2023-05-08 14:20:14
May 8, the day of the German capitulation, is also the day of the end of the fighting between the German army and the Belgian resistance fighters.
And in recent days, we have seen the development, especially in Flanders, of a movement in favor of the rehabilitation of this symbolic date which has not been a public holiday since 1983.
Why in Flanders in particular? Fabrice Maerten, historian specializing in the Belgian resistance to Segecsoma, the Center d’Etude Guerre et Société has devoted many articles and books to this period.
But before tackling the resistance in Flanders, a reminder is in order.
A slow structuring
The resistance in Belgium took a long time to structure itself. The first attempts took place in autumn 1940, at the time of the blitz on London and the declarations of Churchill on the will of Great Britain to continue the war.
The first to call themselves resistant came from associations of French-speaking patriotic movements, dating for the most part from the First World War and which were reactivated at the start of the war. These resistance fighters of the first hour specialize above all in the collection of information which they intend toIntelligence Service. This is how the Clarence network was reborn, organized by the White Lady, a patriotic movement dating from 1916.
But the communications with London do not work very well and it will be necessary to wait for the first parachutings so that regular connections are established.
The Belgian resistance also tries to publish underground newspapers. Aid networks for British soldiers who had survived Dunkirk and later for pilots were also organized.
Fabrice Maerten : “It developed especially after June 1941 and the attack on Russia by German troops. Until then, because of the Nazi-Soviet pact, the Communists had received orders from Moscow not to intervene against the Germans. But with the invasion, the Belgian communists receive the green light to act. But it was still very much in the minority.“
Compulsory Labor Service
This is the appearance of the STO, the Compulsory Labor Service from October 1942 which will push many young Belgians into the ranks of the resistance. To this were added the first major Allied victories, the Russian victory at Stalingrad in 1943, the end of the Italian fascist regime and especially the landing in June 1944.
Their role during and after the landing will be important. They will hinder the transport of troops and equipment to Normandy by sabotaging the rail links. They will serve as infantry and guide for the allied troops. But their main feat of arms is the preservation of the port of Antwerp.
“The Belgian resistance fighters effectively guided the British to the few bridges that had not been sabotaged by the retreating Germans, thus allowing the rapid liberation of the port of Antwerp, which was very important in the transport of troops and material for the invasion of Germany.“
How many resisters and how many deaths?
“Officially, there are around 140,000 armed resistance fighters in Belgium.“, explains the historian.
“But this number is misleading. This title was granted a little too easily after the war to please patriotic organizations and it does not take into account the tens of thousands of foreigners and women who were unable or unwilling to apply for resistance status. As for the question of establishing the exact number of dead resistance fighters, work is still in progress. But it is estimated that there were at least 15,000 killed in the ranks of the Belgian resistance.“
And the resistance in Flanders?
“Much more has been said about collaboration in Flanders than about resistance. And yet, it did exist and it acted effectively,” reveals Fabrice Maerten.
“Even if there were more resistants on the French-speaking side, the Flemish patriots were also very active. And their structure will reflect the state of Flemish society at the time.
The main movement was the Secret Army, founded in June 1944 but preceded by other networks such as the Belgian Army which were dismantled by the Germans. This network, politically situated on the right, played a big role in the liberation of the port of Antwerp. It is estimated that 4,000 of its members perished during the war. There will also be another network, close to the former Rexists, the Royalist National Movement.
But the Flemish Left will also be active in the resistance with the Independence Front created by Communists, which will be joined by Left Democrats and Liberals, including many Francophones from Flanders. They were few in number but very active.“
Political posterity
The fact remains that after the war, there was no direct political heritage in Belgium, as there was in France.
“The Belgian resistance brought together patriots who occupied a wide political spectrum; from extreme right to extreme left. There was also the division between Flemings and Francophones. So the resistance was very divided. On the question of cooperation. It was difficult to understand the French-speaking relentlessness in the repression.“explains Fabrice Maerten.
“Finally, there is little political legacy of the resistance. There was indeed an attempt to create a political party in the aftermath of the war: the Belgian Democratic Union, thought up in London to bring together left-wing and socialist Christians, was created in July 1945. “
But very quickly, the Archbishop of Mechelen, Joseph Ernest Van Roye will disavow the party which collects very few votes in the legislative elections of 1946 and which will be dissolved after the elections.
But the break between resistance fighters on the left and the right will be consumed with the Royal Question. The right supporting the cause of Leopold III and the left demanding and obtaining his abdication.
An electoral issue
For Fabrice Maerten, the controversy around the date of May 8 is an interesting reversal of history.
“What is striking is this concern to awaken the memory of the resistance in Flanders. Until recent years, it was mainly a concern on the Francophone side. But in recent weeks, the Flemings seem to be rediscovering a resistance that has long been forgotten or even decried there.
Flanders’ concern to see the date of May 8 rehabilitated has a very sensitive political connotation in a region which is already campaigning for the next legislative elections of 2024.
The idea is to remind the population that there were not only right-wing resistance fighters and that left-wing networks also played a role in the final victory against Nazism. It has become an election issue as well.“
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