A German
strategy for the invasion and defeat of France, should war erupt between France and Germany. The Plan was to Sweep through the neutral countries of Belgium and the Netherlands and into western France.
Origin of the Plan
The plan was devised by General Alfred Von Schlieffen in 1905. He believed that the key to victory lay in the speedy destruction of the enemy's field army. The plan was based on strategy used by Hannibal to defeat the Romans at the Battle of Cannae.
The Plan
The German army was to capture Belgium and the Netherlands in 2 days. They were to then to close in on Paris from the left flank, crushing the French army outside of Paris and wiinning the war in 39 days.
Why it Failed
The rigorous pace set by the plan was well ahead of the German army's actual capacity to support troops. It required that the troops move great distances on foot, exhausting them. It streched German supply lines to the breaking point, causing ammunition and food shortages.