World War I Podcast

Albert I: King of the Belgians

Informações:

Sinopsis

Since the days of Julius Caesar, the territory of what is now Belgium has been a thoroughfare and battleground for foreign armies. Hoping to avoid being ravaged by future wars, modern Belgium committed itself to a policy of neutrality. This neutrality was violated in World War I when Belgium was invaded by Germany. While this violation of Belgium’s neutrality is most commonly linked to the entry of Great Britain into the war on the side of the Allies, it also set the stage for one of the most successful Allied leaders to emerge. Even as the Germans occupied 95% of his country, King Albert I of Belgium personally commanded his troops during the war and managed to hold on to a tiny sliver of his country throughout the war. Never leaving or sending his government into exile, Albert inspired his nation while his nation inspired the Allies and drew sympathy for the Allied cause. When the war was over, Albert was one of the few monarchs who emerged safer on this throne than he was before the war started. King