The violation of Belgian neutrality and the passage of the German
armies through Belgium had been foreseen by the French General
Staff, but opinions differed in regard to the breadth of the turning
movement likely to be made by the German right wing in crossing
Belgian territory. Among French experts some were of opinion that
the Germans would confine themselves to the right bank of the Meuse,
while others thought that they would cross the Meuse, and make a much
vaster turning movement, thus descending on France in a direction
due north and south.
If the violation of Belgian neutrality was no surprise to the French
Staff, it was nevertheless hardly expected that the Germans would
be able to put in line with such rapidity at the outset all their
reserve formations. Each army corps was supported by its reserve
corps, which showed itself as quick in mobilization and preparation
as the active corps.
Germany, while maintaining sufficient forces on the Russian front,
was still able to put in the field for its great offensive against
France a more numerous body of troops than would have been believed
in France. This permitted them to maintain in Alsace, in Lorraine,
and in Belgian Luxembourg armies as numerous as those which faced
them on the French side, and at the same time to mass the major
part of their troops on the right so as to pour into the valley
of the Oise their chief invading forces.
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