(_Photo by White._)]
The main advance was therefore to take place through Belgium, the Army
of the Moselle co-operating, while to the Army of the Rhine was
assigned the offensive-defensive role of advancing to the barrier
fortresses of Epinal and Belfort to check any French advance that
might be directed against the communications of the Armies of the
Moselle and the Meuse to the north. The railroad communications
through the Belgian plain were splendidly adapted to this plan, backed
as they were by the military railroads which Germany had constructed
several years before, running through the industrial districts in the
north of the German Empire up to the Belgian border.
Germany's first move was the invasion of Luxemburg, violating the
neutrality of a State which, under the treaty making her independent
and guaranteeing neutrality, (to which treaty Germany was a party,)
was not permitted to maintain an army. Two days later Germany asked
passage for her troops through Belgium, for the purpose of attacking
France. Belgium promptly refused, and on Aug. 4 Germany began the
forcing of this passage by an attack on Liege.
Thus, at the outset the German plan went awry. Although the
contemplated line of advance was through Liege and Namur, it was not
sufficient, with Belgium openly in arms to defend her country, to
reduce only these two towns. The Belgian Army could, and later did,
fall back to the north on Louvain, Brussels, and Antwerp, and so be
directly on the German flank and in a position to strike at the line
of communications. It was therefore necessary to subjugate all of
Belgium either by destroying the Belgian Army or driving it before
them in their advance.
Thus, the German advance was not only doomed to delay, but at least
100,000 troops were needed to garrison a hostile country and to
protect the life lines running to the rear.
Three days after the attack on Liege opened the Germans penetrated
between the outer forts, their infantry advancing in close formation
and sustaining enormous losses. But Liege was worth the price paid.
Some of the forts held out for days, but were finally reduced by the
fire of the 42-centimeter guns--the first of the German surprises. The
Belgian garrison, however, had done its work. The German advance was
delayed for ten precious days, during which the first consignment of
the British expeditionary force had reached the Continent and France
and Russia had largely completed their mobilization.
As soon as it was realized that the unexpected Belgian resistance had
retarded the German advance and in all probability had disarranged the
German plan of campaign, the French, even before the guns of Liege had
cooled, struck at Alsace, through the Belford Gap and over the Vosges
Mountains. At first this French offensive was successful. Points on
the Metz-Strassburg Railroad were taken and the town of Muelhausen
captured. But almost before the news of success reached Paris the
French had been defeated, not only in Alsace but also in Lorraine,
whence French troops had been sent to engage the German Army of the
Moselle. The result was the retirement of the French to the line of
their first defense--a line that had been prepared for just such an
emergency during the years since 1871.
While the German armies of the Moselle and of the Rhine were thus
occupied in repelling the French advance the Army of the Meuse was
forcing its way through Belgium. Throwing out a strong cavalry screen
in its front, this army advanced through Tongres, St. Frond, Laugen,
Haelen, and Terlemont, and finally confronted the Belgians on the line
from Louvain to Namur. Fighting on this front filled almost a week,
when the destruction of the fortifications of Namur forced the
Belgians to fall back, pivoting on Louvain to the line from Louvain to
Wavre, the last line in front of Brussels. On Aug. 20 the Belgians
were defeated at Louvain and the Germans entered Brussels, the Belgian
Government having previously retired to Antwerp. The first phase of
the German advance was thus completed and the way to France was open.