Figure 1.--Yhe press caption herre read, "Belgian children flock around Sergt. John J. Macaulay, 2286 West 30th St., Cleveland, who is attached to an Ordnance company of an Infantry Division in Belgium, Dec. 30, 1944. On left is Corp. Joseph Logg, Jr., Detroit. We see displaced Belgian civilians including children children fleeing the Germans seeking protection with American soldiers. The German struck December 16 and achieved remarkable goals, but did not reach the Meuse. By the time this photograph was taken, the Germans had been stopped, but the situation was not yet clear to isolated American units or the Belgian civilians. Notice how safe vthe children feel with the American and their wooden shoes.

The surprise German Bulge Offensive in the Ardennes came as a great surprise to he Allies (December 16, 1944). It was one of the greatest failures of Allied intelligence during the War. The Germans briefly regained control of much of eastern and central Belgium, but none of the major cities and did not reach the Meuse. Advanced element of Patton's Third Army reached Bastogne from the south ending the German siege (December 26). By this time te Germans were already facing stiffening American resistance as they approached the Meuse River. Denied the important crossroad of Bastogne, the German drive west was untenable. With the skies clearing, Allied air power began to wreak havoc on German positions and supply lines. The 2nd Panzer Division was being encircled and had to fight two break-out attempts, achieving partial success. It would, however, take a month of bitter winter fighting before the front was restored to the lines in eastern Belgium at the time of the German attack. The border area of eastern Belgium around Eupen, Malmedy and Sankt Vith changed control nationality three times during the 20th century. It was part of German Empire at th onset of the 20th century. The Germans invaded and seized almost all of Belgium (1914). After the War, the area was awarded to Belgium (1919). NAZI Germany invaded and annexed the area (1940). And it was finally liberated by the Allies (1944-45). Eupen is only 9 miles from the German border. Over time the area had been a part of the Duchy of Limburg, Brabant, Burgundy, the Holy Roman Empire. After the Napoleonic Wars it was briefly transferred to Prussia (1815) and became part of the new German Empire (1871) The Versailles Peace Treaty, assigned thearea cluding Eupen and the nearby municipality of Malmedy, was transferred to Belgium. The area was largely German speaking. Another 6 weeks of fierce fighting ensued before eastern Belgium was rested from German with the liberation of the village of Krewinkel (February 4, 1945). 【Gotovitch and Aron, pp.246-47】 The fighting moved east as the Allies drove into the German Rhinelnd toward the Rhine. Hitler anticipated making the Rhine a forfified barrier, but the the Bulge Offensice so depleted Geman strenth that the Americn achieved a Rhine crossing at Remagen (March 1945). Belgians with the Germans gone began to take action, both legal and extra-legal against collaborators. Unlike other monarchs (Norway and the Netherlands), King Leopold III had remained in Belgium, a prisoner in Laeken Castle. The elected Government fled to Paris and then London and called Leopold a traitor. He had remained in Brussels and to an extent collaborated with the NAZIs. He did not stake a claim to resistance like King Christian X in Denmark. He had remained popular for a time, but opinions began to change as NAZI rule became more severe. As the Alles reached Belgium. the Gestapo took Leopold and his family to the Reich. This led to a national debate over the King's future.

Sources

Gotovitch, José and Paul Aron, edds. Dictionnaire de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale en Belgique (Brussels: André Versaille éd, 2008).

Created: 7:09 AM 2/22/2025
Last updated: 7:09 AM 2/22/2025