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→Germany goes to war
==Germany goes to war==
==Germany goes to war==
Schlieffen retired in 1906 and was replaced by Moltke. Moltke showed little interest in the Schlieffen Plan until 1911, when the Agadir Crisis inspired the General Staff to prepare for war in earnest.<ref>Mombauer, Annika, ''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=t4gDyLfeUEQC&dq= Helmuth Von Moltke and the Origins of the First World War]'' (2001), p. 86.</ref>
Schlieffen retired in 1906 and was replaced by Moltke. Moltke showed little interest in the Schlieffen Plan until 1911, when the Agadir Crisis inspired the General Staff to prepare for war in earnest.<ref>Mombauer, Annika, ''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=t4gDyLfeUEQC&dq= Helmuth Von Moltke and the Origins of the First World War]'' (2001), p. 86.</ref> German outrage against Britain boiled over, but there was little Germany could do against Britain directly. An offensive against France, Britain's partner, would have to do.
In November 1912, Moltke wrote a memorandum demanding full army conscription. Army expansion had long been opposed by the Prussian Ministry of War, which worried that it would dilute the institution's aristocratic character. Wandel, chief of staff at the ministry, complained that "restless and ambitious people" had gained control of the General Staff. This is presumably a reference to Ludendorff, Moltke's head of mobilization. In January 1913, Minister Heeringen reassigned Ludendorff to regimental command. Ludendorff later portrayed himself as a martyr to army expansion. But if Moltke was preparing Ludendorff for wartime command, he would need command experience.<ref>Mombauer, pp. 147-149.</ref>
In November 1912, Moltke wrote a memorandum demanding full army conscription. Army expansion had long been opposed by the Prussian Ministry of War, which worried that it would dilute the institution's aristocratic character. Wandel, chief of staff at the ministry, complained that "restless and ambitious people" had gained control of the General Staff. This is presumably a reference to Ludendorff, Moltke's head of mobilization. In January 1913, Minister Heeringen reassigned Ludendorff to regimental command. Ludendorff later portrayed himself as a martyr to army expansion. But if Moltke was preparing Ludendorff for wartime command, he would need command experience.<ref>Mombauer, pp. 147-149.</ref>