Also known as the Great War, World War I began on June 1914 when wars were declared by the world’s super power. Due to signed treaties and other forms of agreements between countries, the feud between the first two states led to more disputes among countries associated with the same. Consequently, is safe to state that the First World War was the result of a form of a ripple effect on war declarations and the need to honor the aforementioned treaties. However, according to Hamilton and Herwig, the beginning and events of the Great War were “an accident; it was neither intended nor foreseen by any of the decision makers” (16). The invasion of Belgium by German troops marked the beginning of other country’s inclusion in the war. This paper seeks to identify the gradual invasion of Belgium and the destruction caused by German troops on the Belgians.
German’s reason for the Belgian territory invasion finds basis in their war declaration against France. Thus, to gain access into the French territory, German troops were forced to march into and through Belgium. On the second day of August 1914, Belgium received an ultimatum from Germany. The ultimatum entailed Germany asking the Belgians to either betray its neutrality or have the Germans violate it within the next twelve hours of its delivery (Toynbee 17). Belgium, under King Albert, refused to give in to the ultimatum and led to the German troop’s advancement and attacks on the Forts of Liege. Said attack began on August 4, 1914 but the town’s defense was breeched three days later. (Toynbee 17). The fall of the fort allowed passage for the first and second German troops. From Liege, the German soldiers crossed the Meuse River, and spread throughout the Belgian territory. It is safe to argue that the German troops sought to utilize the divide and conquer technique by fighting the Belgian army from two war fronts.
While part of the invading army advanced towards Brussels and Antwerp Fortress in the North-west, the “main column entered Hasselt” on August 12, 1914 (Toynbee 18). It is important to note that on the same day, August 12, 1914, the part of the army headed towards the Antwerp Fortress was defeated by the Belgian army. Belgium’s victory came after the army’s decision to retreat and repossess Antwerp. It is no wonder that by August 25, 1914, the German troop “was driven out again by a Belgian sortie from Antwerp” (Toynbee 18). The troops advancing to the North-west, under Marwitz Von, advanced to Haelen where “their advance-guard was severely handled by the Belgian Army on August 12th” (Toynbee 54). The confrontation in Haelen resulted in a serious defeat for the Germans leading to Marwitz‘s retreat.
The Germans advanced at a slower pace and cases were reported of the army believing Civilian Belgians had also taken up firearms. Consequently, the invading forces could not separate said civilians from members if the Belgian Army leading to random killings by the latter. Toynbee attests to the nervous state of the troops by referring to the state of the Germans as “marching with finger on trigger” (24). Consequently, after the battle in Haelen, a large number of civilians were executed and property destroyed by the advancing Germans. For instance, Toynbee gives a record of Belgian women used as a shield in the invasion of Aerschot (57) while Dinant was burnt to the ground (19). In addition, Toynbee talks of records made on hostages taken from Louvain and Brussels while soldiers carried out the execution of most of the townspeople (72). All the aforementioned massacres of civilians took place within the months of August and September 1914. Consequently, German’s forceful intrusion of Belgium amassed to losses to both sides.
In their invasion of Belgium, the Germans adopted the Schrecklichkeit tactic in which civilians were forbidden from taking part in the war. In “Rehearsals: The German Army in Belgium, August 1914”, Lipkes concurs with the idea of Schrecklichkeit implementation as “good politics” to curb any form of surprising resistances from the locals (169). Concurrently, all European powers during the First World War were required to present their military men in uniform. However, there were the French Fanctireurs who were free shooters targeting the German forces thus confusing the latter’s advances against their enemies (Lipkes 169).
Conclusively, since Belgium had taken a neutral stand in the war brewing amongst the world super powers, Britain had to get involved in the Great War. Britain’s involvement was because of its previous alliances with the invaded country. The obvious unpreparedness led to Belgium’s massive number of casualties and their need for help from outside forces. However, it is important to note that Belgium was a mere casualty in the feud between France and Germany. In other words, were it not for its geographical position, the Belgians might have been spared the agonies of the Great War. It is also safe to argue that German troops were paranoid in their dealings with Belgian civilians as many more countries continued to declare war based on the previously mentioned alliances. Hence, it was not only the Belgian forces fighting the Germans, but the French and Russians as well (Hamilton and Herwig 19). Germany was eventually forced to take full responsibility for the losses incurred during World War I.
Works Cited
Lipkes, Jeff. Rehearsals: The German Army in Belgium, August 1914. Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2007. Web.
Hamilton, F. R., & Herwig, H.H. (2003). The Origins of World War I. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Toynbee, Arnold J. The German Terror in Belgium. New York: George H. Doran Company, 1917. Print.
