The Guns Of August

On August 2, the German minister in Brussels delivers a sealed letter to the Belgian government. Like England and France, Belgium hopes the war can still be averted, but once the sealed letter arrives, their hopes falter. The letter states that France is advancing—a lie—and as a result of this attack, Germany must enter Belgium to stop it. The letter asks for full Belgian cooperation, and that she not see the advance as an invasion. It reasserts Belgium’s neutrality. To the Belgian leaders, however, the note cannot be clearer. They know that Germany, after entering Belgium, will never leave if she is victorious. Belgium decides her only response is a firm negative—she will not support Germany, nor will she lay down her arms while the Germans roll through. Instead, in an answer the Germans do not expect, and one that threatens to throw her carefully conceived timelines off track, Belgium will defend her neutrality at all costs. 

Belgium struggles with strategy, however. King Albert will not become commander in chief until war has been declared, so he cannot influence the war staff. The army is in a weakened state precisely because of Belgium’s neutrality. The government does not fully fund it, feeling the money is more useful elsewhere since neutrality has been assured; the troops are not highly trained; and the country has no heavy artillery.