Final answer:
Germany believed that it would be allowed to pass through Belgium easily with peaceful cooperation, as part of their Schlieffen Plan to quickly defeat France. However, Belgium resisted and refused access, valuing its independence and neutrality.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Germany approached Belgium en route to France, it expected d. that Germany would be allowed to pass through Belgium easily. Based on the Schlieffen Plan, German leaders believed they could quickly traverse Belgium without significant resistance to launch a surprise attack on France. However, despite Belgium's small military, King Albert I resisted the German request. German forces anticipated peaceful cooperation due to Belgium's neutrality and its seemingly limited capacity for military resistance. Nevertheless, Belgium defied these expectations, upholding its treaty-guaranteed independence and impeding German movement by destroying bridges, leading to a declaration of war and a subsequent German invasion.