Editing Battle of Liège (section)

{{Short description|Opening engagement of the German invasion of Belgium during WWI}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict    = Battle of Liège
| partof      = the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] of the [[First World War]]
| image       = File:Liége - 1914 - Soldats d'infanterie prenant part à la défense de Liège dans les faubourgs d'Herstal.jpg
| image_upright = 1.23
| caption     = Belgian troops defending a suburb of [[Herstal]], north-east of Liège.
| date        = 5–16 August 1914
| place       = [[Liège]], [[Belgium]]
| coordinates = <!--{{coord|50|28|26|N|5|34|20|E|region:BE_type:event_scale:50000|display=inline,title}}-->
| map_type    = Belgium
| map_size    = 200
| map_caption = {{centre|Liège, [[Arrondissement of Liège]], Belgium}}
| map_label   = Liège
| result      = See [[Battle of Liège#Aftermath|Aftermath]] section
| territory   = Germans capture Liège
| combatant1  = {{flagcountry|German Empire}}
| combatant2  = {{flagcountry|Belgium}}
| commander1  = {{flagicon|German Empire}} [[Otto von Emmich]]<br />{{flagicon|German Empire}} [[Erich Ludendorff]]
| commander2  = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Gérard Leman]]{{POW}}}}
| strength1   = 28,900–31,200 troops <br />140 guns{{sfn|Zuber|2010|pp=18–19, 41–42, 44, 83}}
| strength2   = 32,000 troops <br />280 guns.{{sfn|Zuber|2010|pp=74, 84}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fortiff.be/ifb|title = Page moved}}</ref>
| casualties1 = 3,300 (by 8 August){{sfn|Zuber|2010|p=86}}
| casualties2 = 6,000–20,000 casualties<br />including 4,000 captured
| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Western Front (World War I)}}
{{Campaignbox Military Operations: Belgium and northern France 1914}}
}}
The '''Battle of Liège''' (5–16 August 1914) was the opening engagement of the [[German invasion of Belgium (1914)|German invasion of Belgium]] and the first battle of the [[First World War]]. The city of [[Liège]] was protected by a ring of modern fortresses, one of several fortified cities to delay an invasion to allow troops from the powers which had guaranteed Belgian neutrality to assist the [[Belgian Army]] in the expulsion of the invaders.

The German [[1st Army (German Empire)|1st Army]] arrived late 5 August 1914 and captured the city on 7 August when [[Erich Ludendorff]] drove in and convinced the garrison to surrender. The surrounding forts fought on and several attacks by German infantry were costly failures. Super-heavy siege guns arrived and destroyed the forts one by one; the last fort surrendered on 16 August.

The siege of Liège may have delayed the German invasion of France by four to five days. Railways in the [[Meuse]] river valley needed by the German armies in eastern [[Belgium]] were closed for the duration of the siege and German troops did not appear in strength before the city of [[Namur]] at the confluence of the [[Sambre]] and Meuse rivers until 20 August. With the experience gained at Liège, the German [[2nd Army (German Empire)|2nd Army]] completed the [[Siege of Namur (1914)|Siege of Namur]] in two days.