German troops marching in to Brussels. On 24 July 1914, the Belgian government had announced that if war came it would uphold its historic neutrality. On 2 August, the German government sent an ultimatum to Belgium, demanding passage through the country. The Belgian government refused the demands, the German government declared war on Belgium on 4 August. Following sieges of Belgian fortresses along the Meuse river at Namur and the surrender of the last forts, the government abandoned the capital, Brussels, on 17 August and on 20th August, the city was occupied.

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Size: 4600px × 3051px
Location: Brussels, BelgiumM
Photo credit: © De Luan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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