The Belgian Army in World War I

by Pawly, Ronald; Lierneux, Pierre; Courcelle, Patrice

• ISBN13: 9781846034480
• ISBN10: 1846034485
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-06-23
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

While small in numbers, the Belgian Army played a vital role in World War 1 that is often overlooked. Germany's invasion of neutral Belgium, which led Britain to declare war in August 1914, should have been swift and fierce yet the unexpected heroic defense, against great odds, of Belgian fortresses, frustrated the German Schlieffen Plan for a thrust to Paris and a lightning victory. The plucky Belgian resistance proved successful in buying time for French and British troops to mobilize and report to the front, where the Belgians would then go on to fight, stubbornly defending the northern end of the Allied trench line for the rest of the war. Discover the story of this determined Army, from their organization and commanders, to their uniforms and equipment. The only main combatant army of World War I not previously covered by Osprey, this volume will be an important addition to any enthusiast's collection, accompanied by detailed artwork and archive photographs.

Author Biography

Ronald Pawly was born in Belgium in 1956 and still lives and works there. He is a respected member of several societies for Napoleonic studies and an expert on 19th century military portraiture. He has previously written for Osprey Men-at-Arms 355, Wellington's Belgian Allies 1815; MAA 371, Wellington's Dutch Allies 1815; MAA 371, Napoleon's Red Lancers; MAA 378, Napoleon's Guards of Honour; and Elite 115, Napoleon's Imperial Headquarters (1). Although, a leading Napoleonic historian, Ronald Pawly has also always been fascinated by the First World War and has heavily researched the Belgian involvement in such a conflict.

Table of Contents

Historical Background	p. 3
National origins - neutrality and independence
The Military Situation In 1914	p. 4
Army strength and organization - the defence plan
The German ultimatum
Invasion	p. 8
The defence of Liège, Namur and Antwerp, 5 August-10 October 1914 - the 'Race to the Sea': the battle of the Yser - defence and flooding, October-November 1914
Rebuilding The Army	p. 20
The Watch On The Yser, 1915-17	p. 23
Conditions on the Belgian front
Liberation	p. 34
The Kaiserschlacht: the battle of the Lys, April 1918
The counter-offensive in Flanders, September-November 1918
The Belgian Air Force	p. 38
The Appearance Of The Belgian Infantryman	p. 40
The infantryman on mobilization: Field Army - Fortress Troops
The infantryman on the Yser, 1914-15: blue uniform
The infantryman on the Yser, 1915-18: khaki uniform
Select Bibliography	p. 44
Plate Commentaries	p. 45
Index	p. 48
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.