Schlieffen plan

- Germany’s plan for WWI based on Count Alfred von Schlieffen

- designed for Germany’s efficient, well-equipped, but outnumbered army

- neutralize western front by taking out France and then all resources devoted to Russia on the Eastern Front

- overestimated German army’s capabilities

- resistance of Belgian and British forces caused problems

- diverted forces from the western front because generals feared Russian attack

- seemed to succeed for a while and then Britain and France successfully counterattack

- this ended the Schlieffen Plan

The failure of the swift attack against France led to trench warfare.