Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 55:36-56:05

Why Germany still has to fight France

Avoiding Belgium changes Germany's route into France, not the Franco-Russian alliance that makes a two-front war unavoidable once mobilization begins.

Alternate HistoryFranceNaval StrategyRussiaWorld War I
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Question

If Germany avoids Belgium, why does it still have to invade France?

Short answer

Because the Franco-Russian alliance means that war with Russia also brings war with France, unlike Britain's nonbinding Entente relationship.

Notes

The counterfactual changes the route into France while leaving the alliance structure that brings France into the war intact. The formal Franco-Russian alliance meant that war with Russia also meant war with France, unlike Britain's looser Entente. Germany therefore still needs a western plan even if it wants to avoid the diplomatic cost of violating Belgium. That necessity is what makes the risky seaborne bypass worth considering.