The Guns of August

What is the Schlieffen Plan? How does adherence to this plan affect the outcome of the war?

What is Plan 17? Are the creators of this plan able to follow it once the war begins? What effect does this have on the outcome of the war?

Give an example of a mistake made by either side that has either immediate or long-term effects on the outcome of the war. Explain the consequences of the mistake and discuss how the war might have gone differently had the mistake not been made.

Why are the British reluctant to put British troops under French command? Discuss the effect this hesitance has on the course of the war.

When British General Henry Wilson asks French General Ferdinand Foch the smallest number of British forces that would be useful to the French, Foch replies, “A single British soldier—and we will see to it that he is killed” (49). What is the significance of this reply?

What do you think is Russia’s biggest obstacle in fighting the war? Discuss how this obstacle affects Russia’s ability to participate in the war and the impact this has on the war’s outcome.

Why does the German army kill civilians and burn villages in Belgium? What do they hope to gain by doing this? Do the Germans achieve their desired outcome? Why or why not?

What role do reporters and the press play in the war? Explain how the press affects the outcomes of the war.