The sun never sets.

Later, some high-ranking officials said that people who are in financial difficulty should be more flexible, such as renting out their vacant houses or using their own cars to pick up passengers on their way to and from get off work, so that they can earn more income. TNND, if there are vacant houses that can be rented out and private cars, can it still be called financial difficulty?

Some people have been arrogant for too long and are no longer among the people.

Lin Yongchang went to Sakhalin Island to inspect the local petrochemical plant. The new warships of the East Asian Alliance will no longer burn coal, but oil, which requires a lot of oil and stronger oil refining technology and capabilities. China and other East Asian Alliance countries have more and more motor vehicles, which also requires more oil. We can't always use steam locomotives and gas tank cars.

China has a lot of oil reserves, but there are few places suitable for mining. Shaanxi, Daqing, Jianghan, these places have low oil production, and the quality of oil is not good... It's really hell, China's oil quality is not good, iron ore and chromium ore are not good. With China's domestic resources, it can increase steel production to 50 million tons/year, which is the limit. If you want to continue to develop, you must take the international route.

Lin Yongchang was on an inspection trip to Sakhalin Island and was not able to see the telegram from German Emperor Wilhelm II in the first place. By the time he returned from Sakhalin Island, everything had been settled and it didn't matter whether he read the telegram or not.

After submitting the "double ultimatum", German Emperor Wilhelm II was in a state of tension. Sometimes he sat in his chair and twisted his body, and sometimes he stood up and walked around the room.

Marshals and generals such as Moltke the Younger, von Seeckt and Tirpitz stood in front of William II, waiting for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor.

William II gasped for breath like a drowning man. He paced anxiously for a long time before finally speaking, "Then... let's get started!"

So, the war broke out.

Chapter 568 Failure

1911年8月1日，德国宣布与俄国进入战争状态。8月2日，德军进入卢森堡大公国。8月3日，德国向法国宣战。8月4日，德国向比利时王国宣战，英国向德国宣战。8月5日奥匈帝国向俄国宣战。

After seeing the news, Lin Yongchang had a very strange look on his face, as if he had eaten too much mustard. He remembered that the First World War originally broke out in 1914, but now it happened three years earlier, which caught him off guard.

Knowing that the world war was about to break out, Lin Yongchang planned to arrange more weapons and ammunition production in the second five-year plan, but the war broke out ahead of schedule and China did not have time to expand its military production capacity. However, this was not a big problem. As long as the Allies and the Central Powers fought, nothing else would be a problem.

World War was a nightmare for Europeans, but for the rest of the world

For the people in the region, this is the best thing. If Europe had not been slaughtered to the point of chaos, how could the people of Asia pursue autonomy and independence?

After confirming that fighting had really broken out in Europe, Lin Yongchang immediately issued instructions to get people in Kalimantan and Indonesia to move. Weapon assistance and volunteers could all be arranged. Of course, China would not come forward for the time being, and Britain, France, Germany and other countries had to let their blood flow freely.

Because of the outbreak of the European War, the Central Committee held an emergency meeting and an expanded meeting to prepare for the changes in Europe. The European powers still thought that they were facing a war similar to the Franco-Prussian War, and that they would be able to force the opponent to surrender in just a few months and then end it decently. No one could have imagined that this war would last for several years until all the wealth of Europe was consumed.

Many people in the central government believed that the war in Europe would not necessarily last long, but in view of Chairman Lin's previous correctness, everyone discussed the issue on the assumption that the war in Europe would last for a long time. The current President is Wang Qi, and the meeting was also chaired by Chairman Wang, with Lin Yongchang and Prime Minister Xu Shichang sitting below.

At the enlarged meeting, hundreds of cadres and generals listened to Chairman Wang's introduction of the current situation. Among the attendees, in addition to Lin Yongchang's natural eye-catching appearance, the one who impressed people the most was Vice Premier Yang Degui. Vice Premier Yang wore a white turban on his head, which was very different from the others. This vice premier was a farmer in northern Shaanxi a year ago, and now he has become the vice premier and still wears a turban on his head at all times. There is also another vice premier who used to be a worker in Taiyuan, but he looks no different from the others.

