Fort 4

Fort 4 is a fort located in Mortsel and part of the Brialmont belt. Construction began in 1859 and it was completed in 1864. Fort 4 is part of the Antwerp Defense Line. This fort in Mortsel is also known as Fort Captain Wagner. The decision for the Antwerp Defense Line was made by choosing Antwerp as the National Redoubt in 1859. Belgium was neutral. The natural ally was England. In France, Napoleon III came to power in 1848. This raised the possibility of Belgium being occupied by France. The idea behind the National Redoubt was that the Belgian field army would not be able to hold out sufficiently against an enemy army. Antwerp would serve as the last refuge until the help of allies could arrive. Antwerp had the advantage of being easily accessible, protected by inundations, and lying at a greater distance from the potential enemies France and Germany.

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