The great world conflict turned the eyes of the world upon the little kingdom and its mon arch; the tragedy of Belgium became the cen tral star in a lurid constellation of tragedies. In a few days Albert I was a king without a country. Only four and a half years earlier he had uttered these words in Brussels: "Bel gium is mistress of her destiny. . . . Belgium is rich and happy.. . Perhaps the first vision of coming disaster was conveyed to King Al bert as early as November 1913, by no less a person than the German Emperor himself, in an interview at which von Moltke, chief of the General Staff, was also present. The report of that interview first saw the light in the French Yellow Book published in December 1914 (see WAR, EUROPEAN — DIPLOMATIC HISTORY). Thus the year before the war King Albert knew that the storm would ere long burst over his country, for von Moltke had prophesied to him the "irresistible enthusiasm with which the whole German people will be carried away when that day comes.° Though he had no passion for military glory, though all his hopes centred in the commercial and industrial de velopment of his country, King Albert unhesi tatingly rejected the German demand for a free passage through Belgium and mustered his forces to resist invasion. He had studied
the art of war with the same thoroughness that he gave to all his tasks ; his own military train ing began at the age of 17. Unfortunately, the army reorganization was barely half completed when the challenge came. German troops were already on Belgian soil when he made a "su preme appeal° for the diplomatic intervention of Great Britain. At 7 o'clock the same night the British ambassador in Berlin presented the ultimatum. The heroism of the Belgians and their King was not in vain; their spirited re sistance held the avalanche long enough to enable the French and British to complete their mobilization and preparations for the victory of the Marne. After the fall of Antwerp the Belgian government withdrew to Le Havre, France (13 Oct. 1914). During the war Albert shared all the dangers of the field with his heroic army, defending the remnant of his king dom, a corner of West Flanders. See WAR, EUROPEAN.