One hundred years ago today, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany for violating Belgian neutrality yesterday. This marks the point in which all the major powers of the war have finally become committed. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was mobilized yesterday and is preparing to cross the Channel.
Germany began assaulting the fortresses that surrounded the city of Liege, which is where I currently am. The assaults were met with greater resistance than expected. German casualties were very high as they faced accurate Belgian rifles, machine guns and artillery. The unexpected carnage, of which I've read one description where bodies had literally formed walls used by advancing troops behind them, are a foreshadowing of the violence that would be the experience of the wars combatants for the next four years.
Today I will mostly reenact events by which the German Field Martial von Bulow had to return to Köln to retrieve a baggage that had become separated from the main forces. I will try not to let the fact that this even never happened and is completely made up by myself, distract me. I will drive all the way back to my hotel in Köln and retrieve the luggage which the airlines finally delivered Sunday evening after I had already left. And then I shall finally change my trousers.
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