On August 2, the German Army's carefully planned Schlieffen plan had begun to be implemented, and the seven corps of the Western Front had already begun to assemble in the predetermined positions. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

The core intent of Schrieffen's plan was to avoid getting bogged down in a long two-front battle and launch a blitzkrieg. First of all, gather heavy forces on the Western Front and crush France. Then use the convenient railroad to transport the army to the Eastern Front, defeat the Russians, and win the war.

To put it bluntly, it's a time difference. Taking Russia's low mobilization capacity as a starting point, defeat France before Russia completes its mobilization and lay the foundation for victory. If it is not able to accomplish its strategic goals, it will be very difficult for Germany to win again once it is caught in a two-front war!

In Schlieffen's plan, Belgium is an insurmountable hurdle. France has always regarded Germany as an old enemy and has deployed heavy troops on the Franco-German border. If Germany wanted to bypass the strong French lines and the rugged Ardennes, they would have to pass through Belgium. At the same time, although the Belgian country is small, it has a well-developed industry, and the transportation facilities such as railways and roads are very good, and the German army can use these infrastructures to quickly mobilize troops.

Therefore, Germany hoped that the Kingdom of Belgium would take the initiative to open its borders, so that the German army could 'borrow' Belgium and launch an attack directly from northern France. Of course, it doesn't matter if the Kingdom of Belgium does not agree, the strong German* army will make them 'willingly' agree to borrow it.

Even so, the Kingdom of Belgium is a neutral country recognized by the countries of Europe. However, in order to achieve victory, it was clear that Germany would not be restrained by this. For the Germans, having been preparing a plan for so long, it was absolutely impossible for them to slip up. Everything has to start with victory.

When Crown Prince Qin Tian left Berlin, Kaiser Wilhelm II summoned Chancellor Bernhardt? Feng? Bülow and Foreign Secretary von? Kidren? Wahit.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary. The army is being assembled and is expected to be able to complete the final build-up and launch an offensive within 48 hours. So, we need to get the Belgians to open the country as soon as possible and let our army pass! Kaiser Wilhelm II said.

"Your Majesty, I immediately ask the ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium to issue an ultimatum to the Belgians. However, it is unlikely that the Belgians will accept it. "Feng? Kidren? Vahit said.

Wilhelm II nodded, he also knew that it was almost unlikely. Although the Kingdom of Belgium is a small country, it has a lot of backbone. In order to maintain their independence, they did not hesitate to spend huge sums of money to build defensive lines on the border to guard against any potential enemy. Of course, the defensive line was built mainly on the border between the Kingdom of Belgium and Germany. As for France, it is clearly not as threatening as Germany. This move of the Kingdom of Belgium also made the German side very dissatisfied for a time. However, the Kingdom of Belgium and Britain had close relations, and Britain even promised to guarantee the security and independence of the Kingdom of Belgium. Therefore, even in the face of Germany, the Kingdom of Belgium will be able to straighten its back.

Of course, the Belgians will soon find out. Their backbone and strength are not proportional at all. For a small country with a total population of just over 7 million, it is too much to face Germany, which has the most powerful army in the world.

"Either way, give the Belgians a choice! If they don't want their country destroyed, then follow our advice and let our army take advantage of it. Even join the Allies, become allies of the Empire, and share the victory with us. But it would be foolish for them to be obsessed and expect the British to be able to guarantee their safety! The mighty army of the Empire will crush them to pieces! Prime Minister Billo said.

"Well, let's do it! The opportunity has already been given to the Belgians, it's up to them to choose! Let's hope the Belgians will be wiser. Kaiser Wilhelm II looked compassionate, as if he had not felt a trace of shame at all about the imminent German invasion of Belgium. For a hero like them, the most important thing is to win the final victory.

On the morning of August 2, King Albert I of Belgium summoned the ministers and generals of the country to discuss the current situation. The German army was massing on the border, which undoubtedly posed a great threat to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Albert I was worried that the Germans would attack them by moving westward. After all, the Kingdom of Belgium was too weak relative to the mighty German Empire, too weak for them to stand up to the German Empire.

"Gentlemen, the Germans have deployed large armies on the border. But will they attack us? Albert I asked.

"Your Majesty, we are a neutral country. The Germans shouldn't attack us, right? Besides, their enemies are the French, not us. Foreign Secretary Coleman said.

"Humph! The Germans don't care if we're neutral or not, all they care about is victory. Prime Minister Brockville snorted coldly, he has always been highly vigilant about Germany's wolf ambitions.

"Generals, if the Germans attack, will our line of defense on the border be able to withstand their attack?" Albert I looked at the generals of the army.

"Your Majesty, the fortress of Liège has been completed. All we need to do is send an army to the fortress of Liege to ensure our safety. The Germans wanted to break through the heavily defended fortress of Liège, which was heavily defended by us, and it was impossible. The Secretary of War replied confidently.

The Fortress of the Sun was the only way for the Germans to attack Belgium, which is why Belgium decided to build a strong fortress there in order to prevent a sudden German invasion. Now, the fortress has finally come in handy.

But the Belgians did not expect that the fortress of Liège had been completed for twenty years. Originally designed to withstand the shelling of 210 mm guns, the fortifications of the forts were permanent reinforced concrete fortifications with a thickness of 2.5 to 3 meters. But now, with the development of science and technology, the largest caliber heavy artillery that can be used on land is no longer 210 mm. This makes the fortress of Liège very flawed.

"Your Majesty, the German ambassador begs to see you."

"The Germans are coming?" The Belgian dignitaries attending the meeting all exclaimed. Albert I's face was also unnatural. But he let the German ambassador in anyway.

"Your Majesty. I have come with the goodwill of the German Empire. The Reich hoped that the Kingdom of Belgium would withdraw its troops from the borders and allow the German* troops to pass through the territory of the Kingdom of Belgium. The German Reich pledged that it would never infringe upon the security and other interests of the Kingdom of Belgium. The German ambassador said with his head held high and with a proud face.