World+War+1njh

== = "The Rape of Belgium" =


 * In August of 1914 the Germans decided to invade Belgium for a quicker and easier way to Paris so as to **
 * finish the war with a "knock out blow". This was a horrible idea for the Germans because due to the Treaty **
 * of London, first signed in 1839, the Belgium people were considered neutral in any surrounding countries **
 * waring. This was additionally signed and guaranteed by the German Empire, themselves in 1907 at the **
 * Hague Conference. So when this evasion took place the King of Belgium quickly inquired Kaiser Wilhelm **
 * why he was invading. He was then responded with the Kaiser saying, "it was with the most friendly intentions **
 * toward Belgium." Of course the Belgium could see the intentions of Germany even without their words and tried **
 * to take action to slow them down. They were badly out numbered and had little defense against the more modern **
 * weapons, much less many modern weapons of their own, however they did manage to hold off the Germans long **
 * enough for Paris to act and hold its own. This was not without loss though. In such cities as Aaeschot, Andenne, **
 * Tamines and Dinant Germans feared guerrilla fighting and thus burned and killed most people in these cities. In **
 * Aarschot 156 people died, in Andenne 211 people died, in Tamines 383 people died, and in Dinant 674 **
 * people died. These people included not only men but also women and children so as a result most countries**
 * made a very big deal about this "unnessisary" violence in forms of proplaganda, such as seen in the picture to**
 * the left,. As a result to this proplaganda the British decesided to join the war and defend the French as well. This**
 * little step from the Belgians turned the tables on the Germans and helped the French to not be conqured and**
 * thus helped for the world not to be run by the German Empire.**