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These attacks comprised chiefly the battle of Dinant and cavalry
skirmishing, but the purpose of General Joffre was otherwise made
plain in throwing advance French troops across the Belgian frontier
into Ligny and Gembloux on the road to a recapture of Brussels.
This we have previously noted in another connection. The rout of
the French army in Lorraine, however, put an end to the grand
Conde-Belfort offensive.
Thus the Namur-Conde line became a main defensive position instead
of an offensive left wing sweep through Belgium upon Germany. As
such it was well enough--if its pivot on the fortress of Namur
held secure. Liege had already proved its vulnerability, but it
would seem that the French General Staff joined with General Michel,
the Commander of Namur, in believing the Namur forts would give
a better account. The French General Staff were informed of the
approximate strength of the advancing armies of Von Kluck and Von
Buelow, and had nothing to fear from inferiority in numbers. The
staff never gave out the strength of their forces, but there is
reason for believing the great armies were nearly equally matched
after mobilization--about 1,200,000 men.
Let us now see what was developing in the Ardennes away to the
French right. It has been established that woods, particularly
in summer, form the best cover from the observation or attacks
of airmen. The spreading, leafy boughs are difficult to penetrate
visually from a height of even a few hundred feet, at least to
obtain accurate information of what is transpiring beneath.
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