The Schlieffen Plan has long been considered the ultimate example of flawed German military doctrine during World War I, but new evidence suggests the narrative we know was a calculated fabrication. In this episode of pplpod, we deconstruct the role of Helmuth von Moltke the Younger in what many now call a massive logistical failure orchestrated by the survivors at the Reichsarchiv. For decades, the traditional historical narrative was baked into our understanding of early 20th-century warfare: Germany supposedly possessed an infallible master blueprint for a two-front war involving a sweeping right hook through Belgium. This plan aimed to crush the French army in exactly six weeks before pivoting to meet the Russian Empire. However, our deep dive into the official 14-volume history Der Weltkrieg reveals that this story was meticulously construct ...