Belgium in World War II

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Belgium in World War II

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Despite being neutral at the start of World War II, on 10 May 1940, Belgium and her colonial possessions found themselves at war after an invasion of the country by German forces. Following 18 days of fighting, the Belgian army surrendered to German forces beginning an occupation of the country that would endure until its liberation by Allied forces in late 1944. Amongst those that surrendered was King Leopold III, whose decision sparked a political crisis after the war. Nevertheless, after the surrender, many Belgians managed to escape to the United Kingdom where they formed a government and army-in-exile to continue fighting.The Belgian Congo remained loyal to the Belgian government in London and contributed significant material and human resources to the Allied cause. Many Belgians were involved in both armed and passive resistance to German forces, although some chose to collaborate with the German forces. Support from right-wing political factions and sections of the Belgian population allowed the German army to recruit two divisions of the Waffen-SS from Belgium and also helped to facilitate the persecution of Belgian Jews, in which nearly 25,000 were killed.Most of the country was liberated by the Allies between September and October 1944, though areas to the far east of the country remained occupied until early 1945. In total, approximately 88,000 Belgians died during the conflict, a figure representing 1.05% of the country's pre-war population, and around 8% of the country's GDP was destroyed.