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Belgium Got Smoked In WW2 By Germany - Coggle Diagram
Belgium Got Smoked In WW2 By Germany
Humanitarian Aid and Relief Efforts
Medical assistance was very important to treat the wounded soldiers and the civilians that were affected by the war. Field hospitals and medical teams were deployed to areas that needed them. They helped with offering medical care, surgery, and rehabilitation to the injured.
Belgium received help through various international organizations such as the International Red Cross and the UNRRA. They helped Belgium and provided things such as food, medical supplies, and other resources to help the recovery of the country.
Post War Reconstruction
Belgium's infrastructure including roads, buildings, and bridges were severely damaged. Most of the Reconstruction efforts were to repair all of the infrastructure to restore its functionality and its economy.
The war had disrupted the economy of Belgium, disrupting industries and causing a lot of unemployment. The reconstruction was focused to stimulate the economic recovery such as investment in major industries and small businesses.
Memorials and Remembrance
The Holocaust Memorial in Brussels is a memorial that honors the Jewish victims of the Holocaust in Belgium and is a place to remember and reflect on the awful hardships the Jews had to face.
The Bastogne War Museum is located in Bastogne and commemorates the Battle of the Bulge and the experiences the soldiers and the civilians had to go through. This museum shows the events leading up during and the end of the battle.
Occupation and Liberation
The liberation had happened in September 1944, when the allied forces and the Belgian forces had liberated Brussels, the capital of Belgium from German occupation and continued to liberate other small towns and cities across the country.
The main group that had occupied Belgium was none other than Germany and the German Invasion that happened in May 1940, despite Belgian efforts to defend the borders, Germany had overwhelmed them with their military forces.
Military Campaigns
The German Invasion of Belgium was a military campaign strategy by the Germans that was part of a bigger one called the western european campaign This campaign was because Germany wanted to conquer several countries including Belgium because they were important territories and was a part of Germany's plan to defeat the allies and expand its territory.
The Battle of the Bulge was a surprise attack and caught Belgium and the Allied forces off guard. This battle led to the occupation of several of Belgium's towns and cities. Belgium and the allies resisted the attack to protect their homeland. Civilians were affected because there were food shortages, forced labor, and destruction to many buildings.The aftermath of the battle was that Belgium liberated against the German occupation and freed the country.
Leadership and Strategies
After the German invasion, the Belgian government had been forced to flee to France where it established its government in exile and had to stay there to keep themselves safe. They kept on coordinating resistance efforts and providing their leadership to Belgian forces even when they could not be there themselves.
Belgium strategically fortified its borders with France and Germany mostly on the Maginot line and in the Albert Canal to hopefully fend off the power hungry Germany. These defenses were bypassed by the German Blitzkrieg tactics in 1940 and led to the occupation of the country.
Allies and Diplomacy
Alllies
The Belgian government kept close relationships with the UK and coordinated resistance to keep them from exile. Belgian forces also participated in the Allied liberation of Western Europe.
Belgium received a lot of support from the US through military aid and diplomatic assistance and played a major role in the liberation of Belgium from the German army.
Belgium had a close relationship with France since they depended on the Maginot Line (a line of fortification along the French border) until the invasion of Germany which led to a rapid collapse of the French defenses and led to the occupation of Belgium.
At the outbreak of WWII, Belgium wanted to remain neutral and hoped to avoid conflict, however the neutrality was breached after the German Invasion and Occupation.