The Schlieffen Plan disregarded the political implications of what was regarded as essentially a technical solution to a military problem. It called for the violation of Belgian and Dutch neutrality by invading both those countries to achieve surprise in a vast attack on France. Why it failed Whilst the plan looked good on paper, it underestimated the distances the German Army had to cover in the strict timetable. The German troops on the extreme right were exhausted after several weeks of marching and fighting and were unable to keep up the pace. This meant Paris was not surrounded.
