the Schlieffen Plan

The Schlieffen Plan was Germany’s military strategy during World War I, designed to quickly defeat France by invading through Belgium, then turning east to fight Russia. The goal was to avoid a prolonged two-front war. The plan relied on rapid movement and surprise, aiming to knock France out early and then redeploy troops to fight Russia. It assumed Russia would take longer to mobilize, giving Germany a strategic advantage. However, the plan's execution led to a large-scale war, as Belgium's resistance and other factors slowed the advance, ultimately contributing to the global conflict.