Germany finds itself surrounded: French, Dutch, and Belgians to the west, Austrians to the south, and Russians to the east. With Russia fielding over 2 million soldiers, Germany can expect to have the worst of the fighting in the eastern part of the country. While France also fields a large army, they will be spread out dealing with the Italians, Spanish, and British in Africa.
Taking all this into account, the German High Command formed a strategy to deal with this troubling situation. First, German forces would race into Belgium and the Netherlands and presumably rout the inferior forces there. Then, turning their attention to the spread out French, the German war machine would punch through the north towards Paris. While this is happening, a defensive perimeter of forts and entrenchments will hold off the Austrians. To deal with the hordes of Russians, a bottleneck will be created in the German territories between the Baltic Sea and Poland. Here, superior German discipline and technology will attempt to hold off the millions of Russians.
Hopefully, the Western Theater will go well enough for the freeing up of German troops in the Eastern Theater. Germany does not have much confidence in its allies. Italy will undoubtedly not be able to handle the French and Austrian troops. Britain will likely focus on Africa and not provide much support for the surrounded Germans. Spain has proven to be capable in the past, and perhaps they can break through the thin French lines. The USA will hopefully dominate the American theater, and quickly end the Colombian involvement in the war.
Although German allies, both the Ottoman Empire and Sweden are in enemy spheres, and thus not participating in the war. Although they could've been valuable allies, especially with dealing with Russia, the German alliance will have to do without.
Although the aggressors, Germany saw unfriendly nations gathering their strength and threatening German sovereignty, and so in this preemptive strike its goals are such: the dismantling of Austria-Hungary, unification of all Italian peoples, end of Russian influence in China, and major French cessations in Africa.