At the enlarged meeting, the central government overturned the original "Second Five-Year Plan" and decided to suspend the second five-year plan and shift the country's economic focus from inward-looking to outward-looking. In the first five-year plan, China borrowed a lot of foreign debt. If the situation really develops as Lin Yongchang expected, then the debt can be repaid soon.

Lin Yongchang had said before that war would inevitably break out in Europe, but he did not say when it would break out. Everyone now believes that Chairman Lin has a far-sighted vision and is well aware of the world situation. Only Lin Yongchang himself knew that the war would break out three years in advance.

Since the situation in this world is different, is it possible for the German army to complete the "Schlieffen Plan" and enter Paris again? Lin Yongchang initially thought that this was possible. The [Infantry Infiltration] tactic was the pinnacle of light infantry and could make the German Army's combat effectiveness stronger. However, the German army's performance in Belgium made Lin Yongchang feel that this was not possible.

As the German Empire feared that it would be drawn into a long two-front war with both France and Russia, the Schlieffen Plan was designed to launch a blitzkrieg to quickly defeat France (as in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870), and then move the Western Front to the Eastern Front to repel the Russian army (because they believed that the Russian army would mobilize more slowly than the French). To achieve this goal, the German army would have to break the neutrality of Belgium and invade it, passing through the country in a few days. The heavily fortified city of Liège would be the first to be hit on the German advance into Belgium.

Belgium could choose not to resist and allow the Germans to march through their country into France. In fact, most German plans required Belgium to do this, otherwise it would be, as one Prussian officer put it, "ruffle the sheep". Unfortunately for the German plans, Belgium would prove to be strong enough to defend its independence. Unfortunately for Belgium, their resources would not keep up with their enthusiasm.

Belgium built a defensive line and planned to stand alone against any potential enemy, whether German, French or British. In early August 1911, her army was deployed on the border, as it had been for many years. When Albert I received the ultimatum from Berlin, his chief of staff, General Cellers, began to implement a contingency plan: concentrate the army in the center of Belgium, and let the fortresses of Liège and Namur slow down the German advance. Liège was located on the main road between Belgium and France, and the Germans did not want to pass through the rugged road in the south, nor did they want to attack through the Netherlands in the north of Belgium.

The Belgians had little time to complete their preparations, as the Germans entered their country on August 8. The temporary German unit responsible for occupying Liège was the Army of the Meuse, which consisted of eight brigades. The main German infantry and cavalry were ordered to capture the bridges across the Meuse River near the city of Liège and eliminate any resistance they encountered. However, when the German troops reached the river, they found that most of the bridges had been destroyed and had to build pontoon bridges as replacements. When these measures also came under enemy fire, the Germans found themselves forced to attack the fortress of Liège.

The [Infantry Infiltration] tactic is powerful, but it is powerless against sturdy fortresses and hundreds of cannons.

The Liege Fortress is not a single castle, but a ring-shaped fortress group consisting of more than a dozen fortresses. The design of the firepower network and protection zone between the fortresses enables the two surrounding fortresses to provide firepower assistance when one of the fortresses is attacked.

这些要塞不是三角形状就是四方形，间距大约4公里周围环绕着沟渠与铁丝网。要塞完全由混凝土建造，并搭配210毫米榴弹炮、150及120毫米加农炮和57毫米速射炮可供防御。要塞里的步兵利用步枪与机枪来防御敌人的攻击。

The main gun mount is mounted on

The fortresses were equipped with turrets that could rotate 360 degrees. Only the 57 mm turrets could be raised. A fortress had 78 guns, with ammunition depots to store ammunition, military dormitories for up to people, and generators for lighting. The fortresses were not connected together and could only communicate with each other through telephones or telegraphs on the ground.

