The offensive French military strategy in World War I known as Plan XVII was initially created by Ferdinand Foch. The offensive plan used brute force and a mystical belief in the French "élan" or "fighting spirit." General Joseph Joffre adopted this plan upon becoming commander-in-chief in 1911. World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... Ferdinand Foch (October 2, 1851 – March 20, 1929) was a French soldier. ... Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (January 12, 1852 - January 3, 1931) was a Catalan French general who became prominent in the battles of World War I. Joffre was born in Rivesaltes, Roussillon. ... 1911 was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

After the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, the French had lost the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to the German empire. This created a spirit of revanchism in France, and one of the main aims of Plan XVII was to recapture Alsace and Lorraine. In order to do this, four French armies would advance on either side of Metz and Thionville. This left only one army to defend northern France, but French planners were convinced that Germany would not invade through Belgium, as this would lead to British involvement (in the Treaty of London, the United Kingdom had guaranteed Belgian neutrality). The Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871) was fought between France and Prussia (backed by the North German Confederation) allied with the south German states of Baden, Bavaria and Württemberg. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... ‹The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Lorraine can refer to: the historical independent duchy and later French province of Lorraine: see Lorraine (province). ... Revanchism (from French revanche, revenge) is a term used since the 1870s to describe political campaigns to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country during previous wars and strifes, sometimes quite distant in time. ... City motto: Si paix dedans, paix dehors (French: If peace inside, peace outside) City proper (commune) Région Lorraine Département Moselle (57) Mayor Jean-Marie Rausch Area 41. ... Thionville (German: Diedenhofen), is a city in the département of Moselle in the Lorraine région, France. ... The Treaty of London of 1839 signed on April 19, 1839. ... Neutral means balanced between two or more opposites. ...

Unfortunately for the French, the Germans regarded the Treaty of London as a mere "scrap of paper" (and thought the British would do so as well), and their Schlieffen plan called for an attack through Belgium and northern France in order to encircle Paris. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

When the war broke out in 1914, the execution of Plan XVII ended in total failure. The German defense of Alsace-Lorraine turned out to be of much better quality than expected, and within a few weeks, the French were back in their starting positions, while the Germans had advanced almost unopposed through Belgium and northern France and were threatening Paris. Only the fact that the German high command diverted troops to the Eastern Front and to a counterattack in Alsace-Lorraine (which was in turn repulsed by the French), allowed the French and their British allies (who had adhered to the Treaty of London and thus declared war on Germany after the German invasion of Belgium) to halt the German advance in the First Battle of the Marne. 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Eastern Front refers to a theatre of war during the first World War in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. ... The First Battle of the Marne was a World War I battle fought from September 5 to 10, 1914. ...

External links

• First World War.com A map of the French and German war plans