IGCSE History: World War I – Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail?

IGCSE History: World War I – Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail?

Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail?

BEF (British Expeditionary Force):

18th August 1914:

BEF arrived in France under the command of Sir John French. It had arrived faster than expected.
This prompted von Moltke to draw forces from the Eastern Front.
The Kaiser thought it was a 'contemptible little army.'
It was small but excellently trained.
23rd August 1914:

Battle of the Mons.
The Germans were slowed.
The BEF retreated.
26th August 1914:

Battle at Le Cateau.

The Germans were slowed.
The BEF retreated.
Changes to the Plan:

von Schlieffen died before his plan was implemented. He argued that the right wing should be six times stronger than any other.

von Moltke ignored this, and the Belgium invasion force was 100,000 soldiers less. He sent these forces to reinforce the Eastern Front.
Originally, the Germans were to sweep through Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

This was changed to a sweep only through Belgium and Luxembourg.

German armies were originally meant to encircle Paris:

They fell short, leading to the Battle of the Marne.
Belgian Resistance:

3rd August, >1,000,000 Germans entered Belgium.

They were slowed by the concrete forts protecting Antwerp, Liège, and Namur.
They needed heavy guns to deal with them.
Antwerp only surrendered in October.
This gave the BEF time to arrive.
German Exhaustion:

German soldiers were exhausted after their confrontation with the BEF and the Belgians.
French Resistance:

The French had attacked Alsace-Lorraine with heavy casualties after a German attack from that quarter.

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But the resistance provided by the Belgians and the BEF allowed the French to make a stand before Paris at the Marne river.