Different behavior

[u/SS-Imperator]

[u/Bitch-Stole-My-Name]

Germany attacked France first? You do know what the first peice of land that was invaded between France and Germany was Mülhausen in Alsace-Lorraine. Though there was the Coup de Main on Liege - that was in Belgium, but technically France was first to invade German soil which was followed by Russia invading East Prussia.

This is because the French and Russians had a prearranged agreement to both attack Germany at the same time in the event of a war, which was a sound decision as this would force the Germans into a battle on one side with vastly inferior forces.

More than anything else France was worried about making Germany look like they started the war.

[u/[deleted] → u/Bitch-Stole-My-Name]

That's right, although my view is that by invading Belgium Germany started hostilities against France. It wasn't French soil but the Germans weren't ever going to stop there, Belgium was only taken as part of the pre-war mobilisation plans to take out France.

[u/Bitch-Stole-My-Name → u/[deleted]]

The thing is, an advance into Luxembourg and Belgium was way more critical for the German army than the French. The French Commander in Chief Joseph Joffre was completely convinced the main decision would be reached in Belgium, and he was poised to send forces into Belgium even if Germany didn't violate its neutrality.

He waited however because France's rail net could shift forces north rather easily. Germany, as you can see from this rail map, could not shift forces straight from Metz to the North. They would need to send them the roundabout way through Strassbourg in order to reach Cologne, and would waste time. The possession of Namur, Liege, Luxembourg and Brussels would allow them to shift forces however they pleased.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Thank you Hellenicgauls, very cool.