*** war and social upheaval: World War II -- refugees countries Belgium








World War II Refugees: Country Trends--Belgium

World War II Belgian refugees
Figure 1.---Newspapers with the German invasion of Belgium were full of images of refugees flowng south, hoping that the French Army as in World War I would stop the Germans (May 1940). This time they did not and the refugees had to return home to an occupied country. This image was widely runn in American newspaoers with the czaption -- 'These are ‘refugees to nowhere'. It was part of an effort to collect donations. Fortunately the Berkgian asdministration was largely in tact and most of the country undamafed so assistnce efforts were organized to a far greater extent than most WorkdcWar II refugees. But Belgium would face anotyher 4 years of Gernan occuptrion. .

NAZI oppression drove Jews and other targets into neighboring states. Thus Belgium had a refugee problem before the War. Belgians when the Germans struck (May 10, 1940) began fleeing the Germans by heading south by rail, car, and on foot toward France as they did in World War I. Most assumed that as in World War I that the French Army would hold. Within days, the German Panzers slashed through the Ardennes and across northern France and reached the Channel. That made the further movement of Belgian refugees to France impossible. There were, however, large numbers of Belgians on the road fleeing west. They were soon overun by the Germans who allowed them to return home. As a result, there were far fewer Belgian refugees in World War II than in World War I. And this gime the French Army did not hold. Within weeks France itself was defeated by the Germans and the country surrendered. Most of the Belgians who had made it to France, retuned to their occupied country. Thus except for a handfull of Belgians who made it to Britain, almost the entire Belgian population was trapped in the country during the German occupation. The one exceotion was the small Belgian population in the country's African colonies, the largest being the mineral rich Congo. Belgian was liberated by the Allies (September 1944). There was relatively limited fighting. The German garrisin surprised by the speed of the Allied advance in France, quickly evacuated most of the country without any serious fighting. More refugees were, however, created when Hitler launched another Ardennes campaign in the closing months of the War leading to the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944). Again civilians fled the Germans, creating a refugee problem. The Ardennes was, however, thinly populated. The cold winter weather and speed of the initial German advance prevented any large scale movenmnt. Rail movement was not possible and few civilians had cars or fuel. Thus time the Germans led by Waffen-SS units and angered by Belgian support for the Allies and the Resistance committed terrible attrocities aganst both Belgian civilans and Allied POWs.

Pre-War Jewish Refugees

NAZI oppression drove Jews and other targets into neighboring states. Many crossed the border legally, others sureptiously crossed the not closely patrolled border. slipped across the border. Thus Belgium had a refugee problem before the War. Some of the refugees were nonJewish anti-NAZI, but most were Jews. Many were undocumented individuals who slipped across the border. The Belgians rarely returned undocumented aliens to Germny.

German Western Offensive (May 1940)

Belgians when the Germans struck (May 10, 1940) began fleeing the Germans by heading south by rail, car, and on foot toward France as they did in World War I. Most assumed that as in World War I that the French Army would hold. This was, however, a very different German Army. The World War I German Army was on foot and their supplies and artillery was pulled by horses. Thus Belgians could reach safety in France unless they lived near the German border. World War I Belgian refugees moved at the same pace as the invaders, usually faster as their was no resistance by the Belgian and Allied forces that move north into Belgium. . Thus as long as they left in time they could reach France. This did not prove to be possible with a more motorized German Army. The German invasion resulted in a panic among Belgian civilians, many who recalled the World War occupation. One Belgian wonman wrote in her diary, "We are in war again. Germany has crossed our borders last Friday, for the second time in 25 years. We are listening to the radio all day, it is our only source to obtain some information what is going on. It's clear that the Germans are advancing fast. We're discussing what to do. Many people in town have already left." Within a day the roads leading west from the invasiomn path were chooked with refugees. This slowed down the advabce of British forces moving north into Belgiums. Historians estimate that some 2 million civilians fled their homes as a result of the German invasion. ["On the run ..."] With a population of 8.3 million, this was nearly 25 percent of the population. If the Germans had not rapidly over ran large reas of the coiuntry, ot ould have been much greater. Within days, the German Panzers slashed through the Ardennes and across northern France and reached the Channel. That made the further movement of Belgian refugees to France impossible. There were, however, large numbers of Belgians on the road fleeing west. They were soon overun by the Germans who allowed them to return home. As a result, there were far fewer Belgian refugees in World War II than in World War I. And this time the French Army did not hold. Within weeks France itself was defeated by the Germans and the country surrendered. The refugees that made it to France had to return home. About 15,000 made it to safty in Britain by boarding ships of various kind. They would sopend the War there.