The German army looked down on the Belgian army and thought that the Belgians were "sleeping sheep". The General Staff planned to pass through Belgium within seven days, even if the Belgian army resisted. Facts have proved that the German General Staff underestimated the determination and courage of the Belgians to resist and overestimated the combat effectiveness of the German army.

The Meuse River Group was beaten to a pulp in front of the Liège Fortress, suffering heavy casualties. Tens of thousands of casualties were not a big deal, but the bad thing was that they were blocked for too long, giving the British and French armies a chance to react.

The Schlieffen Plan failed in its first phase.

Chapter 569: Shock

Germany blocked the actual situation of the battle and only said some words that the German army was invincible, but the media in Britain, France and other countries reported the Belgian War in detail.

When the Germans first attacked the Liege fortress, they deployed 252 men and cannons, while the Belgian defenders consisted of men and cannons. The Belgian army was at an absolute disadvantage in terms of numbers, but they had the fortress as a support and more cannons, which caused great casualties to the German army in the battle. In front of the fortress group, the [infantry infiltration] tactics were greatly weakened.

In order to capture the Liege Fortress, the German army increased the number of troops on the front line to 12 and dispatched the Zeppelin airship. The huge air beast slowly approached the fortress group and dropped heavy bombs. The German Army took the opportunity to launch an attack and successively occupied the fortresses east of Liege, but the Belgians still did not surrender. General Lehmann withdrew his troops to the fortress in the west and continued to hold on.

The German army launched several attacks, but the Belgian army held the trenches between the artillery batteries and used artillery, rifle and machine gun fire, as well as powerful searchlights to defeat the successive attacks launched by the German infantry.

The infantry attack failed, and the Germans continued to bombard the Belgian fortresses with artillery. Zeppelins were deployed whenever the weather was good, but this still failed to break the Belgian will to resist. It was not until Ludendorff dragged in the 420mm caliber Big Berth and a number of 305mm caliber super-heavy howitzers that the remaining fortresses were destroyed.

The Liege Fortress was built more than 210 years ago. At that time, the maximum caliber of land artillery was only 210mm. When the Belgians built the fortress, they built it according to the principle that it could withstand the bombardment of 420mm caliber cannons. Who knew at that time that the Germans could come up with mm caliber mortars?

The shells fired by the siege guns fell from the top of the fortress, penetrated the concrete layer, and then exploded by the delayed fuse. In front of the Big Berth, the Belgian fortress was just a grave made of cement. But even so, the defenders did not surrender until the last fortress was destroyed.

The Belgians held out for twelve days in Liège, slowing the German advance by five days longer than the German General Staff had planned. During this time, the French and British armies had gathered and entered Belgium, where they were defeated by the Germans, who used new tactics.

The British and French forces retreated to France after losing tens of thousands of people. Ludendorff led his troops to take advantage of the situation and entered France, repelling the British and French troops in front of them again. However, Ludendorff's attempt to fight an annihilation war failed. The density of troops on the battlefield was too high and the firepower was too fierce, making it almost impossible for infantry to infiltrate.

When the German army and the British and French forces faced off at the Marne River, Lin Yongchang knew that it was impossible for the German army to complete the "Schlieffen Plan". "The next step would be a war of attrition."

Germany's enemies were not just Britain and France. In the east, the speed at which the Russian army assembled far exceeded the estimates of the German General Staff. From the start of the war to the completion of the general mobilization, Russia did not take six weeks as expected before the war, but only six days. The Russian army dispatched two army groups, and repelled the German army on the Eastern Front half a month after the outbreak of the war, and then entered East Prussia. Although Germany also had allies, it was obvious that the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy were not as strong as Russia in terms of army strength. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was beaten back by the Russian army and could not even play a role in containment. Italy was even better, and directly declared neutrality.

After the outbreak of the war, German Emperor Wilhelm II urged the United States to join the war against Britain, but President Taft refused because Congress disagreed. This made Wilhelm II very angry, but he could do nothing about it. He smashed several pieces of fine porcelain in the palace in Berlin and cursed the Americans for being treacherous.

