Figure 1.--

The Treaty of Versailles ending World War I, abolished Belgium’s neutrality which had been guaranteed by the Great Powers. This left Belgium free to eiyhervmauntain its neutrality or sign alliances. The German speaking cantons of Eupen and Malmédy which Germany had annexed were returned to Belgium. Belgium signed a treaty of military assistance with France (1920). Belgium also negotiated an economic union with Luxembourg tieing their currencies (1921), Belgium’s eastern border, meaning the frontier with Germany, was guaranteed by the widely heraled, but toothless Locarno Pact (1925). The League of nations granted Belgium a mandate over Ruanda-Urundi. This had been part of German East Africa that Belgian colonial forces from the Belgian Congp had seized during the War. Belgium like the rest of Europe was hard hit by American stock market crash and resulting Great Depression. The rising unemployment helped the Socialist Party gain strength. They rejected free market capitalism and advocated state economic planning as promoted by socialist theorist Hendrik de Man. Two other parties gained influence. A Flemish-nationalist party became more important regionally, but was unable to generate much success in national elections. The Rexists led by Léon Degrelle gained considerable strength. The Rexists won 21 seats, more than 10 percent of the National Assembly--an impressive showing in Belgiums multi-party system (1936). Disruptive strikes supported by the Socialists and Communisrs broke out. A tripartite government was formed of Paul van Zeeland to defuse the political situation. The Government approved a series of social measures to win over workers, including paid holidays and a 40-hour workweek for miners. The first National Labour Convention was the beginning of an institutionalized dialogue between what the Belgianss called the "social partners" (employers, trade unions, and government). King Leopold III succeeded his father, Albert I (1934). With the rise of the NAZIs in Germany, the new king faced an increasingly dangerous international situation. King Leopold was an strong advocate of a more independent foreign policy for Belgium. He advocated a policy of neutrality designed to keep Belgium from what increasingly seemed like another war. There was general support for this policy bin Belgium. It is unclear why the Belgians realistically thought that why neutrality which had failed in 1914 would protect them against NAZI Germany. The governing factor here was probably a general abhorence of war. Neutrality was approved by the parliament. The country built a defensive line from Namur to Antwerp and strengthened key forts. Like other countries bordering NAZI Germany, Belgium was inundated by Jewish and political refugees. A refugee camp wa established at Marneffe.

World War I Peace Settlement

The Treaty of Versailles ending World War I, abolished Belgium’s neutrality which had been guaranteed by the Great Powers. This left Belgium free to eiyhervmauntain its neutrality or sign alliances. The German speaking cantons of Eupen and Malmédy which Germany had annexed were returned to Belgium. Belgium signed a treaty of military assistance with France (1920). Belgium also negotiated an economic union with Luxembourg tieing their currencies (1921). The League of nations granted Belgium a mandate over Ruanda-Urundi. This had been part of German East Africa that Belgian colonial forces from the Belgian Congp had seized during the War.

Locarno Pact

Belgium’s eastern border, meaning the frontier with Germany, was guaranteed by the widely heraled, but toothless Locarno Pact (1925).

Great Depression

Belgium like the rest of Europe was hard hit by American stock market crash and resulting Great Depression.

Domestic Politics

The rising unemployment helped the Socialist Party gain strength. They rejected free market capitalism and advocated state economic planning as promoted by socialist theorist Hendrik de Man. Two other parties gained influence. A Flemish-nationalist party became more important regionally, but was unable to generate much success in national elections. The Rexists led by Léon Degrelle gained considerable strength. The Rexists won 21 seats, more than 10 percent of the National Assembly--an impressive showing in Belgiums multi-party system (1936). Disruptive strikes supported by the Socialists and Communisrs broke out. A tripartite government was formed of Paul van Zeeland to defuse the political situation. The Government approved a series of social measures to win over workers, including paid holidays and a 40-hour workweek for miners. The first National Labour Convention was the beginning of an institutionalized dialogue between what the Belgianss called the "social partners" (employers, trade unions, and government).

