▁one ▁of ▁the ▁causes ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁Military ▁the or ists ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁generally ▁held ▁that ▁se izing ▁the ▁off ensive ▁was ▁of ▁cru cial ▁importance , ▁hence ▁bell iger ents ▁were ▁encourag ed ▁to ▁strike ▁first ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁gain ▁the ▁advantage . ▁Most ▁pl ann ers ▁wanted ▁to ▁begin ▁mobil ization ▁as ▁quickly ▁as ▁possible ▁to ▁avoid ▁being ▁caught ▁on ▁the ▁def ensive . ▁This ▁was ▁complicated ▁as ▁mobil izations ▁were ▁expensive , ▁and ▁their ▁sched ules ▁were ▁so ▁rig id ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁can ce led ▁without ▁massive ▁dis ruption ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁military ▁dis organ ization . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁window ▁for ▁diplom acy ▁was ▁short ened ▁by ▁this ▁attitude , ▁and ▁once ▁the ▁mobil izations ▁had ▁begun ▁diplom acy ▁had ▁the ▁added ▁difficulty ▁of ▁having ▁to ▁justify ▁can cell ing ▁the ▁mobil izations . ▁This ▁phenomen on ▁was ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" war ▁by ▁tim et able ". ▁ ▁The ▁German ▁Sch lie ffen ▁Plan ▁is ▁a ▁notable ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁cult ▁of ▁the ▁off ensive . ▁Support ed ▁by ▁off ens ively - mind ed ▁officers ▁such ▁as ▁Alfred ▁von ▁Sch lie ffen ▁and ▁Hel m uth ▁von ▁Mol t ke ▁the ▁Young er , ▁it ▁was ▁executed ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁month ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁( with ▁some ▁histor ians ▁maintain ing ▁it ▁was ▁nearly ▁vict orious , ▁though ▁others ▁claim ▁the ▁Plan ▁never ▁had ▁any ▁chance ▁of ▁success .) ▁A ▁French ▁counter - att ack ▁on ▁the ▁out