2007-10-27 15:56:23 · 2 answers · asked by rainbowstylin 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
It was a clear failure of the German overall strategy under the "Schlieffen Plan" which called for victory in France within six weeks so that German forces could race by trains to the eastern front to confront the Russians. This German plan had been in place since 1905. It was thought that they could repeat the six week victory over the French army as Germans (as Prussia) had done in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.
Once the plan failed, Germany had to fight the simultaneous two front war that all strategy had planned to avoid. There would be no quick victory for Germany, and the war would grind on for more than four years.
2007-10-27 16:01:58 · answer #1 · answered by Spreedog 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Germany had plans in place that were supposed to completely eliminate France's ability to fight back.
With the trenches, clearly France managed to stop Germany's advance and put up a fight.
2007-10-27 23:00:58 · answer #2 · answered by God Told me so, To My Face 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