During World War I, how close did German forces come to actually reaching Paris?

Zbeckabee

1914 -- Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand and wife assassinated in Sarajevo by Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip (June 28). Austria declares war on Serbia (July 28). Germany declares war on Russia (Aug. 1), on France (Aug. 3), invades Belgium (Aug. 4). Britain declares war on Germany (Aug. 4). Germans defeat Russians in Battle of Tannenberg on Eastern Front (Aug.). First Battle of the Marne (Sept.). German drive stopped 25 miles from Paris. By end of year, war on the Western Front is “positional” in the trenches. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001284.html After the German march on Paris was brought to a halt, the Western Front settled into a static battle of attrition with a trench line that changed little until 1917. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I Jun 11 10, 10:15 PM

star_gazer

The offensive began on May 27th and the Germans were able to force back the French line. By June 3rd the Germans had reached a point five miles from Paris... http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/germanyduringww1.htm Jun 11 10, 10:36 PM

Zbeckabee

It should be noted that the Germans weren't even trying to besiege Paris, but rather to defeat the French army, end the war in the west and move their troops to the east. Von Schlieffen specifically wanted to avoid a siege of Paris because the siege of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War had lasted for months. The Plan intended to trap and defeat the French army around Paris, and thereby force a French surrender. The Schlieffen Plan was the German General Staff's early 20th century overall strategic plan for victory in a possible future war where it might find itself fighting on two fronts: France to the west and Russia to the east. The First World War later became such a war with both a Western Front and an Eastern Front. The plan took advantage of expected differences in the three countries' speed in preparing for war. In short, it was the German plan to avoid a two-front war by concentrating their troops in the west, quickly defeating the French and then, if necessary, rushing those troops by rail to the east to face the Russians before they had time to mobilize fully. The Schlieffen Plan was created by Count Alfred von Schlieffen and modified by Helmuth von Moltke the Younger after Schlieffen's retirement. It was Moltke who actually put the plan into action, despite initial reservations about it.[citation needed] In modified form, it was executed to near victory in the first month of World War I; however, the modifications to the original plan, a French counterattack on the outskirts of Paris (the Battle of the Marne), and surprisingly speedy Russian offensives, ended the German offensive and resulted in years of trench warfare. The plan has been the subject of intense debate among historians and military scholars ever since. Schlieffen's last words were "remember to keep the right flank strong", a request which was watered down by Moltke. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlieffen_Plan http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=101850 http://www.answers.com/topic/schlieffen-plan Jun 12 10, 4:47 AM