Moltke the Younger advised: "Even without the United States, we can still achieve the final victory!"

Ludendorff and other generals won battle after battle. Although the losses were greater and the battle took longer, Moltke the Younger still believed that "the advantage was on me." From the situation, Moltke the Younger's confidence was justified. The German army had already penetrated Belgium and entered France. From the map, the German army was in a good position.

"What should we do with East Prussia? The Russians are already marching towards Königsberg!" Königsberg is the capital of East Prussia. Once the Russian army occupies Königsberg, Germany's rule in East Prussia will collapse.

The Russian army had always had poor military discipline. After entering East Prussia, burning, killing and looting were commonplace. A large number of Germans fled westward with their belongings.

The Germans who fled from the east to escape the rape and looting of the Russian army tearfully denounced the atrocities of the Russian army, causing panic in East Prussia.

According to the Schlieffen Plan, East Prussia should be abandoned first, and the enemy on the Western Front should be defeated first. However, East Prussia was the birthplace of the Junker class. Many Junker officers had their families in East Prussia. Now their families were being killed by the Russians. Could they just ignore it? The Junkers shouted that the enemy on the Eastern Front should be dealt with first. This call was so loud that even Kaiser Wilhelm II could not suppress it, not to mention the Chief of the General Staff Moltke the Younger.

When the Battle of the Marne was about to break out, Moltke the Younger transferred a large number of troops from the Western Front to the Eastern Front, which made Germany lose the last hope of victory. However, Moltke the Younger's approach could not be said to be wrong. The Allied defense line on the Eastern Front had collapsed. If reinforcements were not sent, who knows what would happen.

The Russian army that entered East Prussia had two armies with a total of 40 troops and more than 1500 artillery pieces, while the German army in East Prussia had only 21 troops and 700 artillery pieces. While attacking East Prussia, the Russian army also launched a large-scale offensive against Galicia, mobilizing 40 troops.

Ludendorff was appointed commander-in-chief of the German army on the Eastern Front. Before the war, he had been clamoring for "defend the West and attack the East", and he fought well on the borders of Belgium and France. With the support of William II, Erich von Ludendorff became the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front. Then, he made Hoffmann his deputy.

Before Ludendorff took office, the German army on the Eastern Front had suffered a series of defeats, suffered heavy casualties, lost large tracts of territory, and had a very low morale. The former commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front was disoriented by the Russian army and became pessimistic. Even though the German army had won several victories, the former commander-in-chief still lacked confidence and even decided to withdraw the troops to the west of the Vistula River.

When the commander-in-chief told Moltke the Younger about this decision, the latter was so shocked that he could hardly speak, and took very decisive and even humiliating measures. Without informing the former commander-in-chief of the Eastern Front, Moltke the Younger dismissed the general and his chief of staff, and then appointed Ludendorff to clean up the mess on the Eastern Front.

But even Ludendorff could not defeat the twice-large Russian army in a short period of time, and could only wait for reinforcements to rush from the Western Front to the Eastern Front. Fortunately, Germany's railway system was very developed, and it only took two days for the first batch of reinforcements to arrive.

Chapter 570: Unjust War

After the outbreak of the war, German Emperor Wilhelm II handed over the command of the army to the General Staff headed by Moltke the Younger. Professional matters should be left to professionals, this is the best way. Although newspapers in Britain, France and other countries seized on this point and ridiculed Wilhelm II, it was just because of different positions. The King of England and the Prime Minister of France did not personally command the war.

As long as you have different positions, you can always find the other party's flaws. If you really can't find any, you can just criticize them.

"The German General Staff appointed General Ludendorff as the commander-in-chief on the Eastern Front."

"The American Ambassador protested our country's intervention in Mexico and reaffirmed the Monroe Doctrine: America for the Americans."

"The U.S. military is at the gates of Mexico City, and the U.S. government claims that the war is about to end."

