Britain's warnings narrowed to two conditions: German forces must stay out of Belgium and the German fleet must stay out of the Channel. Those conditions conflicted with the planned advance through Belgium. German assurances that Belgian independence would be respected after the conflict gave away the intended violation. British ministers could recognize the implication, but their late intervention left little opportunity to redirect the crisis.
Notable Point · 1:33:13-1:34:49
German assurances reveal the intended route through Belgium
Promising to respect Belgian independence after the war revealed that Germany intended to violate it during the campaign.