Berlin – Brussels – London, August 1–4, 1914
The plan was old.
Devised in 1905 by Count Alfred von Schlieffen, it was a gambler's dream: strike France hard and fast through Belgium, before Russia could fully mobilize in the East. Avoid a two-front war by lightning.
But war, as always, had its own tempo.
August 2.
Germany delivered an ultimatum to Belgium: Let us pass, or be crushed.
King Albert I of Belgium read the document with disbelief—and rage. He knew his army was outmatched. But neutrality was not a gift—it was a principle.
"A country which defends itself is never conquered," he said.
That night, German troops crossed the border.
August 3.
Germany declared war on France.
In Paris, people lined the boulevards, chanting "À Berlin!", unaware that the coming weeks would drown those cries in blood and mud.
But it was London where history held its breath.
For years, Great Britain had remained a silent giant—committed to no war, yet tied to Belgium's neutrality by the 1839 Treaty of London.
In the halls of Westminster, Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey stood by his office window as dusk fell.
"The lamps are going out all over Europe," he whispered. "We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."
August 4, 1914 – 11:00 p.m.
Britain declared war on Germany.
The Empire joined the inferno.