Posted on 07/03/04 @ 11:45 AM
On August 4th, 1914, six brigages detached from the Second German Army - The Army of the Meuse - began the first move in the execution of the Schlieffen/Moltke Plan - to smash quickly through the defenses of Liège, Belgium. Neither Schlieffen nor Moltke counted on a spirited defense at Liège by a small but proud Belgian division, led by General Leman, who had been ordered by his King to hold out to the bitter end. Hold out he did, for 12 more days, the modern forts of the city preventing von Kluck's First Army from crossing the Meuse in strength. In order to get through the gap, the forts needed to be destroyed, one by one, piece by piece, before the Germans could continue.