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In 1904, a copy of the Schlieffen plan was provided to French intelligence by an agent called Le Vengeur, but the French failed to take advantage of it.

In 1904, a copy of the Schlieffen plan was provided to French intelligence by an agent called Le Vengeur, but the French failed to take advantage of it.

Schlieffen retired in 1906 and was replaced Moltke. In April 1913, Moltke dropped other military plans so that the General Staff could focus on the Schlieffen Plan. This allowed the army "to rule out half measures" and interference from "the politicians," as Waldersee put it.<ref>''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=t4gDyLfeUEQC&dq= Helmuth Von Moltke and the Origins of the First World War]'', p. 103.</ref> The way was paved for total war the following year.

Schlieffen retired in 1906 and was replaced by Moltke. In April 1913, Moltke dropped other military plans so that the General Staff could focus on the Schlieffen Plan. This allowed the army "to rule out half measures" and interference from "the politicians," as Waldersee put it.<ref>''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=t4gDyLfeUEQC&dq= Helmuth Von Moltke and the Origins of the First World War]'', p. 103.</ref> The way was paved for total war the following year.

In September 1914, German forces under Moltke's command arrived at the Marne, a river north of Paris, after an exhausting march across Belgium and northeastern France. After five days of fighting with French and British forces, they stopped to wait for additional supplies. As the armies rested, they dug trenches. Four years of trench warfare followed.  

In September 1914, German forces under Moltke's command arrived at the Marne, a river north of Paris, after an exhausting march across Belgium and northeastern France. After five days of fighting with French and British forces, they stopped to wait for additional supplies. As the armies rested, they dug trenches. Four years of trench warfare followed.