After getting up in the morning and having breakfast, Lin Yongchang started reading the newspaper. In this era, newspapers are the best way to understand domestic and foreign situations. Leaders and politicians of various countries read newspapers almost every day, and Lin Yongchang is no exception.

Everything was fine except that the situation in Mexico was not very good. After the war broke out, China's diplomatic and economic environment suddenly became better. Total mobilization can greatly enhance a country's military strength, but it will also cause economic malaise. A large number of young people were sent to the battlefield, and there was a lack of labor in factories and farms. The quantity of products was insufficient. Britain, France and Russia all relaxed their control over foreign goods and began to buy some industrial products from the United States and China.

The war had only been going on for a month, but it had already had a huge impact on the economies of the Allies and the Central Powers. Not only did the Allies lack various products, but the Central Powers also had a shortage of supplies. However, because the British Royal Navy blocked the Atlantic shipping lanes, other countries could only sell goods to Britain and France.

Yesterday, the British fleet intercepted an American merchant ship. The ship was full of egg powder and flour and was originally going to Port William, but it was rotted by the British on the way. However, the British did not make things difficult for the ship owner, but spent money to buy all the goods on the ship.

France claimed to mobilize more than three million troops. The British army had fewer troops than France, but after the general mobilization, the army expanded to an extremely exaggerated level. The British and French forces were fighting the Germans on the Marne River and needed a lot of supplies.

Ten years ago, the Boer War made the gentlemen in Downing Street bleed, and the military expenditure of hundreds of thousands of pounds a day was unbearable for the British Empire. Now, millions of troops are piled in eastern France, and the military expenditure is burning millions of pounds every day, which is more than ten times that of the Boer War, and this is just the beginning.

Lin Yongchang spent half an hour reading the newspaper. When he was about to go out for a walk, his secretary Xiao Wang came in and reported, "The German ambassador to China wants to see the chairman."

"Why do you want to see me? I am no longer the president. Let the ambassador negotiate with the comrades in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"but.....

... "

Lin Yongchang waved his hand, "No buts, don't meddle in other people's business if you are not in their position."

The German army was caught in the unfavorable situation of fighting on two fronts, which was what the "Schlieffen Plan" tried to avoid, but for various reasons, the worst situation still occurred. The German army's overall strategy was to strengthen the right wing of the Western Front. As a result, the General Staff transferred two armies and a cavalry division to rescue East Prussia, and also transferred troops from the right wing to strengthen the left wing. The "Schlieffen Plan" was completely shattered.

It's not that Moltke the Younger didn't know the importance of strengthening the right wing, but the French offensive was too fierce, and the left wing of the German army on the Western Front was shaky and might be broken through by the French at any time. The French, in a skirmish line, with the support of rapid-fire guns and heavy artillery, rushed to the position and fought hand-to-hand with the German army without hesitation, and their morale was terrifyingly high.

The German army's troop deployment was like this: the troop ratio between the Western Front and the Eastern Front was 8:1. On the Western Front, the troop ratio between the right wing and the left wing was also 8:1. There were more than troops on the left wing of the Western Front, and it should have been able to hold on. However, the French attack was too fierce. The German General Staff was worried about the collapse of the left wing's defense line, and had to draw troops from the right wing to strengthen the left wing.

In this way, the shaky left wing was defended, but the offensive momentum of the right wing was interrupted. The Germans probably also found that something was wrong, so they wanted to win over China again. If China launched an attack on Russia from the east, it would solve the strategic dilemma of the German army.

But how could Lin Yongchang do such a thing? Only by letting Europe bleed to its heart's content can the cause of liberating all mankind continue to move forward. China could not help Germany in the fire, nor could it break through the British Navy's blockade, and even conduct normal trade with Germany. The German ambassador tried his best, but what would it matter even if they met? Could the German Navy defeat the British Royal Navy? Basically impossible, so he simply did not meet with the German ambassador to China.

