Figure 1.--Chiro members wear a Scout-like uniform of light-colored shirt, and brown short pants.

The most important youth movement in Belgium has been the Scouts, although the movement has been split along nationalist lines. There have also been uniformed youth groups sponsored by political parties. This has been especially true of right-wing parties and Flemish nationalist groups. Belgium is in many ways really two countries, composed of one group Germanic in origin and the other French. The politics of Belgium has evolved around this difference as has been reflected in the formation of youth groups.

Historical Background

Two very disperate peoples have been combined by historical accident in modern Belgium after the end of the Nappoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. One part, Flanders, is Germanic in language and ethnic origin. The other part, Wallonie, is French-speaking and of ethnically mixed Celtic and Romanic origins. The only uniting bond was their common Roman Catholic religious faith. The people of Flanders from the creation of modern Belgium in 1830 has resented their inclusion in a Waloon-dominated French-speaking state. The concept of Belgian nationality has grown, but the linguistic and eyhnic divisions remain to this day.

Early 20th Century and World War I (1900-18)

The Belgian political situation before, during and after World War I was extremely complicated, and incidentally still highly controversial, and my knowledge of it is sketchy at best. The Flemish from the creation of the Belgian state resented the Walloon domination. Until the German occupation in 1914, Flemisish criticism was mostly academic. The Germans occupied almost all of Belgium in August 1914 and did not withdraw until the end of the war in 1918. Promoted by the Germans, Council of Flanders consisting of Flemish nationalists was set up in Brussels and recognized by the Germans as the provisional government of Flanders. Even within the Belgian Army still fighting the Germans, a Flemist separtist faction developed known as the Frontbeweging (Front Movement). This soldier's movement after the War became the Front Partij (Front Party). HBU would especially appreciate any details and insights that visitors could provide. Scouting had developed in Belgium during the early 1900s as it did in most of Western Europe. While I have few details at this time, I believe the Belgian Scout movement was largely organized along ethnic lines. I have no information on other Belgian youth groups during this period. Nor do I know of German occupation policies toward these groups. I know of no alternate youth movements created in Belgium either before or during the war.

Inter-war Era (1919-40)

After World War I, different political parties formed youth wings. Thus a basic understanding of Belgian poltical developments is needed to understand the different youth groups. The situation was quite different in Flanders and Wallonie. After World War I, the leaders of the Council of Flanders were arrested and tried for treason. Nine were executed and were granted clemency in 1929. Flemist nationlists gained seats in parlimentary elections. The Frontpartij showed some popular support in Flemish areas. The Scouts were the most important youth movement, but several of the political movement had youth wings. This was particularly true of the more radical right-wing groups, including Flemish nationalists. The Dinaso (Fascist poltical movement), formed in a split of the Frontpartij, launched a youth group--the Verbond van Jongdinaso Vendels (Association of Young Dinaso Companies) in the early 1930s. Other Fascist groups formed in the 1930s were even more radical. Some like the Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond (VNV), Duitschen-Vlaamsche Arbeidsgemeenschap (Devlag--the Flag) or the Volksverweering sought to break up the Belgian state and combine with the Netherlands or Germany. Some like the Volksverweering were rabidly anti-semetic. I do not have information on their youth movements if any. Belgium's most important Fascist party appeared in Wallonie and was led by the charismatic Lénn Degrelle. He founded the Christus Rex (Rexist Party) in 1935 and within a year had won 21 seats in Parliament. Although the Germans for racial reasons were more disposed to the Flemish, they found in Degrelle and the Rexists a more deprndable ally. By 1940 the political fortunes of the Rexists had declined, but were to be revived by the NAZIs after the surrender King Leopold III surrendered the Belgian Army. I have no information on the Rexist's pre-war youth movement.

World War II and German Occupation (1940-44)

The NAZIs even before World War II drew a clear destinction between the two peoples of Belgium. They were most disposed toward their racial "cousins," the Flemings. They discovered after occupation, however, that the Walloon leader Léon Degrelle was a more willing disciple. The military and para-military formations formed in Belgium by the NAZI authorities were always kept seperated. Likewise the youth groyps, based on the youth movements of collaborationist political partiesm VNV and Rexists were entirely separated. Hitler Youth units also operated in Belgium. Units were formed in Flanders even before the occupation. Some of these were truly fascist or Nazi; many more (such as some of the less far-right-wing Flemish nationalists) went along with it for reasons of expediency, because to start with at any rate, they thought the Germans would win the war. By the time it was becoming apparent that they had backed the wrong horse, especially from 1942 onwards, it would have been much too late to change sides, as the situation between collaborators and resistance had become completely polarised by then. German policies toward the Belgian Scouts varied greatly. Scout masters were arrested as early as 1940. The movement was totally banned in 1943. Even so the regulations were not always enforced. In many countries the Germans forced the Scouts to disband. There policies, however, varied greatly from country. Policies in Western Europe were generally less harsh than in Eastern Europe. This was especially true of countries with Nordic populations (Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway). The German occupation policies were in Belgium or if there were differing approaches to the more Nordic population in Flanders. They found it especially difficult to enforce regulations when little blond boys were involved--which was the case in Flanders.

Figure 2.--The VJR in Belgium dtill insists on a traditional boys' uniform for its members.

Post World War II period

I don't think any of the uniformed groups, other than the Scouts, that existed have the same names as now. By the end of the war they would all have been too discredited. Indeed, I think pretty well all social and political structures, except possibly the Communists, were in a state of near total collapse by 1945. The VNJ for example was not founded until 1962.

Individual Groups

The non-Scout boy's youth groups as discussed above were different before and after World War II. There was a right wing-movement in Belgium as in other European countries. The horrors of Fascist rule and German occupation, however, destroyed the extre right wing. Groups after the War primarily focussed on nationalist separtist feeling. Some of the groups are the most active non-Scout uniformed groups in Europe. A Belgian reader writes about these groups, "Nationalism within the youth-movements is not an easy matter, it's even more difficult to be objective than in religion-related matter. I promptly mentioned someone your statement about Chiro being a little nationalistic, with response: 'of course'. On the other hand. I don't see why Chiro would be more nationalistic then VVKSM for example. They both only operate in Flanders, they both have strong Christian inspiring, they both have sister-movements in the French Community,… This is difficult to state, because during time (most strongly since W.W.II) the Flemish movement has gained an image, which makes it social difficult for us to state we're nationalist, separatist, just proud on our region, on Belgium,… That's one of the reasen why the Catholique scouts are named 'Scouts en Gidsen Vlaanderen' now, and not 'Flemish Scouts and Guides Association' for example. There was stated that 'Vlaams' sounds to nationalistic. 'Vlaanderen' on the other hand, is in this case mend to be nothing but a geographic region. So organisations officially stating they're Vlaams-nationalistisch' for example, are relatively extremistic. (a word not a single organisation will use, of course) If you would ask about VNJ, most people will, just by the sound of nationalistic, not approve that organisation." [De Lobel]

Sources

De Lobel, Frederik. E-mail message, January 9, 2008.