Plan XVII

E482467

Plan XVII was the pre–World War I French military strategy that emphasized rapid offensive operations to recapture Alsace-Lorraine from Germany at the outset of the conflict.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
French Plan XVII 2

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf French military plan
pre–World War I military strategy
war plan
appliesToConflict World War I NERFINISHED
approvedBy French Army High Command NERFINISHED
French government NERFINISHED
associatedWithCommander Joseph Joffre NERFINISHED
assumed German main effort through Alsace-Lorraine
limited initial German forces in Belgium
commandStructure deployment of French field armies along eastern frontier
consequence contributed to conditions leading to the First Battle of the Marne
necessity to shift French forces northward
contrastedWith German Schlieffen Plan NERFINISHED
country France
didNotFullyAnticipate scale of German right-wing advance through Belgium
didNotPrioritize deep defensive preparations on French soil
draftedBy French General Staff NERFINISHED
emphasized concentration of French forces on eastern frontier
rapid offensive operations
focusRegion Alsace NERFINISHED
Lorraine NERFINISHED
historicalAssessment often criticized for underestimating German strategy
historicalContext formulated in response to loss of Alsace-Lorraine in 1871
historicalSignificance shaped opening campaigns on the Western Front in 1914
implementedInOperation Battle of the Frontiers NERFINISHED
influencedBy French offensive military thought before 1914
languageOfName French
militaryDoctrine offensive à outrance
mobilizationFeature detailed French railway timetables for rapid concentration
numberingMeaning seventeenth in a series of French war plans
objective offensive into German territory
recapture Alsace-Lorraine
originalName Plan XVII NERFINISHED
planningPeriodEnd 1914
planningPeriodStart 1912
primaryAdversary German Empire NERFINISHED
relatedTo French desire for revanche against Germany
replaced earlier French war plans against Germany
resultedIn French setbacks in Alsace and Lorraine
heavy French casualties in August 1914
revisedAfter initial defeats in August 1914
roleOfJosephJoffre implemented and refined the plan as Commander-in-Chief
startDate 1914-08
strategicConcept seize the initiative immediately upon mobilization
typeOfOperation large-scale frontal attacks

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Guns of August depicts Plan XVII
this entity surface form: French Plan XVII
Battle of Lorraine partOfOperation Plan XVII
this entity surface form: French Plan XVII