The German ambassador to China sought to see Chairman Lin several times but failed to do so. He could only contact other senior officials of the People's Government. In order to win China over to join the war, Germany offered a very high price, such as giving all of Southeast Asia and India to China. In short, it was to destroy the hateful British together and then divide the world again.

But the places given by the German government were all under the control of Britain, and if they wanted to get them, they would have to go to war with Britain. This generosity showed no sincerity at all. Germany had previously violated the agreement and sold key military technology to the US government, which caused Germany's diplomatic reputation to decline a lot. At that time, it seemed that there was no damage to Germany. Military cooperation was gone, but private trade was still there. It seemed that there was no impact on Germany. Now the consequences are showing.

Even if a few people were moved by the German government's promise, most people did not believe in Germany's promise. If Germany announced the cancellation of all debts to China, it would be more sincere. What's the point of just giving some territories under British control?

If this is possible, China will declare that both London and Paris will be ceded to Germany.

The Germans wanted to drag China down, and the United Kingdom, Russia and other countries also wanted to win over China to stand on the side of the Allies. The US government has made it clear that it will not participate in the war in Europe, and they are attacking Mexico and cannot extricate themselves. Then, China is the biggest variable in this war.

The People's Government did not intend to have it both ways. Shortly after the Battle of the Marne began, Foreign Minister Tang Shaoyi held a press conference and reiterated China's attitude that "China does not seek hegemony."

"Mr. Minister, are you saying that China will not participate in the war in Europe?"

"China will not participate in any unjust war!"

You can make money by standing still, so why do you have to wallow in the mire of war like a wild boar?

Chapter 571 Dream

China is unwilling to jump into the quagmire of war, and so is the United States... Mexico does not count. If the United States attacks Mexico, it is like an adult beating a child. In fact, there is a strong voice against the war in the United States. In the war in Mexico, arms dealers and related personnel made a lot of money, but the ones who died were the sons and brothers of the lower class.

After the failure of the last external expansion, the internal division of the United States has further intensified. The ruling class of the United States has formed so many troops not only to deal with external threats, but also to suppress the people at home.

Now, the European war has begun, and there is no sign of an end in sight. The Europeans are in trouble, which is good news for the United States. The United States can develop so fast because Europe is always at war. After the European war, the United States did not follow Germany in declaring war on the Allies, but held many negotiations with Britain in a short period of time, and later pulled the East Asian Alliance in.

This time, the British did not use diplomatic rhetoric to fool their negotiating opponents, but appeared very sincere. However, there are huge contradictions between the US government and ASEAN, and it is not something that can be negotiated in a day or two.

If no results are reached in a short time, then we can talk slowly. The United States is not in a hurry, and China is not in a hurry either. Japan is very anxious, but they have never had a high voice in the alliance.

In late August, Erich von Ludendorff waited for the two armies he had requested, and then performed a tactical operation that was like an art. The German army first retreated after fighting with the Russian army, setting a pocket trap. The Russian army was slow to move, but it was determined to catch up. Ludendorff's troops were not superior to the Russian army.

However, through a series of maneuvers, he made his own forces near Frogenau far exceed those of the Russian army, achieving the goal of concentrating superior forces on the local battlefield.

Seeing that the Russian army had fallen into a trap, the German army immediately launched a fierce offensive. The Russian army's equipment and technical and tactical level were not as good as the German army. At this time, the ratio of troops was 1:2, and they were fighting in East Prussia. The Russian army had no advantage in terms of time, place, and people, and had no chance of winning.

If another army group could arrive in time, the Russian army's losses might be smaller, but the Russian army was too slow. The Russians carried out military reforms, but some fundamental things could not be changed. The Russian generals were not as good as the German generals, and the quality of the Russian soldiers could not be compared with that of the German soldiers. In addition, the Russian army lacked supplies and had no good means of communication. By the time the German army completed its strategic assembly, the Russians had lost the possibility of victory. The only difference was how much they lost.

