Part 3/11:
Despite early military victories, Germany faced a severe moral dilemma. The atrocities committed against civilians were beginning to overshadow their battlefield successes. Ripples of horror spread as incidents of mass executions and brutal reprisals against civilian populations became increasingly common in Belgian towns.
Atrocities Unfold in Belgium
Particularly shocking was the scale of violence inflicted upon the Belgian townsfolk, collectively labeled “the Rape of Belgium.” In Dinant, a tragic reprisal resulted in over 600 civilians being shot after a German bridge repair crew was fired upon. Further atrocities unfolded in towns like Andenne and Tamines, where hundreds more were executed based on alleged assumptions of treachery.