Comparing The Schlieffen Plan And The French Plan XVII
How did the Schlieffen Plan and the French Plan XVII help to contribute to the stalemate that developed on the Western Front? (10 marks)
The French Plan XVII, created by General Joffre, was largely a mistake as it was accurately predicted by the German Schlieffen Plan. It grossly underestimated the strength of the Germany army, assumed that if they conquered enough of Germany they would sue for peace, and misjudged the direction of Germany's initial offensive. Germany's original Schlieffen Plan had been called by historians as "a conception of Napoleonic boldness" (Turner, 1979). The plan relied on the French left flank to push the French forces across to their eastern border and to contain the French forces at Lorraine. However, when Schlieffen
The French Plan XVII, created by General Joffre, was largely a mistake as it was accurately predicted by the German Schlieffen Plan. It grossly underestimated the strength of the Germany army, assumed that if they conquered enough of Germany they would sue for peace, and misjudged the direction of Germany's initial offensive. Germany's original Schlieffen Plan had been called by historians as "a conception of Napoleonic boldness" (Turner, 1979). The plan relied on the French left flank to push the French forces across to their eastern border and to contain the French forces at Lorraine. However, when Schlieffen