The Schlieffen Plan was a German military strategy for victory in World War I created by General Alfred von Schlieffen in 1905. The plan aimed to defeat France quickly by invading through Belgium and the Netherlands (the Low Countries) with a massive force, while deploying minimal troops to hold off the Russian army. The plan failed in its objective of swiftly defeating France when Germany was unable to capture Paris in time. The failure to execute the Schlieffen Plan as intended contributed to Germany fighting a two-front war against France and Russia that it was not able to win.