Belgium Archives

To many in the military, dogs became welcome companions. Inside, you'll find World War 2-era pictures of the pets who were promoted to mascots.

Belgium

Military Dogs: World War II Photos of Pets in Action

By Kevin Hymel & James Hart

American men left behind a great deal when they left home to fight in World War 2. Read more

Belgium

Were the Angels of Mons in World War I Real, or Mass Hysteria?

By Robert Barr Smith

Some Tommies swore it had been St. George, the warrior saint of England. Others said the “Angels of Mons” might have been St. Read more

The German zeppelin night raids of WW1 inflicted terror on London and presented stiff challenges for RAF pilots.

Belgium

German Zeppelins: Terrorizing The British And RAF During WW1

By Eric Niderost

Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson was not a happy man, and his sour mood was made worse by the weather. Read more

French General Jean Rapp races towards a calm and self-assured Emperor Napoleon with a captured enemy standard during the height of the Battle of Austerlitz.

Belgium

How Jean Rapp Saved Napoleon Bonaparte’s Life… Three Times

By Blaine Taylor

Few mortals commanded such intense devotion from their troops as did French Emperor Napoleon I, and fewer soldiers still can claim to have had a direct hand in helping to save the life of their commander. Read more

Belgium

Napoleon Bonaparte’s Prelude to the Battle of Waterloo

By Michael Haskew

Political unrest in France and public disenchantment with King Louis XVIII prompted exiled emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to return to his country from the island of Elba in the spring of 1815. Read more

Despite his daughter’s pleas, Mussolini ordered his own son-in-law, Count Galeazzo Ciano, executed by firing squad after his conviction for treason.

Belgium

Benito Mussolini & Count Galeazzo Ciano

by Michael Haskew

Allied victory in North Africa and the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, meant only one thing for the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini. Read more

Belgium

Touring the Battle of the Bulge

By Kevin M. Hymel

The Battle of the Bulge lasted an entire month, and was fought over almost the entire Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and half of Belgium, yet finding all of the battlefields and historic sights is a bit more difficult than locating the D-day beaches. Read more

Belgium

The Battle of the Bulge: Why Counterattack in Belgium?

By Kevin M. Hymel

As it turns out, Belgium was the perfect place to hide a counteroffensive against the Allies. It is a mountainous country where towns are squeezed close together; the hills are punctuated by forests and small farms; and the forests are filled with small, thin trees while most farms are on slopes. Read more

Belgium

Bastogne Must Fall

By Mike Phifer

In the early morning of December 16, 1944, 80-man German shock companies from the 5th Panzer Army slipped toward the American lines in the Ardennes region under the cover of heavy fog. Read more