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World War I -- Belgium Countries Taking in Refugees France
World War I Belgium: Countries Taking in Refugees--France
Figure 1.--Here are Belgian refugees in Calais, a French port just west of the front lines. The caption read, "Belgian Refugees at Calais, France: Another very clear picture showing the horrors of war which falls upon the heads of of hundreds of thousands of children. With the streets as their home and the public as their benefactors." The photograph is not dated, but it looks to be a few months after the German invasion. The photograph was part of a series of articles about the War and Belgium that was published in America. This and other news reporting elicited great sympathy for Belgium in America and disrepute toward Germany for launching the War. There was thus great support for humanitarian relief aid, but no desire among most Americans to enter the war. The German calculation was that there was no military consequence to the humanitarian crisis they unleased. In the end it would cost them dearly by brining America into the War. Photographer: Livingston Thompson
The Germans invaded neutral Belgium (August 4, 1914). Large numbers of Belgian civilians sought refugee in France. The German Army was not mechanized. The Germans invaded Belgium on their feet. Units while still in Germany were moved to staging areas near the Belgian border by rail. Once the invasion began, the troops moved mostly on their feet. Calvalry uniys soon proved too vulnerable to modern weaponry. Supllies and artillery were moved by horsepower. The American Army would introduce trucks, but the Germans had few trucks. As a result, the German advance was largely limited to the speed of marching troops under fire. This meant that Belgians unless they lived near the German border had time to escape. Unlike the Germans they had access to the rail system to an extent. Farmers hcould use horse drawn carts. Or of they were healthy enough they could move on their feet. The long border with France meant that large numbers of Belgian civilians streamed south to France ahead of the German Army. One young refugee wrote, "On Friday morning, we're leaving for Laon. This is some trip that we're taking! It seems to me that it's at the far end of France, and it's best to get on with it: no way of turning back now. The weather is good. The roads are very crowded, and it's difficult to advance. It's a never-ending stream; so far, that all you can see are uninterrupted masses of people fleeing." [Norga] The Belgian Government was transferred to Sainte-Adresse near the port of Le Havre. Here they set up charitable organisations to aid the refugees in France. The Belgian Government kept their citizens informed through notices disseminated through consulates, local authorities, and charitable organisations. The refugees were able to obtain funds for their savings at the Caisse d'épargne by requests through the consul or the mayor where they were living. The French agreed to accept Belgian currency at all French banks. Otherwise the paper currency of an occupied contry may have been worthless. The Belgian refugees in France were some of the luckier refugees of the War. America although not yet in the war provided relief supplies and France was ine of the few places that these supplies could easily reach the refugees. There were a variety of facilities established. We nore a religious group which set up schools and other facilities in various French towns such as a colony at Campeaux . American authoress Edith Wharton was in France during the War. She wrote about the French. [Wharton] Like most American acadenic and literary figures, she was sympthetic to the Allies. Because of her fame and influential connections. the French Government, primarily through Walter Berry (president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Paris), she was given qccess to the front. Throughout the War she worked in a range og charitable efforts to aid refugees, bith Belgian and French. She helped set up workrooms for unemployed Frenchwomen, organizing concerts in part to provide work for musicians, opened tuberculosis hospitals and founded the American Hostels for Belgian refugees. She edited the The Book of the Homeless (1916). This include writings, art, erotica and musical scores by important European artist.
German Invasion
The Germans invaded neutral Belgium (August 4, 1914). Large numbers of Belgian civilians sought refugee in France. The German Army was not mechanized. The Germans invaded Belgium on their feet. Units while still in Germany were moved to staging areas near the Belgian border by rail. Once the invasion began, the troops moved mostly on their feet. Calvalry uniys soon proved too vulnerable to modern weaponry. supllies and artillery were moved by horsepower. The American Army would introduce trucks, but the Germans had few trucks even later in the War. As a result, the German advance was largely limited to the speed of marching troops under fire. This meant that Belgians unless they lived near the German border had time to escape. Unlike the Germans they had access to the rail system to an extent. Farmers hcould use horse drawn carts. Or of they were healthy enough they could move on their feet.
Safety in France
Bekgium bordered ion the Nertherlands and France, sothis is where most of the refugees went. The long border with France meant that large numbers of Belgian civilians streamed south to France ahead of the German Army. One young refugee wrote, "On Friday morning, we're leaving for Laon. This is some trip that we're taking! It seems to me that it's at the far end of France, and it's best to get on with it: no way of turning back now. The weather is good. The roads are very crowded, and it's difficult to advance. It's a never-ending stream; so far, that all you can see are uninterrupted masses of people fleeing." [Norga]
Belgian Government Support
The Germans overan most of Belgium, but not all of it. The British and Bekgian ae=rmies held on to a small sector of southeastern Belgium. The Belgian Government was transferred to Sainte-Adresse in France near the port of Le Havre. Here they set up charitable organisations to aid the refugees in France. The Belgian Government kept their citizens informed through notices disseminated through consulates, local authorities, and charitable organisations. The refugees were able to obtain funds for their savings at the Caisse d'épargne by requests through the consul or the mayor where they were living. The French agreed to accept Belgian currency at all French banks. Otherwise the paper currency of an occupied country may have been worthless.
The Belgian refugees in France were some of the luckier refugees of the War. America although not yet in the war provided relief supplies and France was ine of the few places that these supplies could easily reach the refugees. There were a variety of facilities established. We notice schools for Belgian children in France. This inckluded both orphans and the children of whole famiklies which fled the Germans. The children often seem to be wearing smock uniforms. The boys had Belgian Armny caps. We note a religious group which set up schools and other facilities in various French towns such as a colony at Campeaux .
We note Belgian orphans in the colony of the Comite France American pour la Protection des Enfants de la Frontiere, Les Ombrages, under the special protection of Madame la Comtesse Pierre de Viel Castes and Mrs. Walter Gay. Several of these children are reprtedly skilful lace-makers and are taught sewing, embroidery, knitting, house-keeping and lace making. The American Red Cross supported facities like these.
We have been unable to find much information on these schools. We have found several images, but with little or no information associated with them. Belgian and French nuns played important roles in these schools. American authoress Edith Wharton was in France during the War. She wrote about the French. [Wharton] Like most American acadenic and literary figures, she was sympthetic to the Allies. Because of her fame and influential connections. the French Government, primarily through Walter Berry (president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Paris), she was given qccess to the front. Throughout the War she worked in a range og charitable efforts to aid refugees, bith Belgian and French. She helped set up workrooms for unemployed Frenchwomen, organizing concerts in part to provide work for musicians, opened tuberculosis hospitals and founded the American Hostels for Belgian refugees. She edited the The Book of the Homeless (1916). This include writings, art, erotica and musical scores by important European artist.
Sources
Norga, Irène. War diary (August 23, 1914). At the time she was crossing Hainaut on her flight to France, accompanied by her cousin Irène and her parents.
