War Planning, Mobilization and the War of Movement in 1914

This chapter details the war plans and preparations of the four main belligerents who went to war on the Western Front in August 1914. From analysing the Schlieffen Plan debate, the chapter moves through to a discussion of the French Plan XVII, the British 'continental commitment', and the role neutral Belgium played in shaping the entire strategic landscape. Ultimately, this piece argues that war planning only offers senior commanders control of their troops in the mobilisation and concentration phases at the outset of the campaign. Even here, other factors, such as civil-military relations, can inadvertently impact affairs. However, once in the field, the unpredictable 'friction' of war often required adaptability and flexibility. Given the rigidity of pre-war planning, such freedom of action to respond to an ever-evolving situation was not always in evidence.