▁of ▁Belg ium , ▁ready ▁to ▁face ▁any ▁border , ▁while ▁the ▁Fort ified ▁Position ▁of ▁Li ège ▁and ▁Fort ified ▁Position ▁of ▁Nam ur ▁were ▁left ▁to ▁secure ▁the ▁front iers . ▁On ▁mobil isation , ▁the ▁King ▁became ▁Commander - in - Ch ief ▁and ▁chose ▁where ▁the ▁army ▁was ▁to ▁concent rate . ▁Am id ▁the ▁dis ruption ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁re arm ament ▁plan , ▁the ▁dis organ ised ▁and ▁poor ly - tra ined ▁Belg ian ▁soldiers ▁would ▁benefit ▁from ▁a ▁central ▁position ▁to ▁delay ▁contact ▁with ▁an ▁inv ader . ▁The ▁army ▁would ▁also ▁need ▁fort ifications ▁for ▁defence ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁front ier ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁school ▁of ▁thought ▁that ▁wanted ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁a ▁front ier ▁deployment , ▁in ▁line ▁with ▁French ▁theories ▁of ▁the ▁off ensive . ▁Belg ian ▁plans ▁became ▁an ▁uns atisf actory ▁comprom ise , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁field ▁army ▁concentr ated ▁behind ▁the ▁G ete ▁river ▁with ▁two ▁divisions ▁forward ▁at ▁Li ège ▁and ▁Nam ur . ▁ ▁Sch lie ffen – M olt ke ▁Plan ▁ ▁German ▁strategy ▁had ▁given ▁priority ▁to ▁off ensive ▁operations ▁against ▁France ▁and ▁a ▁def ensive ▁post ure ▁against ▁Russia ▁since ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁German ▁planning ▁was ▁determined ▁by ▁numerical ▁inferior ity , ▁the ▁speed ▁of ▁mobil isation ▁and ▁concentration ▁and ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁the ▁vast ▁increase ▁of ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁modern ▁weapons . ▁Front al ▁attacks ▁were ▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁cost ly ▁and ▁prot ract ed ,