Russia First: Could Germany have attacked Russia alone?

[Bolshevik]

Good Day to you wherever you are....

It's my firm belief that The Schlieffen Plan was utterly ridiculous from the viewpoint that it was designed to avoid a two front war by starting one to begin with, in the hope that France could be knocked out a'la Franco- Prussian War and then Germany would have only the Russian "steamroller" to deal with.

There must have been other plans in mind for the prosecution of a general war that did not involve war with France and Russia simultaneously. In fact, didn't the Kaiser go to Von Moltke and suggest that German deployment be put into reverse and the bulk of the Imperial Army be deployed to attack Russia alone?

I often wonder how different the course of the war might have been if France was left alone and Belgium was not attacked by Germany, leaving the British with no treaty obligations to enter the war at all, and Belgium used as a buffer zone to keep the French attacking along the Franco- German frontier, as Plan 17 dictated.

 

What are the thoughts of the members on this?

 

Bolshevik 

[AOK4]

To be honest, I don't think France would have stayed out of the war if Russia was attacked.

Jan

[knittinganddeath]

A bit off-topic but maybe the best plan would have been to renew the Reinsurance Treaty?

[aconnolly]

Seems unlikely France would have stayed out given their a binding agreement with Russia to mutually assist if the other attacked, but Britain likely "yes" had Belgium not been violated. The long-held plan for a two front war always required the West to be secured first - lots of reasons, but the time for Russian mobilisation was a factor, along with role Austria-Hungry could play in the East - hence why von Schlieffen's plan had such tight timetables for a defeating France.  Germany could not have realistically invaded Russia first without risking French mobilisation as had the French mobilised, then the west of Germany would have been extremely vulnerable as the mass of German troops was in the East.

[toofatfortakeoff]

Just a thought, France  might have invaded Belgium on the basis of a  defensive manoeuvre, and you can bet your bihooney the French  had a plan drawn up  for that.  I think I'm right in remembering that Belgian war plans included an attack from the West ie from the French. 

Belgium might have refused the French  entry, and fighting may have broken out. 

This could have led to a chilling of relations between Britain and France, which always amounted to casual distrust of each other  at the least, when it suited.

But France invading Germany, well Alsace Lorraine would possibly  have been the focus of their attention, the Germans as shown in 1914 would have picked off each army the French sent out in their dazzling array of uniforms. As history shows.

The French  weren't even ready for a full blown war against the Kaiser's Generals or at least their tactics weren't. 

[stevenbecker]

I am of the idea that had German quickly finished off France, then Germany like 1870, would have gone home to attack Russia

The British arrival and the quick Russian reaction (1st and 2nd Armies) in Prussia, put pay that that.

The K, had no dreams of living space, like the next mad man, but Germany and the K, wanted skin in the game very badly.

I think the British pre longed the war by budding in, as they have a tendency to do in Europe during the last 1000 years.

But hey, what do I know, and be way off base

S.B

[waldopepper]

There had been a plan to make the main German effort against Russia but it was not kept updated after 1911, I think.