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58 The Great War The second natural avenue to France starts at Coblenz and ascends the valley of the Moselle until it arrives at Luxemburg. North of Metz it then crosses into France by Longvvy and the gap of Stenay. This route was followed by the Duke of Brunswick in the first invasion of France at the time of the Revolution and by Bliicher in 1814. The first attempt penetrated through Longwy, passed Verdun, which surrendered, and was checked at the famous " Cannonade of Valmy." The third approach follows the Rhine valley from Mayence to Strassburg and then turns west through the famous Saverne gap to cross the frontier of France near Luneville and Nancy and directly in the centre of the unfortified space left by the French between Epinal and Toul. This was the route used by many invaders prior to the seventeenth century, when France seized Alsace, and it was to close this gap that Richelieu and Louis XIV struggled to ac- quire the Rhine frontier. It will be seen, then, that, conforming to the geographical conditions, the Germans were directing at France three great armies, the Army of the Meuse, based on Cologne and Aix-la-Chapelle; the Army of the Moselle, based on Coblenz, and the Army of the Rhine, based on Mayence and on Strass- burg. The first would naturally become visible when it touched Belgian territory; the second, when Luxemburg was invaded; the third would remain masked behind the fortifications of Metz and Strass-

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