Netherlands joining the Entente WW1

Confusing but fiece fights allong the Meuse river. Duch troops extend their line in to Belgian soil, along the West bank of the Meuse, although are soon forced to with draw behind cannales West. The same happend later more North. Cooperation with the Belgian army turned difficult and confusing in the first days, with later improvements. Mostly due to placing communication officers in to each other General staff. How ever the Dutch Army tend to withdrw North West while the Belgians were planed to with draw West and concentrate on Antwerp.

More North the Dutch 2nd Division at the Ijssel could hold of the German divisions who should push West forcing the Dutch army into "Vesting Holland".
The Dutch division hold the attackers at bay and finaly with drew West behind the Ijssel in good order, and demoslished the rail way lines and bridges. The 1st Division, moved from Holland East by outbreak of hostilities, set up a defense line on the high grounds on the West side of this river. Reiinforced with machineguns from the forts and heavy field guns from the Water line.

(Dutch army possed almost 800 MG, but only a few were mobile, as contemporay doctrine was. Most of them were stationed in the Forts of the Water line. Most modern ones were Schwartzlose 08.
The heavy artilery was acknowledged old and orders were made to replace them by modern pieces, which was prevented due to the outbreak of war.)

Heavy figths took place on the banks of the Ijssel were German troops tried to cross the river but did not manage to consolidadea beach head.
This small piece of the front soon gave an impression of how the front could look like...
 
If the Germans follow the Schlieffen Plan exactly Paris will be encircled and Frances army will be flanked. Of course the reason it didn't work was because of Moltke the Youngers refusal to allow the French to occupy any German land.
 
Von Schlieffen Plan (1904): 61 divisions. 14 divisions + 6 reserve into Luxembourg/Belgium. 18 divisions + 4 reserve in Lorraine. 14 divisions + 5 reserve in Alsace. Around a quarter of the Army facing the Russians (20 odd divisions).

Von Schlieffen Plan (1905-6): 96 divisions. 82 into Belgium & the Netherlands. 14 in Alsace-Lorraine. (10 additional divisions facing Russia.) 5 divisions assigned to take Antwerp, 4-6 divisions to engage the Dutch.

Although Von Schlieffen changed his mind on the location of the thrust from 1904, his strength requirements are deliberately inflated to draw attention to Germany's 25% lower conscription of manpower then the French.

Von Schlieffen Plan (1905-6) with 1914 resources, assuming same Russian assigned divisions: 88 divisions. 75 into Belgium & the Netherlands. 13 in Alsace-Lorraine. (10 divisions facing Russia.)


It's generally accepted that even with Dutch railroads the Germans couldn't supply 75 divisions in Belgium. Heck they couldn't even really supply their OTL forces. And, of course, the Von Schlieffen Plan was basically lines on the map. Moltke did all the hard work to turn it into an operations plan and post-war German revisionism elevated Von Schlieffen and destroyed Moltke's reputation to come up with a reasonable sounding reason why the attack into France failed.

Now Moltke did lose his nerve, adding divisions to Alsace-Lorraine and sending divisions east (overriding Hindenburg & Ludendorff who didn't need them) but even if Moltke had followed his own plan I doubt the Germans would have done that much better.
 
Last edited:

Cook

Banned
If the Germans follow the Schlieffen Plan exactly Paris will be encircled and Frances army will be flanked. Of course the reason it didn't work was because of Moltke the Youngers refusal to allow the French to occupy any German land.
There was no exact Schlieffen Plan to follow; it was a strategic concept in sketch, not an operational plan.
 
Let us asume:
Von Schlieffen Plan (1905-6) with 1914 resources, assuming same Russian assigned divisions: 88 divisions, 13 in Alsace-Lorraine. (10 divisions facing Russia.)

75 into Belgium & the Netherlands and advance towards Franche of with 1 divisions assigned to take Antwerp, 3 divisions to engage the Dutch.

I like to have some info of the Belgian army and positions in 1914 August, September.
 
Last edited:
If this delays the fall of Antwerp long enough for the nitrates stored there to be evacuated or destroyed, they'll be in a world of pain as they'll run out of explosives before the Haber process comes on-line.
 
It's generally accepted that even with Dutch railroads the Germans couldn't supply 75 divisions in Belgium. Heck they couldn't even really supply their OTL forces. And, of course, the Von Schlieffen Plan was basically lines on the map. Moltke did all the hard work to turn it into an operations plan and post-war German revisionism elevated Von Schlieffen and destroyed Moltke's reputation to come up with a reasonable sounding reason why the attack into France failed.

Now Moltke did lose his nerve, adding divisions to Alsace-Lorraine and sending divisions east (overriding Hindenburg & Ludendorff who didn't need them) but even if Moltke had followed his own plan I doubt the Germans would have done that much better.

That is absolutely right. The only thing one could fiddle with is the German reaction to the Marne-situation. But in this timeline, everything will be different at this point.
 
Assume,
the German advance goes more or less according as desired. The Crown Prince stay on the defense in A.L and is not supplied with extra troops for his desired counter attack. And Von Moltke can resist his desire to send troops to the East. In the West, the Belgian Army retried to the ring of forts around Antwerp, the Dutch retreat behind the rivers and inundations, also in North Brabant, and a position North of Antwerp in make shift lines ( based on older defense lines with inundations were possible).
The delaying fight and retreat went for the Dutch army remarkably well. Most officers were well instructed by the and informed. Also due to the staff exercise made regularly, which anticipated on fighting delay actions and retreat. Most common soldiers, after their initial shock when under fire for the first time, hold out very well. Senior officers, complaining initial of the lack of respect and incorrect attitude, were positive of the fighting spirit of the soldiers.

The BEF is slightly weakened by two divisions, send to Antwerp and Holland.
The French fifth Army is severely beaten, since its commander Gen. Charles Lanrezac who made a tactical retreat after the Battle of Charleroi was relieved from command by Louis Franchet d'Espèrey. Who exhausted his army to such extend in the battle of St. Quintin that it lost most of his fighting capacity. The BEF hold out remarkably but suffered greatly, and due to the divisions send the the Low Countries had less reserve.

General Joseph Joffre, believed that France should follow the offensive Plan XVII, regardless of what happened in Belgium and Holland.
 
Last edited:
Dutch Water line with inundations as by 15 August 1914

233px-Nieuwe_Hollandse_Waterlinie_the_Netherlands.png
 
Inundation and fortification ring of Amsterdam. The forts were maned and on high alert, but only a few inundations were made, for most inundation only preparations were made yet.
How ever, several batteries of heavy field artillery ( how ever old) was moved towards the Ijssel. The same was done with a number of machine guns for the defense on the front.

Stelling_van_Amsterdam_the_Netherlands.jpg
 
Defense lines with inundations. This line was based on an old abandoned line called the Southern Front. Field works are ad-hoc trenches and gun positions.
Line is extended South of Bergen op Zoom, were it is connected with the Ring Of Antwerp and the Belgian army.

In contradiction of the ''water line'' and ''redoubt of Amsterdam" there are no modern pre-war forts, field works and the inundations are ad-hoc and made by present sluices and pumps, there for the water level can not be regulated as by earlier mentioned lines. This result in some parts just muddy while other parts are so deep it can be crossed by a small boat.

800px-Zuider_Waterlinie_-_the_Netherlands x.jpg
 
Top