3. The Campaign in Belgium.— Germany ordered mobilization on 1 August. It was com pleted on 12 August, three days before the proc ess was achieved in France. But the Germans did not wait for complete mobilization before they moved on Belgium. On 2 August they in formed the Belgian government of their inten tion to attack France through Belgium. A similar notice was given to Luxemburg on the same day. Both were accompanied with the assurance that the rights of person and prop erty would be respected if no opposition was offered to the German forces. Luxemburg was too small to raise objection and the Germans promptly oocupied the duchy, filling it with troops destined to march on Longwy. In Brus sels, on 3 August, King Albert laid the com munication before the Belgian Chambers, who refused the demand and resolved to defend their country to the utmost.
On 4 August 12 regiments of German cav alry crossed into Belgium and followed the road south of the Dutch border to the Meuse, occu pied the town of Vise, and seized the west bank of the river, driving back a weak Belgian force that retreated to Liege. On the same day Gen eral von Ernmich commanding the 10th corps crossed into Belgium and approached Liege directly. It was that day also, that the Ger man Chancellor, announcing to the Reichstag the presence of German troops in neutral Bel gitun, said: (We are now in a state of neces sity, and necessity 'mows no law. We were compelled to override the just protest of the Luxemburg and Belgian governrnents. The wrong— I speak openly— that we are com mitting we will endeavor to make good as soon as our military goal is reached.' On 5 August von Emmich appeared before Liege and demanded permission to pass through the town. Receiving a refusal he formed his forces in line of battle and undertook to pass through the spaces between the eastern forts. The Belgians had about 20,000 men in Liege and received the Germans so steadily that the assault was beaten off with heavy losses. Von Emmich then used his artillery, whicl? outranged the artillery of the Belgians. Placing it at a safe distance he poured a heavy fire of high explosive shells on the eastemmost of the 12 forts defending the town. These works were supposed to be ;the highest achievements of the art of mUitary defense. They were constructed of heavy concrete turrets, the walls sometimes 12 feet thick. They were conical turrets flush with the surface of the ground, with disap nearing guns operated by men who lived well protected beneath the surface. At first the Germans used their ordinary heavy artillery. With their high explosives they were able to destroy the mechanism of the disappearing gun in one of the forts. This made an opening through the line of ring-forts through which attackers began to work their way, despite the spirited opposition of the infantry. Next day,
the 6th, another fort was silenced, opening a still wider gap and giving the Germans an ap proach to the town from the southeast. A venturesome party of hussars saw the oppor tunity and galloped into Liege. They hoped to seize General Leman, the Belgian commander, but he escaped them. Two more forts were destroyed this day, and thus the whole eastern side of the town was uncovered. The Belgian infantry remained in their positions and held back the men of von Emmich's command, but they were not numerous enough to hold the lines south of the place also. By this time the attacking troops were being heavily reinforced, and General Leman withdrew front the town, lest he be surrounded and captured, drawing off in the direction of Namur, where the main Belgian army had taken position. The forts on the west and north of Liege held out sev eral days longer. The last fell on the 15th, by the Belgian account, although the Germans claimed that it fell earlier. In this fort, Loncin, was General Leman, when a shell penetrated and exploded the magazine. He was found in the ruins, unconscious and near death from the fumes Gi the explosives and taken prisoner by the victors.
Thus the invaders were delayed at Liege until die middle of August. Through the place ran the four-track railroad from Aix-la-Cha pelle into France, a main dependence of the Germans for the transportation of heavy stores. As long as the forts held out this line could not be used by the Germans for concentration to the westward. During the interval, however, they were crossing the Meuse in large numbers, deploying into the plain north of Liege and worlcing along the south bank of the Meuse west of the town until on the 12th they seized Huy, midway between Liege and Namur. About the 15th, having completed their mobiliza tion, they began to pour into Belgium in great waves, filling every road with men, artillery and supplies.
The defense of Liege was pronounced a great achievement by the Entente. C,onsidegN the weakness of the defenders and their of training, it was a good piece of soldiery work; but it was not as suocessful as the news papers reported. The Germans suffered mod erate losses but accomplished all they attempted. However, they did not take Liege with a coup de main, as they had expected. The resietance of General Leman was spirited. To see this small nation which might have found refuge in timid counsels, stand to arms and oppose resolutely the overwhelming force of those who violated her sovereignty, aroused the ad miration of.every country that was not obsessed with the German view that might gives right. In the. United States, in particular, it w.as re ceived with enthusiastic sympathy, and found immediate expression in large contribution for the relief of the suffering Belgians.