Hell No AP Euro

schlieffen:

Pictured Above: “Belgian lancers sounding the call to arms in the streets of Liege” -http://www.gwpda.org

“A special “Army of the Meuse” of six brigades commanded by General von Emmich was detached from the Second Army to open the way through Liege. It was expected, unless the Belgians offered serious resistance, to accomplish this while the main armies were still concentrating. In one of his prewar indiscretions, the Kaiser once said to a British officer at maneuvers, “I will go through Belgium like that.” Cutting the air with a flip of his hand. Belgium’s declared intention to fight was, the Germans believed, no more than the “rage of dreaming sheep”— in the words of the Prussian statesman once applied to his domestic opponents.” - Barbara W. Tuchman, The Guns of August

The forts at Liege were underestimated by the confident German Army. Henri Brailmont, a distinguished fortifications engineer, constructed forts in both Namur and Liege during the 1880s. They were built on high grounds and encircled the cities to protect the Meuse from the passage of invaders from either direction. Liege’s forts in particular were built advantageously on both banks of the river. These fortresses were sunken into the ground and contained 400 guns, including 210mm howitzers. Dry moats surrounded each fort that reached 30 feet into the ground.
However, the Belgians had made the fatal error of being overconfident in the design of their fortresses. As a result, they failed to update them. Moreover, plans to add trenches, construct barbed wire barricades, and raze obstructions were never fully executed as the invading army began their assault days after commands to do so were given.

“Ludendorff, rather than continue to attack the forts, called in the use of zeppelins to drop bombs into the city and citadel, and personally led 14th Brigade in between the forts - effectively a gap where the Belgians had intended to build rifle trenches but had not actually done so - into the city, forcing the Belgian garrison there to surrender on 7 August.
Nevertheless, the Germans could not hope to continue their advance through Belgium without first capturing the forts. In order to assist with this the Germans introduced a weapon which until that point remained unknown to the Allies, Austrian-built 17-inch howitzers. With the significant aid of the howitzers and the Big Bertha gun (a 420mm siege howitzer) the forts were finally taken on 16 August, General Leman having to be carried unconscious out of the besieged forts.” -http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/liege.htm

Pictured Above: “Belgian lancers sounding the call to arms in the streets of Liege” -http://www.gwpda.org

“A special “Army of the Meuse” of six brigades commanded by General von Emmich was detached from the Second Army to open the way through Liege. It was expected, unless the Belgians offered serious resistance, to accomplish this while the main armies were still concentrating. In one of his prewar indiscretions, the Kaiser once said to a British officer at maneuvers, “I will go through Belgium like that.” Cutting the air with a flip of his hand. Belgium’s declared intention to fight was, the Germans believed, no more than the “rage of dreaming sheep”— in the words of the Prussian statesman once applied to his domestic opponents.” - Barbara W. Tuchman, The Guns of August

The forts at Liege were underestimated by the confident German Army. Henri Brailmont, a distinguished fortifications engineer, constructed forts in both Namur and Liege during the 1880s. They were built on high grounds and encircled the cities to protect the Meuse from the passage of invaders from either direction. Liege’s forts in particular were built advantageously on both banks of the river. These fortresses were sunken into the ground and contained 400 guns, including 210mm howitzers. Dry moats surrounded each fort that reached 30 feet into the ground.

However, the Belgians had made the fatal error of being overconfident in the design of their fortresses. As a result, they failed to update them. Moreover, plans to add trenches, construct barbed wire barricades, and raze obstructions were never fully executed as the invading army began their assault days after commands to do so were given.

“Ludendorff, rather than continue to attack the forts, called in the use of zeppelins to drop bombs into the city and citadel, and personally led 14th Brigade in between the forts - effectively a gap where the Belgians had intended to build rifle trenches but had not actually done so - into the city, forcing the Belgian garrison there to surrender on 7 August.

Nevertheless, the Germans could not hope to continue their advance through Belgium without first capturing the forts. In order to assist with this the Germans introduced a weapon which until that point remained unknown to the Allies, Austrian-built 17-inch howitzers. With the significant aid of the howitzers and the Big Bertha gun (a 420mm siege howitzer) the forts were finally taken on 16 August, General Leman having to be carried unconscious out of the besieged forts.” -http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/liege.htm