The Invasion of Belgium

• Belgium had declared its neutrality on 24th July

  • Despite this, the government ordered the mobilisation of the army to defend its French and German borders
• On 2nd August the German ambassador to Brussels gave the Belgium government an ultimatum

  • It demanded that the German army would be allowed to march through Belgium to reach France unresisted
• The Belgium government rejected the ultimatum after discussing it into the early hours, instead they would fight to defend their neutrality
• King Albert of Belgium appealed to King George V of England for ‘diplomatic assistance’
• To keep Belgium’s commitment to neutrality, the order was given to fire on any French troops, as well as German, who tried to cross the border
• On 4th August the Schlieffen Plan was put into action and the Belgium’s planned to resist

  • The Belgium’s were outnumbered ten to one and eventually the huge German guns, aka ‘Big Berthas’, overcame the Belgium defences
• The poor treatment of Belgium civilians by German soldiers turned into powerful propaganda for the British

  • Posters and publications with slogans such as ‘The rape of Belgium’ and ‘Once a German, always a German’ were made and distributed