Germany invaded Belgium on August 4, 1914, executing the Schlieffen Plan's massi

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Germany Invades Belgium: Britain Enters World War I

Germany invaded Belgium on August 4, 1914, executing the Schlieffen Plan's massive right-wing sweep through the Low Countries toward Paris. Belgium's small army fought a delaying action at Liege that held up the German advance for twelve critical days, buying France time to mobilize. Britain declared war on Germany that evening, honoring its 1839 treaty obligation to defend Belgian neutrality. Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey reportedly remarked, "The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime." The invasion turned a continental European conflict into a world war by bringing the British Empire and its colonies into the fight.

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August 4, 1914

112 years ago

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Germany Invades Belgium: Britain Enters World War I

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