ABSTRACT
Invaded by Germany in August 1914, previously neutral Belgium’s armed forces fought alongside their French and British allies and managed to hold on to a small strip of territory around Nieuwpoort on the Channel coast. The legend of the country’s dogged defence and participation in the victory in the late summer of 1918 served to mask its inherent military shortcomings. During the war, more than 40,000 Belgian soldiers became prisoners of war and suffered many privations as the German war economy faltered and then collapsed. They were helped and in some cases saved by the intervention of the Red Cross and the Belgian government that provided additional parcels for the men in captivity. The exigencies of war led to some social and military reforms, but in the interwar period the armed forces were severely reduced, and a return to neutrality led to the country being again woefully underprepared in May 1940. As in 1914, the Belgians defended their territory as best they could in the expectation of French and British help, but this time there was to be no salvation. With reserves faltering and morale weakening, the King as head of the armed forces took unilateral action to sue for an armistice after eighteen days of fighting. This brought condemnation from his allies and led to chaos among his own forces, unsure of how to behave. Some had already been swept up by the German advance, but the majority were still free, either inside their own country or stationed alongside the British and French armies continuing the struggle. The dilemmas they faced were reflected in their testimonies of a return home or capture at the hands of the enemy when France also surrendered some three weeks later.
