troops only continued until the army was lined up, and once the army reached the predetermined place, he let the specific commander command, causing chaos in the others. Many people gave Moltke the nickname "Blacksmith" for this, which means to throw the iron to others after beating. Although he had many problems with commanding, his insight was excellent. After the initial victory, France's plan of operation No. 17 had been bankrupt, and he was keenly aware that the French had few prisoners and that the defeat was very orderly, and it was not at all like a feather return. Was the French army luring the enemy deeper? He was concerned about the German advance and the gap between the two armies, but he did not alert Kluk and Biro, and there was another claim that he could no longer contact them.
The German First Army could already see the spire of the Eiffel Tower, but they could no longer advance any further, and the furious waves of the Marne had blocked them. One million bayonets and 1,000 cannons are ready to fire. Little Moltke was in tears, and they lost. The French front had stabilized, and the war had entered a mode of attrition, which Germany could not afford to drag on, as Moltke the Younger reported to the Kaiser on 10 September: "Your Majesty, we have lost the war".
After the Battle of the Marne, Moltke Jr. was relieved of his post. In 1916, at the height of the war, he died of depression. Moltke Jr. was the initiator of World War I, and although he had a passion, he did not have the command skills of his uncle. War could not be fought with a single passion, and his not-so-clever command and coordination skills caused Germany to suffer a crushing defeat. When Schlieffen told the Kaiser about his appointment of Moltke the Younger as chief of the General Staff, he hinted to Wilhelm II: "A commander-in-chief has been placed at the head of the army, and the emperor will be completely disappointed if he believes that he has appointed a strategist." Because strategists are not assignable, but born and destined"