The proposed German Channel landing is a problem of perception as much as transport. The same movements needed to bypass Belgium could look like a surprise attack on Britain, forcing the Royal Navy and British government to treat the Channel as a battlefield. The Entente was not a formal alliance, but that legal room would not remove the operational danger of German warships and transports approaching British waters. A personal or diplomatic message from the Kaiser might reassure Britain, although relying on it would leave the British government with a fragile and politically dangerous choice. Other routes were no cleaner: Switzerland was fortified and neutral, while drawing the French into Germany risked the industrial heartland. The Channel route is therefore a difficult substitute for Belgium rather than an easy invasion plan.
Notable Point · 5:07-10:21
The Channel landing plan depends on British perception
The Channel-invasion scenario turns on whether Germany could signal an attack on France without making Britain assume an invasion of the home islands.