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Read Ebook: The German Terror in Belgium: An Historical Record by Toynbee Arnold
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As the houses caught fire the inmates tried to escape. The few who reached the street were shot down . Most were driven back into the flames. "At about 30 of the houses," a witness states , "I actually saw faces at the windows before the Germans entered, and then saw the same faces at the cellar windows after the Germans had driven the people into the cellars." In this way a number of men and women were burnt alive. In some cases the Germans would not wait for the fire to do their work for them, but bayonetted the people themselves. In one house, near the Episcopal Palace, two boys were bayonetted before their mother's eyes, and then the man--their father and her husband. Another man in the house was wounded almost to death, and the Germans were with difficulty prevented from "finishing him off," next morning, on the way to the hospital. An orphan girl, who lodged in the same house, was violated.
Next morning, August 21st, the district round the University Buildings on either side of the Meuse was cleared of its inhabitants--such inhabitants as survived and such streets as still stood. The people were evicted at a few hours' notice, and not allowed to return for a month. The same day a proclamation was posted by the German authorities: "Civilians have fired on the German soldiers. Repression is the result." The indictment was not convincing, for "Emulation Building," from which the first shot was fired on the night of the 20th, had been cleared of its Belgian occupants some days before and filled entirely with German soldiers. Later the German Governor of Li?ge shifted his ground, and laid the blame on Russian students "who had been a burden on the population of the city." A clearer light is thrown on the outbreak of August 20th by what occurred on the night of August 21st-22nd. "Aug. 22nd, 3 a.m., Li?ge," writes a German in his diary. "Two infantry regiments shot at each other. Nine dead and 50 wounded--fault not yet ascertained." But in the other diary, quoted before, the incident is thus recorded under the same date: "August 21st. In the night the soldiers were again fired on. We then destroyed several houses more." The soldiers fire, the civilians suffer reprisals, but the Germans' object is gained. The conquered population is terrorised, the invaders feel secure. "On August 23rd everything quiet," the latter diarist continues. "The inhabitants have so far given in.
"August 24th. Our occupation is bathing, and eating and drinking for the rest of the day. We live like God in Belgium."
FOOTNOTES:
Belgian Report xvi ; Somville pp. 134-143.
Belg. xvii.
Somville pp. 143-6.
Somville pp. 146-7.
Belg. xvii; Somville pp. 177-184; Bland pp. 164-5; a 16.
H?cker p. 46.
Bland p. 165.
Somville p. 148.
Somville pp. 147-8.
Somville pp. 157-168; a 7, 20.
Somville pp. 152-7; xvii.
Somville p. 156.
S. p. 148; xvii.
Bryce pp. 161-2; S. pp. 168-177.
Same incident recorded in xvii, p. 50.
Bryce pp. 168-9.
S. pp. 46-55; xvii; Reply pp. 110-116 .
S. pp. 55-72; xvii; Reply pp. 123-7; a 2.
S. pp. 73-9; xvii.
S. pp. 113-126; xvii; a 4, 5, 9.
S. pp. 110-2; xvii; a 12.
S. pp. 126-130.
Partly by bombardment during the attack on the fort.
S. pp. 105-110; Reply pp. 133-4.
S. pp. 151-2.
S. p. 148.
S. p. 152.
S. p. 149.
xvii. p. 57.
Bland pp. 105-9.
S. pp. 16-18; xvii. p. 56.
S. p. 18; Mercier.
Bland p. 185.
xvii; a 33, 34.
xvii; Reply p. 126.
Reply p. 126.
xvii; Mercier; S. pp. 79-82.
S. pp. 82-92.
xvii; S. pp. 92-4.
Reply p. 126.
Mercier.
S. pp. 94-100.
S. pp. 100-5.
S. pp. 40-5: Belg. Ann. 5, pp. 167-8; Morgan p. 100; Bryce p. 172.
S. pp. 30-8.
S. pp. 20-30.
S. pp. 191-3; xvii.
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