Foreign Policy

King Leopold III succeeded his father, Albert I (1934). With the rise of the NAZIs in Germany, the new king faced an increasingly dangerous international situation. King Leopold was an strong advocate of a more independent foreign policy for Belgium. He advocated a policy of neutrality designed to keep Belgium from what increasingly seemed like another war. There was general support for this policy bin Belgium. It is unclear why the Belgians realistically thought that why neutrality which had failed in 1914 would protect them against NAZI Germany. The governing factor here was probably a general abhorence of war. Neutrality was approved by the parliament. The country built a defensive line from Namur to Antwerp and strengthened key forts.

Refugees (1930s)

Belgian immigrtion policy during the 1920s was dominated by labor and employment concerns. Guest worker arrangements were negotiated in Poland. The NAZIs seized control of Germany (1933). Like other countries bordering NAZI Germany, political and opponents and Jews sought refuge in Belgium. The numbers of Jews were relatively small because the primary NAZI targets were at first political opponents. And of course they had difficult getting NAZI exit permits. Many of the first refugees were political--anti-NAZIs. Belgian authorities generally turned a blind eye to the relatively small number of Jews who entered the country illegally duting this period assuming that Belgium was only a way station for their flight. They were not granted refugee status. [Caestecker, pp. 200-01.] The official government policy was that they were responding to economic develioments, not political persecution. The Government radically changed the country's immigration policy (1936). This was not because of the rising NAZI campaign against the Jews. It was at this time Socialists entered the Government. Non-Communist had been receiving a kind of semi-official status. A Royal Decree motivated by Socialist Justice Minister E. Soudan was issued to give official status to political refugees (Februaey 20, 1936). An advisory commission was created to study asylum seekers. The country of origin was expsnded beyond Germany and Russia and Communist/subversive became eligible for refugee status. This status was only extended to people whose lives or fortunes were threatened. As NAZI policy became increasingly opressive, thenumber of Jewish refugees increased, especially after the Nuremberg laws institionlized anti-Semitism as German state policy (1935). And the flow only inreased as Hitler expanded the Reich with the Anchluss and the seizure of the Sudentelamd (1938). After Kristallnacht large numbers of the Jews who had remained in Germany desparately attempted to leave Germany. Some emigrated legally and other crossed the border clandestinetly without the necessary documents. And the numbers involved meant that it was increasingly difficult for refugee Jews in Belgium to find other countries where they could obtain final refuge. And the Jewish community in Belgium could not meet the needs of the growing tide of refugees. The Goverment ordered all refugee Jews not being supported by Jewish groups to leave the country. A conservative Catholic was appointed justice minister, C. du Bus de Warneffe (November 1937). He ordered all illegal immifrants expelled, except political refugees. This of course meant the Jews fleeing the NAZIs. The Sûreté pushed for tighter control. More refugees were refused entry at the border. They also increased the number of arrests and deportment (renvoyer). Jewish refugees were a special case in that it was not just young men, but whole famoilies including children and the elderly. And the efficient NAZI state had sucessfully strippen them of all or most of their property so they were destitute. While the Sûreté could deny access at border crossings, it could not hermetically seal the border. Hired mugglers helped those who could not cross the border themselves. In 1938 and 1939 before the start of the War, about 24,000 refugees from the Reich entered Belgium. Most did not apply for assylum out of fear tgat they would be denied. Illegal aliens were arrested and held in prisons pending judicial action and possible deportation. There was, however, not enough capacity in the prisons. The Belgian Government established a refugee camp at Marneffe. There were also many ilegal' refugees that attempted to hide and not enter refugee camps. Many refugeevfamily groups were in Belgium, both in and outside the the camps. When the Germans invaded (May 1940), Marneffe was full of Jews and anti-NAZis which the Germans targetted. Most had no where that they could flee. We do not have details at this time as to just what happened at Marneffe after the Germans seized control of Belgium.

Sources

Caestecker, Frank. Alien Policy in Belgium, 1840-1940: The Creation of Guest Workers, Refugees and Illegal Aliens (Berghahn Books. 2000) 330pp.

Created: 9:05 PM 7/21/2010
Last updated: 9:05 PM 7/21/2010