Soon after the
assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in June of 1914, Germany began to
activate its so-called Schlieffen Plan that had had been established as a model
and a sequence of actions for a Franco-German war. It started with an offensive
on Luxembourg and Belgium to clear a path for German troops to pour across the
border into France, with the main aim an attack on Paris soon after.
However in 1914
the Belgians were insisting on maintaining a state of neutrality amid the
escalating crisis and refused the Germans military access to their country.
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Cartoon from the British magazine “Punch”, dated 12th
August 1914. Entitled “Bravo Belgium”, it reflected solid support for the
Belgians against the German invasion. (Image from Wikipedia Commons)
On August 1st
1914, the German Army invaded Luxembourg, and the next day a communique was
delivered from the German Ambassador at Brussels to the Belgian
Government. It stated, amongst
other things that
Reliable
information has been received by the German Government to the effect that
French forces intend to march on the line of the Meuse by Givet and
Namur. This information leaves no doubt as to the intention of France to
march through Belgian territory against Germany.
The German Government cannot
but fear that Belgium, in spite of the utmost goodwill, will be unable, without
assistance, to repel so considerable a French invasion with sufficient prospect
of success to afford an adequate guarantee against danger to Germany.
It is essential for the
self-defence of Germany that she should anticipate any such hostile
attack. The German Government would, however, feel the deepest regret if
Belgium regarded as an act of hostility against herself the fact that the
measures of Germany's opponents force Germany, for her own protection, to enter
Belgian territory.
This ultimatum was firmly rejected by Belgium on 3rd
August, with the British Government
undertaking to supply military support to Belgium if they were invaded. When
the Germans were informed that a treaty existed between Belgium and Britain,
this was dismissed by the German Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, as
a “scrap of paper”.
The next day – on
August 4th, German forces invaded Belgium and the United Kingdom
declared war on Germany.
For more information on the First World war - including weekly updates, go to Foxtel Australia's History Channel at
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