The German Plan In Action

The opening phases of Von Schlieffen's plan was a tremendous success. Over 500 trains, loaded with German soldiers, moved to the Belgian frontier a day for close to a month. The early stages of the plan had been practiced over and over again. While mobilization and preparations worked very well inside of Germany, things changed once the army left German soil.

Once all the armies arrived at the frontier, they began the attack on August 2, 1914. Two German armies were assigned to push into Belgium. As they moved forward, they were to by-pass the major Belgian defensive fortresses in order to stick with the demanding timetable of Von Schlieffen's Plan.

Unfortunately for the German plan, the Belgians stubbornly resisted. A prime example of this effort was around the fortress of Liege, which interrupted the German timetable. The Belgian fortress at Liege was finally taken by August 17, when massive German artillery was used to destroy it. Despite the resistance of the Belgian Army, the massive German army finally was able to push its way forward.

The German General, Von Kluck, was in command of the most difficult part on the plan. He had the responsibility to move his forces in the outer swing of the attack. By September 1, 1914, his army groups had marched 270 km and were exhausted. He was also worried about being caught too far from any support by other German forces. Therefore, this caused him to alter Von Schlieffen's Plan.

In addition to the efforts of the Belgian Army to stop the German advance, the French and British armies also began operations. The French were not prepared for the direction of the German attack, but attempted to counter attack along the inside shoulder of the German advance. The British had finally arrived and had taken up positions in Northern France by 7 September. Here the British were to bear the brunt of the German Armies moving through Belgium.

The British and French forces were unable to stop the German thrust, but they were able to slow down the planned timetable. As the Allied forces gave ground and retreated, German generals became concerned about the success of their plans.