Belgian refugees during the First World War (France, Britain, Netherlands)

Abstract

The German invasion of Belgium in August-October 1914 led to the flight of more than 1.5 million Belgian civilians. The vast majority sought asylum in the Netherlands, France and Britain. In total, more than 600,000 Belgians – some 10 percent of the Belgian population at the time – settled abroad during the First World War. In France, they received financial support throughout the war, enabling the poorest refugees to avoid utter destitution. In Britain, committees sprang up to help resettle refugee families. In the Netherlands, where large camps were set up to house refugees, support for the refugees remained more limited. The war saw a gradual dwindling of the support offered to refugees. Many had no other choice but to find a job. In France, thousands were put to work in factories and farms. In Britain, 30,000 Belgian refugees, nearly one-quarter of them women, played an important role in the manufacture of munitions. Most refugees kept to themselves. Recreational activities strengthened the bonds to their homeland. Anxious to prevent them from permanently settling in their host countries, the Belgian authorities in exile promoted a strong sense of national identity among the refugees. By mid-1919, most Belgian refugees had returned home.