Chapter One

Belgium – Shortly Before The War

Despite its unequivocal neutrality, Belgium was forced into war on that fateful 10 May 1940 when the Wehrmacht invaded. The Belgian Army had been integrated into the Western Alliance for the purpose of resisting the German attack, but in the end was overwhelmed. Belgian forces were hardly able to do anything against the gigantic German war machine. Belgium was a prosperous but small country of eight million people. The Belgian High Command was obviously aware that in the course of a German attack it had few choices to make. The reality exceeded everything they had been able to imagine.

After the First World War a series of important changes had occurred in the Belgian Army. For example, it reduced the number of divisions from seventeen to eight in 1924, and from eight to six in 1926. Nevertheless the Belgians knew – and differed from the Netherlands in that respect – that the Germans were not likely to respect their neutrality should the circumstances call for it. Significant pointers hardened this conviction: the failure of the League of Nations to create a carefully considered, peaceful framework for international relations, the political developments in Germany and the reoccupation of the Rhineland. Accordingly, at the end of 1936 King Leopold III called for a massive rearmament and modernization of the Army. These measures were undoubtedly intended to fortify the independence of the nation. At the same time Belgium’s neighbours, the great European Powers of the time (France, Great Britain and Germany) were to be dissuaded from considering Belgium to be the stage for the “settlement of their differences”. A number of measures were the direct consequence of this royal intervention: a fifteen per cent increase in the defence budget, the period of conscription raised from eight to twelve months, the strengthening of the line of fortifications along the Meuse by the construction of three forts at Neufchâteau, Battice and Eben Emael; the division of the country into three military areas (with command centres at Brussels, Antwerp and Liège) and the construction of an anti-tank defensive line between Kooningshooiskt and Wavre, the K-W Line, also known as the Dyle Line. Within this modernization three divisions were motorized straight away (two regiments of cavalry, and one of Ardennes Riflemen (Chausseurs ardennais). To defend the fortifications and major cities (Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels and Liège) a Homeland Air Raid Precaution was introduced (Défence Aéronautique du Territoire).