Where was ww1 fought in Belgium?
While most of the American Expeditionary Force was fighting in France, four Army divisions fought in Belgium alongside the British Army in the “Flanders Fields,” the name given to the battlefield stretching from West Flanders to East Flanders and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais in the north of France.
What happened to the historic city of Louvain in Belgium?
Leuven suffered considerable damage in World Wars I and II. During the German invasion of 1914, the university’s famous library and the Cloth Workers’ Hall (1193) were burned. Leuven is still a major cultural centre and is also an agricultural market.
How did the Germans punish Louvain?
Civilians were shot or bayoneted, homes were set on fire, and some bodies showed signs of torture. Many of those killed were randomly dumped in ditches and construction trenches. The mayor of the city and rector of the university were summarily executed.
Where is the Somme battlefield located?
Somme
River SommePas-de-Calais
Battle of the Somme/Locations
Where was ww1 mostly fought?
Where was most of the fighting? The majority of the fighting took place in Europe along two fronts: the western front and the eastern front. The western front was a long line of trenches that ran from the coast of Belgium to Switzerland. A lot of the fighting along this front took place in France and Belgium.
What language do people speak in Leuven?
Leuven lies in the northern, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium called “Flanders”. Most people in Leuven also speak French and English relatively well.
How many Belgian soldiers died in ww1?
40,000 Belgian soldiers
The invasion and occupation of its territory led to significant civilian losses, which gave rise to a specific form of commemoration. About 40,000 Belgian soldiers died during the Great War; one-third due to illness. 8,756 civilians died, 6,453 during the first weeks of the invasion.
Why did Germany violate Belgium’s neutrality?
The neutrality of Belgium had been guaranteed by the Treaty of London (1839), which had been signed by Prussia. However, the German Schlieffen Plan required that German armed forces pass through Belgium (thus violating Belgium’s neutrality) in order to outflank the French Army, concentrated in eastern France.
Why did the Germans burn Leuven?
The city of Leuven was burning on August 25th, 1914. German troops lighted the city on fire as retaliation for an alleged attack of snipers. The fire destroyed more than two thousand buildings and 248 citizens were killed.