History Coursework - The First World War. Explain how the Schlieffen plan was meant to work. The Schlieffen plan was the strategy Germany planned to adopt in the event of a war in 1914. It was intended to bring a fast, effective victory for Germany, and was devised by Count Alfred von Schlieffen who was the Chief of the General Staff of the German Army. If a war broke out, Germany would be faced with a …showed first 75 words of 2296 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2296 total…as well as the strain put on Germany by the American entry into the war and the port blockades forced the German commanders to respond with the offensive, which resulted in the end of the war. Although the offensive was the most important factor, the stalemate would have never been broken if it wasn't for the effect of the other factors, proving that they were all significant contributors to the breaking of the stalemate in 1918.