Belgium (Military Occupation)

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics

Polity that includes all territories militarly occupied by Belgium that are not part of a specific military territory.

Establishment

May 1916: Belgian conquest of Kigali.

August 1916: Belgian conquest of Ujiji.

September 1916: Belgian conquest of Tabora.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. World War I

Was a global conflict between two coalitions, the Allies (primarily France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States) and the Central Powers (led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). It was mainly caused by the competition of the western countries over domain in Europe and in the rest of the world with their colonial empires. The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers. The war also caused the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Russian Civil War.

1.1.World War I African Theatre

Was the African Theatre of World War I.

January 1917: During World War I, Belgian troops from the neighbouring Belgian Congo invaded actual Rwanda and Burundi and occupied it.

1.1.1.East African campaign

Was a series of battles and guerrilla actions during World War I, which started in German East Africa (GEA) and spread to portions of Mozambique, Rhodesia, British East Africa, Uganda, and Belgian Congo.

1.1.1.1.Belgian Offensive (East Africa Campaign)

Was the Belgian offensive against German forces in the East Africa Campaign of World War I.

September 1917: To prevent Belgian claims on German territory in a post-war settlement, South African military leader Jan Smuts ordered their forces to return to the Congo, leaving them as occupiers only in Rwanda and Burundi.

1.2.Aftermath of World War I

Were a series of treaties and military events that can be considered a direct consequence of World War I.

1.2.1.Treaty of Versailles

Was the treaty that ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allied Powers.

1.2.1.1.Occupation of the Rhineland

The German armistice after World War I included the military occupation of the Rhineland by the victorious powers.

1.2.1.2.Territorial cessions of Germany in Africa

Were territorial cessions of Germany in Africa after World War I.

January 1920: After World War I, Ruanda and Urundi were allocated to Belgium.

2. World War II

Was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 (it started sooner in certain regions) between the Axis Powers (mainly Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (mainly the Soviet Union, the U.S.A., the U.K., China and France). It was the war with more fatalities in history. The war in Asia began when Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937. The war in Europe began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The war ended with the complete defeat of the Axis powers, which were occupied by the Allies.

2.1.World War II (East African Theatre)

Was the East African theatre of World War II.

2.1.1.British invasion of Italian East Africa

Was the British invasion and occupation of Italian East Africa during World War II.

July 1941: The Italians were cut off by the Free Belgian forces (Major-General Auguste Gilliaert) who had defeated the Italians at Asosa and Saïo.

November 1941: The Occupied Enemy Territory Administration in Ethiopia was a British military occupation administration in Ethiopia during East African Campaign of World War II. It expanded from early 1941 until the final Italian defeat in November.