ABSTRACT
The German government had the nerve to make practical proposal to the Belgians on 7 August 1914, and was genuinely surprised when the Belgians indignantly rejected it. A German occupation of the mouth of the Schelde would absorb so much of the English fleet that far weaker units would be left to blockade our North Sea coast. This chapter explains a glance at the operation against Antwerp in the event of a war between the Triple Alliance and the Dual Alliance. It examines that the possession of Antwerp and the mouth of the Schelde would be enormously valuable for the German naval operations, whether in a war against England or against France or against both together. It is recommended that further consideration be given, and additional plans be worked out, for the occupation of the fortress of Antwerp and the other necessary positions on both banks of the West Schelde.
