ABSTRACT
The German Chief of Staff, Moltke the Younger, was anxious that the entire German army should seek an absolute victory in France, leaving but a small force to protect Germany from a Russian invasion. The Austro-Hungarian Chief of Staff did not share Moltke's confidence as regards Italy; and Romania, though full of loyal utterances, was as yet questionable support. The Austro-Hungarian General Staff, whose chief was Franz Baron Conrad von Hoetzendorf, had different ideas. The essential aim of any Austro-Hungarian plan should be to destroy Serbia before attacking Russia. The German army should concentrate against France, not Russia: necessarily, it would have few troops to spare for East Prussia. The Germans elected not to attack from East Prussia, and Tannenberg, foreseen in the correspondence as an offensive victory, turned out to be the most spectacular defensive one of the war.
