Belgium in the Great War

by Jean-Michel Veranneman

In August 1914, the German Empire invaded neutral Belgium in order to outflank the defenses of the French army. Unexpectedly, the Belgian army resisted and fought on, holding a small part of unoccupied Belgian territory north of Ypres, alongside the British and French armies, until the Armistice of 1918. Because of their heroic defense, Belgium and its King, Albert I enjoyed enormous international prestige after the war. Its colonial army conquered part of German East Africa out of the Congo.

Occupied Belgium suffered executions of civilians, severe destruction and was widely stripped of its industrial infrastructure, which was one of the most developed in the world. It was saved from starvation by food shipments from the United States which came in via neutral Holland.

Belgium emerged from four and a half years of complete turmoil a different country and the experiences would have a lasting impact of its politics. Universal suffrage was introduced and the Flemish question was exacerbated. The war resulted in the abandonment of the country's neutrality policy and her claims for reparation and territory, only very partially met, were to have serious foreign policy implications.

Genres: World War I

240 pages, Hardcover

Published April 19, 2019

Reviews

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and quick read about the role of Belgium in World War 1, that will be a good starting point to anyone interested in the subject as this is more of an overview book. It has some interesting facts and shows how the role Belgium played during the war is downplayed by historians as they were in the fighting from the first days to the last on the Western Front and most of the country was occupied by Germany and suffered more than any other western nation on civilian level. The highlights of the book for me was the coverage given to the opening moves of the war where Germany violated Belgium neutrality by trying to execute the Schlieffen Plan through Belgium, and how the stubborn resistance put up by the Belgium forces delayed their advance and gave the French and British forces valuable time to organize and resist. There is also good detail on of the Yser front held by them during the entire war, the start of the Belgium Air Component, the role the Force Publique during the East African campaign that are not always well covered by British orientated books, and the adventures of the Belgian Expeditionary Corps in Russia with their armored cars. King Albert's role in the war as head of the army is also well covered where he personally lead his troops and how the major powers undermined Belgium during the armistance negotiations where they were done in by British and French ambitions. Highly recommended to see how a small nation made major contributions to the Allied cause.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.
Now looking for more books on the subject of Belgium during WW1.

[Wiktoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise look at Belgium during the Great War - you can find here any basic information ranging from military analyses of crucial battles up to the social situation in occupied Belgium. Great book for people who would like to start their adventure with contemporary Belgian history and understand significant events that shaped the country in the 20th century.

[Stephen Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s strikes you as bizarre to see that there isn’t much documentation on Belgium in World War One, once you realize how central the nation was in the Great War. This book absolutely fills that research gap.

While so many battles were fought on Belgian land, most books focus heavily on the military actions. This one doesn’t dive too much into the already extensively documented details, and instead, while still giving a thorough overview, presents extensive political exchanges between military belligerents and their politicians.

I particularly enjoyed reading the detailed decisions King Albert had to make along with the military campaigns. The author shows us the options, along with the consequences, that Albert had to weigh, all while choosing for Belgium to remain neutral, and not be divided up by enemies or allies.

There are also details of much lesser known battles, maneuvers, and Belgian forts that get little attention in WW1 books with a larger focus.

I wish there was more detail on Albert himself, even though there is a short but well stated biography from before the war, and there are references to other books. Unfortunately those other books are only in French. Looks like I need to become bilingual! The “knight king,” that garnered the love of his people by fighting with them instead of fleeing, and the propaganda that was made of it, is truly a fascinating story.

⚠️ Parental Warning ⚠️

Prostitution is mentioned.
Rapes are mentioned during German atrocities.
A house where “ladies of the night” worked is mentioned.