The stories of atrocities committed on the civil population of that country have since been well authenticated.

At the time it was hard to believe them, so barbaric and utterly wanton were they.

Civilized people could not understand how a nation which pretended to be not only civilized, but wished to impose its culture on the remainder of the world, could be so ruthless to a small adversary which had committed no crime and desired only to preserve its nationality, integrity and treaty rights.
Germany did not occupy Antwerp until October 9, owing to the stiff resistance of the Belgians and engagements with the French and British elsewhere.

But German arms were uniformly victorious.

August 21-23 occurred the battle of Mons-Charleroi, a serious defeat for the French and British, which resulted in a dogged retreat eventually to a line along the Seine, Marne and Meuse rivers.
The destruction of Louvain occurred August 26, and was one of the events which inflamed anti-German sentiment throughout the world.