Occupation (1940-44)

Most of the Belgians who had made it to France, retuned to their occupied country. This was very different than World War I when large numbers of Belgians managed ti get to France abd were cared there by the Freench with American assistance. The German Army in 1940 moved much more rapidly than in 1914. And even the Belgians that got to France returned hime after France capuitulztred (June 1940). Thus except for a handfull of Belgians who made it to Britain, almost the entire Belgian population was trapped in the country during the German occupation. The one exceotion was the small Belgian population in the country's African colonies, the largest being the mineral rich Congo. And in Belgian, the initial relatively 'correct'German behavior gradually changed as the NAZIs tightened heir grip an intensively exploted the contry's economic potential. The problem gfor the NAZIs was gtheir explotive policies caused an economic contraction, meaning their was less for the NAZIs to exoloit and infirtunastely for the Belgian to subsist on.duruing the 4 years of NAZI occupation.

Libertion (September 1944)

The Allies after Paris pressed north into Belgium. The British reached d Brussels (September 2) and Antwerp (September 3). They were met by jubilant civilians realizing that the dark years of NAZIdom were finally over. T Belgian was liberated by the Allies (September 1944). There was relatively limited fighting. The German garrison surprised by the speed of the Allied advance in France, quickly evacuated most of the country without any serious fighting. There was hope in the Allied camp that with the German collapse in France that the NAZIs could be defeated in 1944. Antwep was the key to the Allied thrust on into Germany.

Battle of the Bulge refugees
Figure 2.- After the jubilation of liberation (September 1944), the Germans struck a second time (December 1944) leading to the Battle of the Bulge in the dead of winter. Again refugees that could fled the Germans who murdered civilians for no reason at all. This time the Americans stoped the Germans once and for all. Here we see a group of Belgian refugees in La Gleize. This is a quiet little village set in green rolling hills. It is where the advance group of Kampfgruppe Peiper was halted, a key point in the battle. This photograph was taken on January 2, 1945. The villagers are waiting to be transported from their war-torn village after American forces drove out the Germans.

The Bulge (December 1944)

Hitker was, however, not done with Belgium. He had just enough forces for one last major offensive. And rembering the glory days of 1940, he again chose the Ardennes. More refugees were created when Hitler launched another Ardennes campaign in the closing months of the War leading to the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944). Again civilians fled the Germans, creating a refugee problem. This time there were ghastly atriocities directed at civilians. The Ardennes was, however, thinly populated. The cold winter weather and speed of the initial German advance prevented any large scale movenmnt in eastern Blgium. Further West there was time. Rail movement was not possible and few civilians had cars or fuel. The Allies did wghat they coukd. This time the Germans led by Waffen-SS units and angered by Belgian support for the Allies and the Resistance committed terrible attrocities aganst both Belgian civilans and Allied POWs. This time there were ghastly atriocities directed at civillians. There was, hiowever, no 4 year occuoation. Within a month the Germans were beaten back to their start line and there wiukd be nom more nagor German ofensives. The refugees were soon back in their homes.

Sources

"On the run: The chaotic days of May 1940," Project 1944.






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Created: 9:17 AM 8/12/2014
Last updated: 2:38 PM 5/7/2023