What was the French plan plan 17?
The French General Staff had first developed Plan XVII in 1911. It involved a major offensive by the French armies across Alsace-Lorraine into the main German industrial areas. The French General Staff calculated that any German offensive would be launched from that area.
What was the French plan?
In the event of French-German conflict, the French planned to advance on Berlin after capturing Alsace and Lorraine. It was assumed by the French that German forces would be focusing on crossing neutral Belgium, to access France.
Who developed plan 17?
In 1913 General Ferdinand Foch and General Joseph Joffre devised a strategic plan for the invasion of Germany. Plan 17 proposed French Army advances into Lorraine and Ardennes. On the outbreak of the First World War, the French Army carried out Plan 17.
What was the French plan in ww1?
Plan XVII
World War I folly of pressing ahead with Plan XVII, the planned French offensive into Alsace and Lorraine. Plan XVII had vastly underestimated the size of German invasion forces, and its execution would have dramatically enhanced the effectiveness of the German Schlieffen Plan.
Why was the French plan for 1914 doomed to failure?
In World War I, the Schlieffen Plan was conceived by German general General Alfred von Schlieffen and involved a surprise attack on France. The plan failed because it wasn’t realistic, requiring a flawless unfolding of events which never occurs in wartime.
What was plan 19 in ww1?
Plan 19, devised in 1910 by General Danilov and substantially modified in 1912, correctly assumed that Germany would open the war with an attack against France rather than Russia. This being the case, two Russian armies would advance into East Prussia and to Silesia en route to central Germany.
Which country had the largest army in 1914?
Russia
Armies 1914
| Countries in First World War | Standing Armies & Reserves in August 1914 | Mobilised Forces in 1914-18 |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | 5,971,000 | 12,000,000 |
| France | 4,017,000 | 8,410,000 |
| Great Britain | 975,000 | 8,905,000 |
| Italy | 1,251,000 | 5,615,000 |
Why did France want Alsace-Lorraine back?
Even though the idea of regaining the two departments was kept alive in France the French themselves had become used to the loss when Germany declared war in 1914. The idea of getting Alsace and Lorraine back was used to fire up the nationalism of the young French men going to war.
Why did the French plan 17 fail?
Joffre’s strategy had failed due to an underestimation of the German armies and the dispersion of the French offensive effort. With a large German force operating in Belgium, the German centre had appeared to be vulnerable to the Third and Fourth armies.
Was the Schlieffen Plan a good strategy?
The Schlieffen Plan, devised a decade before the start of World War I, was a failed strategy for Germany to win World War I. The Schlieffen Plan, devised a decade before the start of World War I, was a failed strategy for Germany to win World War I.
What was Plan XVII of World War I?
The French General Staff had first developed Plan XVII in 1911. It involved a major offensive by the French armies across Alsace-Lorraine into the main German industrial areas. The French General Staff calculated that any German offensive would be launched from that area.
What would have happened if the French developed Plan XVII?
The violation of that neutrality would almost certainly result in a British declaration of war. The French General Staff had first developed Plan XVII in 1911. It involved a major offensive by the French armies across Alsace-Lorraine into the main German industrial areas.
What was Schlieffen’s Plan in WW1?
Schlieffen’s plan called for 70 per cent of the German army to launch a broad offensive sweep through Belgium and into France. The plan’s ultimate goal was the encirclement of the French army along the German-French frontier.
What was the French invasion strategy in WW1?
The Franco-Russian Alliance (1892–1917) led to Plan XII in February 1892, in which an immediate invasion of Germany was considered possible. But from Plan XI to Plan XVI, the strategy remained defensive-offensive, French attacks being expected after the repulse of a German invasion.