Battle of Marne & Schlieffen Plan

• Battle of Marne

• It was waged to defend Paris.

• Covered miles and meters.

• After such distance was covered, they came to a stalemate leading to a battle of wit/resistance.

• France defended Paris as its only vice after Germany overtook the industrial North, weakening France's economy.

• Dates: 1 week (2nd - 10th September, OR 4th - 10th Sep)

Schlieffen Plan

• Schlieffen Plan

• 1800s established the plan

• It was a long-term plan to weaken Britain without being prevented by its navy despite France being immediately attacked.

• Helped Germany avoid a two front war between France and Russia.

• Reasons why it failed.

• Belgium's also neutrality.

• Belgium was also "neutral", however Britain cunningly decided to protect them, and later when Belgium was invaded, brought Britain into the war.

• Underestimated countries' power.

• France put up a fight, as well as Belgium, which slowed down and weakened Germany's plan.

• Exhaustion of German troops

• Caused by carting around troops heavy artillery and underestimated distances, which took a heavy toll on numbers and the army's ability.

• Distance was underestimated, leading to jatigue and overexhaustion which also slowed and weakened the attack.

Theaters of War

• The Western Front
• The Eastern Front
• The plan continued into the end of the war

Nationalism - Sarajevo connection

• Unhappy Serbs in Austria-Hungary/Serbian nationalists set up an underground group called "The Black Hand", a nationalist wing.
• One of their goals was to free Serbs in A-H
• One of their grand plans was to assassinate the heir to the AH throne.
• Violence erupted due to unfair treatment, even of non-violent Serbs who wanted to be heard.
• Franz Ferdinand was visiting Bosnia, in Sarajevo.
• Bosnia was its own country, but A-H exerted some power over her.
• This made Nationalists unhappy as they wanted autonomy, and were angered as Archduke Franz Ferdinand was examining their forces.
• Franz Ferdinand was advised not to go by members of the cabinet for this could anger people.
• A bomb was thrown at the car and the Archduke was AGAIN advised against going, but he visits those injured and took the wrong route, when Garrillo Princip took a wrong turnlucking and ended up in the right place at the word right time and shot the Archduke and his pregnant wige, Sophie
• Archduke /A-H marginalized ethnic graps, raising temperatures in Bania Bosnia / Serbia
• Schlieffen Plan

The Battle of Marne

• Belgium was on friendly sides with Britain and the Germans.
• Belgium put up a fight against Germany
• France:
• Initially, Germany, was winning even with all the obstacles to annex most of the industrial eg. France by force.
• Industry - where country took its wealth starts to panic when Germany starts marching towards Paris.
• Take over capital = take over country. France
• Defense of the capital & the offense of Germany = BATTLE OF MARNE (Specifically)
• Battle for French defending the capital
• Germans were 75 km / 45 miles away from France.
• French see them, and refuse to go "aggressive."
• Stalemate (standoff, neither win / give up)
• France reguse to move, Germany do not leave
• Battle lasted 1 week
• Early September (6th-12th / 2nd-10th)
• First key battle of WW1. 4-10th
• FRANCE DEFENDED PARIS.

Theaters of War

• Western Front

• German army crossed Belgian borders on August 3rd 1914.

• Britain and France declared war on Germany on August 4th, 1914.

• Germany pushed through Belgium and entered france.

• Belgian troops pushed back.

• Battle of Marne stopped their advancement into and Pans.

• German army dug trenches to prevent losing their claimed territory.

• Unable to break through, the British and French dug trenches too.

• Neither side gained more than few miles, creating the Western Front.

• Eastern Front

• Line on fighting on the Eastern side of Europe between Russia, Germany, and A-H.

• Fighting began when Russia invaded East Prussia on 17th August 1914.

• Germany immidistely launched a counter-offensive

• Pushed Russio back

• Became a pattern that continued for

• first 2 years of war

• Attack and Canter-attack

• Eastern Front's land changed after constant constant losses in 1917, Russia were jed up with and the number of Russian losses.

  • Government and manzuchy were averthrown, replaced by the Bolsheviks.

• Bolsheviks signed Brest Litousk treaty, which to als Russia out of the low.