The entire battle lasted seven days. The Germans attacked the Russians from two directions and used the "Infantry Infiltration" tactic to cut off the Russians' retreat. In the last three days of the battle, the Russians finally reacted and immediately launched a battle to break the siege. However, because the action was too hasty, the Russians were in chaos. Although they caused heavy casualties to the Germans, they failed to open the road to Frognau.

On the last day of August, the exhausted, hungry, and outnumbered Russian army could no longer hold on and chose to surrender to the Germans. In this way, on the tenth day of the Russian army's entry into East Prussia, the Russian army lost an entire army group. The Germans claimed that they captured nearly 8 people, killed more than 9 people, and captured and destroyed the artillery and transportation of the Russian army, while they themselves only suffered 1.5 casualties.

Perhaps the Germans concealed their own casualties, but the Russian army was indeed devastated. After annihilating a Russian army group, Ludendorff was not satisfied, but continued to attack, and then won a great victory near the Masurian Lakes, killing and capturing 6 Russian troops and capturing and destroying 150 artillery pieces.

More than half of the 40-strong Russian army was wiped out in less than a month. The remaining Russian troops fled East Prussia in a hurry, losing all the results gained since the war began.

The consequences of the Battle of Frogenau were very serious. The Allies had placed great hopes on Russia, the "steamroller". The rapid collapse of an entire Russian army group caused a great shock to the Allies. It undoubtedly showed that the Allies could not end the war in a short period of time. Even if the Allied camp could achieve the final victory, it would inevitably pay a heavy price.

However, the most important consequence of the Russian invasion of East Prussia was its impact on the war on the Western Front, which may have changed the course of the entire war.

When the capital of East Prussia, Königsberg, was threatened, Moltke the Younger decided to reinforce the German army on the Eastern Front. Finally, the German High Command withdrew two armies and one cavalry division from the right-wing German army group stationed in Germany to the Eastern Front to participate in the war against Russia, which made Germany lose the opportunity to win the Battle of the Marne.

Neither Germany nor France completed the general mobilization at the beginning of the war. Both camps were fighting and gathering follow-up forces at the same time. The German army was blocked for five more days in Belgium and was defeated at the Marne River, wasting more time. During this period, France transported hundreds of thousands of troops to the front line. Together with the British Expeditionary Force, the British and French forces on the Western Front were no less powerful than the German army.

Even if the German army broke through the Marne River, it might not be able to directly attack Paris, but it was a possibility after all. If they gritted their teeth and persevered, maybe the German army could defeat the French army in one fell swoop and repeat the glory of the Battle of Sedan?

Ludendorff achieved a glorious victory in East Prussia that will go down in history, further magnifying Germany's advantage over Russia, but the German army's strategic plan failed.

After the Battle of the Marne, Ludendorff re-proposed the strategy of "defending the west and attacking the east". In view of the poor performance of the Russian army on the battlefield, some members of the General Staff and Kaiser Wilhelm II were somewhat tempted. However, more senior generals believed that the "Schlieffen Plan" had not failed. Germany's mobilization speed was the fastest among the participating countries. As long as more troops and artillery were transported to the front line, there would be no more failures like the Battle of the Marne.

After achieving a brilliant victory on the Eastern Front, the German top brass felt that they were up to the task again. They realized that the war might be prolonged and cruel, but they still did not give up the plan of a quick victory, and they still wanted to capture Paris within a few months and let their emperor ride a tall horse through the Arc de Triomphe.

Looking at the map, the German army is much closer to Paris than to St. Petersburg. The German army has an advantage over the Russian army, but wasn't Napoleon the same? Russia's strategic depth is too great, and the domestic transportation conditions - including railways and roads - are very poor. If the German army enters Russia, it will be the turn of the Germans to face those bad roads.

After some discussion, the German High Command finally decided to focus its strategic focus on the Western Front. As long as France was forced to withdraw from the war, Germany would have won the war.

We can’t say that the Germans’ choice was necessarily wrong. Humans should always have dreams, and maybe they will come true.