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LEFT WORLD WAR 417 WORLD WAR Belgium refused categorically. The British ambassador at Berlin was in- structed to ask the German Government if Belgium's neutrality would be re- spected. At 7 p. m. August 4, Sir Ed- ward Goschen was handed his passports; Germany and Great Britain were at war. 1914 The Western Front. — The first act of war was committed on August 2, when German officers and men invaded the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg and de- manded passage for the German army. Beyond making a formal protest the little state could do nothing, and before the day closed the Germans were in full pos- session of all roads and railways. At other points on the frontier the Germans crossed the line to the French fortress at Longwy, and from the direction of Strassburg drove across the Vosges, while from Mulhouse in the far south cavalry crossed the French frontier and attacked the customs guards. The Ger- man official mobilization began officially gade made a dash into Alsace. This was accomplished almost without opposition, but on August 10, when the Germans had been re-enforced the French were forced to withdraw. On August 4, a state of war with Germany was officially declared by Great Britain; the army having mo- bilized the previous day. On August 6 the House of Commons sanctioned an in- crease of the army by 500,000 men. The expeditionary forces consisting of four divisions and a division of cavalry began embarkation on August 7 and within ten days were safely landed at various French ports. The German advance in Belgium had been arrested by the north- em forts and the brave defense offered by Belgian troops in the field, but by August 17 all the forts were silenced and on August 20 Brussels was peacefully occupied by the invaders. Meanwhile a French offensive in Alsace and Lorraine met with some success, but on August 21 the French were defeated with heavy losses near Saarburg and were compelled to abandon the northern passes of the FRENCH OFFENSIYB IN THE CHAMPAGNE on August 1 and by August 4 a Gennan striking force of three divisions under General von Emmich had been concen- trated on the line from Malmedy to Aix- la-Chapelle. War was declared by Ger- many on Belgium August 4, but already Belgium had hurried on her mobilization assembling troops around Liege. Bel- gium's total available army strength was only about 265,000 men, which, excluding the fortress garrisons, left her about 134,000 men for the field. For the de- fense of Liege an army of about 20,000 men under General Leman had been con- centrated to oppose the German advance. Belgians and Germans first clashed in the afternoon of August 4. An artil- lery duel continued through the night. The southeastern forts were silenced and the Germans entered Liege on August 7. The northern forts still held out, and General Leman withdrew his troops to the north. On August 7 a French bri- Vosges. In Belgium the Germans began to bombard the forts of Namui* on August 21. The city surrendered on August 23, and the last fort fell two days later. Four French armies had by this time been driven back on French soil, but by August 30 were in condition to fight again. On August 23 the British force, about 80,000, were in position behind a canal; Mons in the center, joining Lan- rezac's French armies north of Sambre. The Allies had seven army corps and the Germans thirteen. The French defeat at Charleroi on August 22 by overwhelming numbers placed the British army in peril and immediate retreat was imperative, yet two days passed before a start was made. For five days following the British marched day and night, fighting a hand battle at Le Gateau and many minor engagements, and finally reaching the Oise river, depleted in numbers but still an army. The French armies in