How Did Germany Have A Two Front War

Valeria Villagrana
Pickle
History
March 16, 2017
World War I A two front war is a war that is fought in two different places at the same time. A more specific example of a two front war was during World War I was when Germany feared they would have to fight Russia and Frances at the same time. Russians were paranoid that the Germans would attack them and asked for an alliance with Germany. Bismarck was quick to sign the alliance since they wanted to stay on Russia’s good side so Germany’s troops would not have to be in two different places at once. Fighting a two front war would not do Germany any good since they’d have limited resources and they would have to divide their attention therefore giving them a blind spot. Bismarck agreed to the alliance to not only not have to fight a two front war but also to stabilize Germany and Russia’s political issues.
By request of Kaiser Wilhelm II, in 1903 Chief of Staff Alfred von Schlieffen created the plan. Since Germany had the alliance with both Russia and France they would be forced to either fight them both or not fight either. Germany decided on just going ahead and fighting them both in a two front war. Schlieffen knew of the Triple Entente was in place and was aware that if he attacked the French he’d be fighting the British as well. Schlieffen analyzed that his army would be prepared in forty-two days while the other nation’s armies would be ready in only fifteen days. His beliefs were that France would be easy to defeat and that way the German army would not have to be