30 September 1914

[gord97138]

30 September, 1914

The London Times on Belgian Neutrality

The "Official Statement" on the neutrality of Belgium.

The German press has been attempting to persuade the public that if Germany herself had not violated Belgian neutrality, France or Great Britain would have done so. It has declared that French and British troops had marched into Belgium before the outbreak of war. We have received from the Belgian Minister of War an official statement which denies absolutely these allegations. It declares, on the one hand, that "before August 3 not a single French soldier had set foot on Belgian territory," and again, "it is untrue that on August 4 there was a single English soldier in Belgium." It adds: --

For long past Great Britain knew that the Belgian army would oppose by force a "preventive" disembarkation of British troops in Belgium. The Belgian Government did not hesitate at the time of the Agadir crises to warn foreign Ambassadors, in terms which could not be misunderstood, of its formal intention to compel respect for the neutrality of Belgium by every means at its disposal, and against attempts upon it from any and every quarter.

[andigger]

The German press has been attempting to persuade the public that if Germany herself had not violated Belgian neutrality, France or Great Britain would have done so.

What about this argument? I have heard it mentioned before, but never investigated it much. My thought would be that although there may have been no prewar plans to do so, if the Germans had followed a similar route as 1870 the French probably would have moved through the Ardennes at least in a flanking maneouver.

Of course it is much harder to imagine how the UK would have become involved in the war if Germany had not invaded Belgium.

What do other Pals think?

Andy