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Originally devised by Alfred von Schlieffen, then German Army Chief of Staff, in 1905, the Schlieffen Plan was the German Plan which would they would implement to avoid a war on two fronts (Russia to the east, and Britain + France to the west). Schlieffen argued that France had to defeated as soon as possible in the event of a European War. If that were to happen, Schlieffen realized that Russia and France would be unwilling to continue fighting. In addition, Schlieffen estimated that it would take Russia six weeks to mobilize her forces in preparation for war against Germany. Thus, he reasoned that Germany would have six weeks in which to defeat France and elicit a surrender. The Schlieffen Plan utilized 90% of the German army in a massive offensive through the plains and lowlands of neutral Belgium, whom Schlieffen figured would be unable to stop the German advance. Thus the German troops would move in a scythe-like motion, encircling Paris, and taking her from behind. On August 2nd, 1914, the Schlieffen Plan was put into effect and the German Army began its advance upon France through Belgium. The delicate plan was upset with the early arrival of the British Expeditionary Force under Sir John French, significant resistance by the Belgian Army, and the early arrival of Russian Forces in East Prussia. The Battle of the Somme was the largest all out offensive planned by the British against the German Army up to this point in First World War. The mastermind of the offensive was Lt.. Gen sir Douglas Haig, who had previously been in command of the B.E.F. 1st Corps and had recently been promoted to commader of all British forces on the western front. The main responsibility of the offensive fell to the the 4th Army under Gen. Sir Henry Rawlinson. The British idea of a quick victory faded quickly as regiment after regiment fell before the German machine guns. Soon the German artillery joined in the attack. Many British regiments were killed still at their starting points, never making it out of their trenches. The 1st Lancashire Fusiliers and several other regiments from the 29th Division, were pinned down in a sunken road halfway to the German lines and were subsequently shot to pieces by the German machine guns.
Approximate Word count = 1460
Approximate Pages = 5.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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