BELGIUM'S DEFIANCE
A view of the general situation in Belgium will assist in clearing
the way for swiftly following events. Germany had invaded Belgium
against the diplomatic and active protests of its Government. But
the German Government still hoped that the heroic resistance of
Liege would satisfy Belgian national spirit, and a free passage
of German troops now be granted. The German Emperor made a direct
appeal to the King of the Belgians through the medium of the Queen
of Holland. From the German point of outlook their victory could
best be attained by the march through Belgium upon Paris. The German
Government asserted that the French and British contemplated a
similar breach of Belgian neutrality. To their mind, it was a case
of which should be on the ground first. On the other hand, the
Allies pronounced the German invasion of Belgium an unprovoked
assault, and produced countertestimony. The controversy has continued
to this day. But the war as it progressed has seen many breaches of
neutrality, and a certain resignation to the inevitable has succeeded
the moral indignation so easily aroused in its early stages.
Let us now glance at the condition of Belgium when war was declared.
The Belgians were an industrial and not a militant people. They
had ample reason to yearn for a permanent peace. Their country had
been the cockpit of Europe from the time of Cæsar until Waterloo.
The names of their cities, for the most part, represented great
historic battle fields. Again and again had the ruin of conflict
swept over their unfortunately situated land. At all periods the
Belgians were brave fighters on one side or the other, for Belgium
had been denied a national unity. Doubtless, therefore, they welcomed
the establishment of their independent sovereignty and the era of
peace which followed. Historically, they had suffered enough, with
an abundance to spare, from perpetual warfare. Their minds turned
hopefully toward industrial and commercial activity, stimulated
by the natural mineral wealth of their soil. Thus the products
of their factories reached all countries, South America, China,
Manchuria, and Central Africa, especially of later years, where
a great territory had been acquired in the Congo. The iron and
steel work of Liege was famous, Antwerp had become one of the chief
ports of Europe and growing into a financial power. But owing to
the confined boundaries of Belgium, there grew to be a congestion
of population. This produced a strong democratic and socialistic
uplift which even threatened the existence of the monarchy. Also,
all that monarchy seemed to imply.
The Belgians, doubtless with memories of the past, despised and hated
the display of military. Consequently it was only with difficulty,
and in the face of popular opposition, that the Belgium Government
had succeeded with military plans for defense, but imperfectly
carried out. Herein, perhaps, we have the keynote to Belgium's
desperate resistance to the German invaders. In the light of the
foregoing, it is easily conceivable that the Germans represented
to the Belgians the military yoke. They were determined to have
none of it, upon any overtures or terms. But they relied on France
and England for protection, when common prudence should have made
the mobilization of an up-to-date army of 500,000 men ready for
the call to repel an invader on either of the frontiers, instead
of the practically helpless force of 110,000.
The German General Staff did not believe the Belgians intended
to raise a serious barrier in their path. But with the crisis,
democratic Belgium united in a rush to arms, which recalls similar
action by the American colonists at the Revolution. Every form of
weapon was grasped, from old muskets to pitchforks and shearing
knives. It was remarked by a foreign witness that in default of
properly equipped armories, the Belgians emptied the museums to
confront the Germans with the strangest assortment of antiquated
military tools.
As testimony of Belgian feeling, the Labor party organ "Le Peuple"
issued the following trumpet blast: "Why do we, as irreconcilable
antimilitarists, cry 'Bravo!' from the bottom of our hearts to
all those who offer themselves for the defense of the country?
Because it is not only necessary to protect the hearths and homes,
the women and the children, but it is also necessary to protect at
the price of our blood the heritage of our ancient freedom. Go,
then, sons of the workers, and register your names as recruits. We
will rather die for the idea of progress and solidarity of humanity
than live under a régime whose brutal force and savage violence
have wiped outright."
The Belgian General Staff, foreseeing dire consequences from such
inflaming press utterances, warned all those not regularly enlisted
to maintain a peaceful attitude. Disregard of this admonition later
met with heavy retribution.
On Wednesday, August 12, 1914, a German cavalry screen, thrown in
advance of the main forces, came in touch with Belgian patrols.
A series of engagements took place. The Germans tried to seize
the bridges across the Dyle at Haelen, and at Cortenachen on the
Velpe, a tributary of the former river, mainly with the object of
outflanking the Belgian left wing. The Belgians are said to have
numbered some 10,000 of all arms, and were successful in repulsing
the Germans.
On August 13, 1914, similar actions were continued. At Tirlemont
2,000 German cavalry swept upon the town, but were beaten off.
At Eghezee on the extreme Belgian right--close to Namur and the
historic field of Ramillies--another brush with the Germans took
place. Belgian cavalry caught a German cavalry detachment bivouacked
in the village. Sharp fighting through the streets ensued before the
Germans withdrew. In spite of the warning of the Belgian General
Staff, and similar advance German notices, the citizens of some
of these and other places began sniping German patrols.
Meantime, moving over the roads toward Namur, toiled the huge German
42-centimeter guns. The German General Staff had taken to mind
the lesson of Liege. Each gun was transported in several parts,
hauled by traction engines and forty horses. Of this, with the
advance of Von Kluck and Von Bülow, the Belgian General Staff was
kept in total ignorance by the German screen of cavalry. So ably
was this screen work performed that the Belgians were led to believe
the Germans had succeeded in placing no more than two divisions of
cavalry, together with a few detachments of infantry and artillery,
on Belgian soil. They, in fact, regarded the German cavalry skirmishing
as a rather clumsy offensive.
As we have seen, the resistance of Forts Boncelles and Loncin at
Liege held back the main German advance from seven to ten days.
Their fall released into German control the railway junction at
Ans. With that was included the line from Liege up the left bank
of the Meuse to Namur. Also, another line direct to Brussels.
On August 15, 1914, the cavalry screen was withdrawn, and four
German army corps were revealed to the surprised Belgian line.
In this emergency, clearly their only hope lay with the French.
In Louvain, Brussels, and Antwerp, anxious questions lay on all
lips. "Why do not the French hasten to our aid? When will they
come? Will the British fail us at the twelfth hour?"
Eager watchers at Ostend beheld no sign of the promised transports
to disembark a British army of support in the day of overwhelming
need. About this time some French cavalry crossed the Sambre to
join hands with the Belgian right wing near Waterloo. But it was
little more than a detachment. The French General Staff was occupied
with a realignment, and had decided not to advance into Belgium
until they could do so in force sufficient to cope with the Germans.
The Belgian General Staff saw there was no other course but to
fall back, fighting rear-guard actions until the longed-for French
army was heralded by the thunder of friendly guns.
The Belgian army was thus withdrawn from the River Gethe to hold
Aerschot on its left stubbornly through August 14, 1914. Diest,
St. Trond, and Waremme fell before the German tidal wave without
resistance. Von Kluck's main army endeavored to sweep around the
Belgian right at Wavre, but was checked for a brief space.
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