Figure 1.-- Germany launched World War I by invading neutral Belgium. Reports of German brutality and attrocities soon had large numbers of civilians on the road trying to escape the Germans. Germany commanders considered the refugees inconsequential In fact they would play a major role in painting the Germans as lawless and ruthless. It made no difference in August 1914. It would play a major role in the outcome of the war. The magazine caption here read, "Homeless and Destitute: Our illustration shows homeless and ruined townsfolk leaving Diest, which lies twenty miles north-east of Louvain. [Diest is located in northeastern Belgium, west of Luxembourg.] Before the war it was a busy place of many breweries and distilleries and rejoiced in a Gothic church and a Hôtel de Ville (town hall) of ancient memory. Its town ramparts were in a good state of preservation. On August 12 a force of German cavalry, estimated at 10,000 men, marched on Diest, but was repulsed after a long and determined engagement. Five days later, during the main German advance, Diest was again attacked. This time it fell, and the way was open to Brussels."

Large numbers of Belgian civilians fled the advancing German armies. Fear of an invading army was part of the reason for flow of refugees. But as word of the behavior of German troops and terrible atrocities spread, fear of the Germans spread and more Belgians began abandoning their villages and towns. Although Belgians along the border had little opportunity fo flee, the effective resistance of the small Belgian Army and the quick reaction of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) bought Belgians further west time to flee the advancing Germans. Some fled north to the Netherlands. Other fled south to France. About 1 million Belgians sough refuge in the Netherlands. Most of the civilians in the Netherlands gradually returned to Belgium even though it was occupied by the Germans. About 100,000 Belgians remained in The Netherlands throughout the War. Some had the resources to support themselves. The Dutch Government opened refuge camps for those who could not support themselves. Large numbers of Belgian spought rfugee in France. There were a variety of facilities established. We nore a religious group hich set up schools and other faciluties in various French towns such as a colony at Campeaux . Other Belgians were cared for in the small southwestern corner of the country where the Belgian Army and the British BEF stoppe the Germans. The German Government gave vitually no attention to the plight of the refugees and other civilian mtters, actually seizing sivilian food supplies. The Germans did not think such matters consequential. The world press, including the American press, picked up on such matters. And from an early point of the War the Germans acquired a ruthless reputation, sometimes referred to as the Huns. As regards many countries, the Germans were right, it did not make a difference. They were wrong about one country and a country that would make a huge difference--the United States . Until World War I, Germany was a very admired country in America--World War I changed this almost overnight. One very special group of refugees was the children of Belgian immigrants in America. They came over expecting to bring their wives and/or their children over after becoming established. The outbreak of the war left children and wives separated. A Detroit priest of Belgian origins who was actively working with Belgian relief returned to Belgium to bring the children to America and reunite the families.

German Invasion

Large numbers of Belgian civilians fled the advancing German armies. Fear of an invading army was part of the reason for flow of refugees. The Germans advanced in foot. This mean that except for the Belgians living ber the border, there was time to flee. As word of the behavior of German troops and terrible atrocities spread, fear of the Germans spread and more Belgians began abandoning their villages and towns. Although Belgians along the border had little opportunity fo flee, the effective resistance of the small Belgian Army and the quick reaction of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) bought most Belgians time to flee the advancing Germans.

Atrocities

The German invasion of neutral Belgium was a clear violation violation of international law. This was tragically not the only outrage committed by the Germans. The Getmans in their drive through Belgium commited serious attrocities against Belgian civilians. After the War, the British were charged with exagerating German attrocities as a way of drawing America into the War. This was true, but it does not change the fact that the Germans committed very serious attrocities. Nothing like the behavior of the race obsessed NAZIs, but attrocities that should not be lost to history. This included the shooting of civilian hostages and the destruction of cultural treasures. This included Leuven University and its priceless library. It also included the destruction of so churches and cathedrals at Visé, Diksmuide (Dixmude), Louvain, the Cathedral at Ypres, the Cathedral at Malines, and others. [Denry] Perhaps even worse than the actual attrocities, as bad as they were, is the fact that they were part of a German policy of terror adopted by the German Army's High Command. These attrocities were not the inevitable reults of civilians and cultural trasures caught in the crossfore of war, unintened casualties. They were the result of am intentional policy decesion of the German Genetal Staff. An important historian of the War writes, "The turn of events in Belgium was a product of the German theory of terror. Clausewitz has prescribed terror as the proper method to shorten war, his whole theory of war was being based on the necessity of marking it short , sharp and decisive. He said the civil population must not be exempted from war's effects but must be made to feel its pressure and be forced by the severest measures to compel their leaders to make peace. As the object of war was to disarm the enemy, he argued reasonably, 'we must place him in a situation in which continuing the war is more oppressive than surrender'. This seemingly sound proposition fitted into the scientific theory of war which throughout the nineteenth century it has been the best intellectual endeavor of the German General Staff to construct. It has already been put in practice in 1870 when French resistance sprang up at Sedan. The ferocity of reprisal at that time in the form of execution of prisoners and civilians on charges of franc-tireurs warfare, startled the war agape with admiration at Prussia's marvellous six-weeks' victory." [Tuchman, p. 306.]

Seeking Safety

Belgians who decided to flee the Germans had to basic chices--to move north to the Netherlands or south to France. Some Belgians fled north to the Netherlands. Other fled south to France. The Dutch were neutral nd there was hope that thecGermans would not invade them as well. France was the real German target, but as they unlike Belgium had a large amy, there was hope the French could stop the Germans. The decision was primary based in which frontier was the closest. About 1 million Belgians sough refuge in the Netherlands. Getting relief supples to France for the refugees there was fairly simple. The neutral Netherlands was much more complicated. Most of the civilians in the Netherlands gradually returned to Belgium even though it was occupied by the Germans. About 100,000 Belgians remained in The Netherlands throughout the War. Some had the resources to support themselves. The Dutch Government opened refuge camps for those who could not support themselves. They were mostly set up in the south close to the border. Large numbers of Belgian spought rfugee in France. There were a variety of facilities established. We nore a religious group hich set up schools and other faciluties in various French towns such as a colony at Campeaux . Other Belgians were cared for in the small southwestern corner of the country where the Belgian Army and the British BEF stoppe the Germans. One very special group of refugees was the children of Belgian immigrants in America. They came over expecting to bring their wives and/or their children over after becoming established. The outbreak of the war left children and wives separated. A Detroit priest of Belgian origins who was actively working with Belgian relief returned to Belgium to bring the children to America and reunite the families.

German Policy

The German Government gave vitually no attention to the plight of the refugees and other civilian mtters, actually seizing sivilian food supplies. The Germans did not think such matters consequential. It military matters that absorbed their attention.

Public Opinion

The world press, including the American press, picked up on such matters. And from an early point of the War the Germans acquired a ruthless reputation, sometimes referred to as the Huns. As regards many countries, the Germans were right, it did not make a differebce. They were wrong about one country and a country that would make a huge difference--the United States . Until World War I, Germany was a very admired country in America--World War I changed this almost overnight.

Sources

Tuchman, Barbara. The Guns of August. The subject of attrocities is a difficult one. The British picked up every report and fed it to both their public and even more importantly, the American public. This was important in affecting American public opinion. The Germans played doen the reports, denying many, and attributing it all to Allied war propaganda. Tuchmans's work is important in wadeing through the contending charges and claims becuse she is a respected Noble Prize winnining historian. Chapter 17 'The flames of Louvain' deal with this subkject in detail.

Created: 6:46 AM 12/30/2014
Last updated: 9:22 AM 1/17/2016