00:00 The Schlieffen Plan was a highly detailed plan developed by Germany to achieve a swift victory in the First World War, but ultimately failed.

01:37 The defeat of France by Prussia in the last major war of the 19th century led to the creation of a unified Germany, which posed a greater threat to France, resulting in a treaty between France and Russia to defend each other against Germany, forcing the German Army Chief of Staff, Alfred von Schlieffen, to develop a plan for fighting a two-front war against France and Russia.

02:50 Von Schlieffen assumed that Germany would lose in a war of attrition, that Russia's military was weak and would take six weeks to mobilize, and that France's main focus would be on retaking Alsace-Lorraine, leading him to develop the Schlieffen plan to quickly defeat France before turning attention to Russia.

04:07 The key to the Schlieffen Plan was speed and organization, with German forces attempting a flanking maneuver through Belgium in order to quickly defeat France before turning attention to Russia.

05:29 The Schlieffen Plan failed because it was too rigid and lacked flexibility to adapt to changing conditions on the ground.

06:42 The Schlieffen Plan failed due to the resistance of the Belgians, the unexpected involvement of the British, and being flanked by the French, resulting in the first battle of the Marne and the collapse of the German advance.

07:53 In World War II, the Nazis successfully used a variation of the Schlieffen plan by baiting the French into Belgium and then flanking them through the Ardennes Forest, resulting in the fall of France in 46 days.