The German attack on France is weakened by the fact that Italy did not act with the other members of the Triple Alliance, as a diverting attack from the south would divide the French defense. From the map it is easy to see why Germany advanced through Belgium, in spite of the fact that Germany, in 1878, had been one of the powers to guarantee Belgium's neutrality, because the mountains bordering France from the Alps to Verdun were strongly fortified, while the approach from Belgium was not.

It is also clear that Russia was compelled to establish her position along the Carpathian Mountains before advancing on Berlin—so that a northward movement from Austria-Hungary might not cut her line of communication.