Chapter 175： Threatening Belgium (400 votes plus more)

On August 2, the Schlieffen Plan carefully planned by the German Army has begun to be implemented. The 7 armies on the Western Front have already begun to gather at the predetermined positions.

The core intention of the Schlieffen plan is to launch a blitzkrieg in order to avoid falling into a long two-front battle. First gather heavy troops on the Western Front and defeat France. Then use the convenient railway to transport the army to the Eastern Front, defeat Russia, and win the war.

To put it bluntly, it is a time difference. Taking Russia's low mobilization ability as an entry point, defeat France before Russia completes the mobilization and secure the victory. If it fails to achieve its strategic goals, once it is caught in a two-front battle, it may be very difficult for Germany to win again!

In the Schlieffen plan, Belgium is an unavoidable hurdle. France has always regarded Germany as its old enemy and deployed heavy troops on the French-German border. Germany had to go through Belgium if it wanted to bypass the solid French defenses and the rugged Ardennes. At the same time, although Belgium is a small country, it has developed industries and excellent transportation facilities such as railways and roads. The German army can use these infrastructures to quickly mobilize troops.

Therefore, Germany hopes that the Kingdom of Belgium can take the initiative to open the country, so that the German army can "borrow" Belgium and launch an attack directly from northern France. Of course, it doesn't matter if the Kingdom of Belgium disagrees. The powerful German army will allow them to agree to it "willingly".

Even though, the Kingdom of Belgium is a neutral country recognized by European countries. However, in order to win, Germany obviously will not be tied down. For the Germans, it is absolutely impossible for the plan to go wrong after preparing for so long. Everything starts with winning.

When Imperial Crown Prince Qin Tian left Berlin, Kaiser Wilhelm II summoned Prime Minister Bernhard von Bülow and Foreign Minister von Kidrun Wachter.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, Your Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The army is gathering, and it is estimated that within 48 hours, the final assembly will be completed and the attack will be completed. Therefore, we need to let the Belgians open the country as soon as possible and let our army pass!" William II Said.

"Your Majesty, I will immediately ask the ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium to issue an ultimatum to the Belgians. However, the possibility of the Belgians accepting it is unlikely." von Kidren Wachter said.

William II nodded, he also knew that this was almost impossible. Although the Kingdom of Belgium is a small country, it has a lot of backbone. In order to maintain their independence, they have spent huge sums of money to build defense lines on the border to guard against any potential enemies. Of course, the defense line was mainly built on the border between the Kingdom of Belgium and Germany. As for France, it is obviously not as threatening as Germany. This approach of the Kingdom of Belgium also made Germany very dissatisfied for a time. It's just that the Kingdom of Belgium has a close relationship with the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom has even promised to guarantee the security and independence of the Kingdom of Belgium. Therefore, even in the face of Germany, the Kingdom of Belgium can stand upright.

Of course, the Belgians will soon find out. Their backbone and strength are simply not proportional. For a small country with a total population of just over 7 million, facing Germany, which has the most powerful army in the world, is really too powerless.

"No matter what, give the Belgians a chance to choose! If they don't want the country to be destroyed, then follow our advice and let our army use it. Or even join the Allies and become allies of the Empire, and we It’s okay to share the victory together. But if they are stubborn and expect the British to guarantee their safety, it would be foolish! The powerful army of the empire will crush them to pieces!” Prime Minister Bilo said.

"Well, let's do this! The opportunity has been given to the Belgians, it depends on how they choose! I hope the Belgians can be more sensible." William II looked pitiful, as if there was no reason for the imminent invasion of Germany. Belgium felt a little ashamed. For heroes like them, winning the final victory is the most important thing.

On the morning of August 2, King Albert I of Belgium convened the ministers and generals of the country to discuss the current situation. The massing of German troops on the border undoubtedly posed a huge threat to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Albert I was worried, for fear that the Germans would march westward and attack them. After all, compared to the powerful German Empire, the Kingdom of Belgium is too weak, so weak that they are powerless against the German Empire.

"Gentlemen, the Germans have deployed a large army 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 enemy is the French, not us." Foreign Minister Coleman said.

"Hmph! The Germans don't care whether we are a neutral country or not. All they care about is victory." Prime Minister Brockwell snorted coldly. He has always maintained a high degree of vigilance against Germany's wolf ambitions.

"Generals, if the Germans launch an attack, can our defense line on the border withstand their attack?" Albert I looked at the military general.

"Your Majesty, the Liege Fortress has been completed. We only need to send an army to the Liege Fortress to ensure our safety. It is impossible for the Germans to break through our heavily defended Liege Fortress." Army The minister answered confidently.

Liege Fortress is the only way for the German army to attack Belgium, so Belgium decided to build a strong fortress there in order to prevent a sudden German invasion. Now, the fortress finally came in handy.

But the Belgians did not expect that the Liege Fortress had been completed for 20 years. It was originally designed to withstand the shelling of 210mm heavy artillery, so the fort's fortifications are 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 of heavy artillery that can be used on land is no longer 210mm. This makes the Liege Fortress very flawed.

"Your Majesty, the German Ambassador seeks an audience."

"The Germans are coming?" The Belgian senior officials present all exclaimed. Albert I's expression was not natural either. But he let the German ambassador in anyway.

"Your Majesty, I am here with the goodwill of the German Empire. The Empire hopes that the Kingdom of Belgium can withdraw its troops on the border and allow the German army to pass through the territory of the Kingdom of Belgium. The German Empire guarantees that it will never invade the Kingdom of Belgium safety and other interests." The German ambassador raised his head and said proudly.