What did General Moltke famously say?

The German field marshal, known as Moltke the Elder, believed in developing a series of options for battle instead of a single plan, saying “No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy’s main strength.” Today, “no plan survives contact with the enemy” is the popular …

What did Count Helmuth von Moltke do?

Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke (German: [ˈhɛlmuːt fɔn ˈmɔltkə]; 26 October 1800 – 24 April 1891) was a Prussian field marshal. The chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years, he is regarded as the creator of a new, more modern method of directing armies in the field.

Who said a plan never survives contact with the enemy?

commander Helmuth van Moltke
“No plan survives first contact with the enemy: A piece of military wisdom deriving from a formulation by the nineteenth-century Prussian military commander Helmuth van Moltke.

How did Moltke attempt to concentrate on the battlefield?

By a combination of the study of general principles, military history and logical planning, coupled with an organized command structure that allowed field commanders to act on their own initiative within the set directives, Moltke sought to lift the restraints that stifled the fighting spirit and allow for more …

Who is von Moltke?

Helmuth von Moltke, (born May 25, 1848, Gersdorff, Mecklenburg [Germany]—died June 18, 1916, Berlin), chief of the German General Staff at the outbreak of World War I.

What did Helmuth von Moltke do in ww1?

Colonel General Helmuth von Moltke (the Younger), the Chief of the General Staff of the army in Berlin from 1906 to 1914 and the Chief of the General Staff of the Field Army at the outbreak of the First World War, was one of the top generals of the German Empire.

Did Rommel say no plan survives contact with the enemy?

Rommel took Moltke’s view that “no plan survives contact with the enemy”. If his plan got him into battle, it was enough. After that, Rommel would fight by ear and eye and tactical sense, like a duellist. No plan survives contact with the enemy.

How did Moltke change the Schlieffen Plan?

Moltke took Schlieffen’s plan and modified the deployment of forces on the western front by reducing the right wing, the one to advance through Belgium, from 85% to 70%. In the end, the Schlieffen plan was so radically modified by Moltke that it could be more properly called the Moltke Plan.

What does no plan survives first contact with the enemy mean?

Phrase. no plan survives contact with the enemy. (idiomatic) After a plan against an enemy is drafted, there will be unexpected elements from the opposition that will call for improvisation.

WHO said the plan is nothing planning is everything?

Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower said, “planning is everything, the plan is nothing.” I didn’t know what he meant until recently.

Who created the Schlieffen Plan?

Alfred Graf von Schlieffen
The French-Russian alliance had raised the prospect that Germany might face a war on two fronts. In response, Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered Alfred Graf von Schlieffen, chief of the German General Staff, to develop a plan to successfully fight both France and Russia.

What was the main goal of the Schlieffen Plan?

The main aim of the Schlieffen Plan was to deliver a very quick knockout blow to France. This would then allow German forces to transfer their attention to the much larger Russian armies.