The First World War started with the German invasion of Belgium on 4
August 1914.
In the months immediately following, The Netherlands was flooded by refugees (it was estimated there were over a million) who came from Belgium to seek refuge on Dutch
territory. Among these refugees were a lot of soldiers.
 |
 |
| Interned
Belgian soldiers in Camp Amersfoort |
Belgian civilian refugees in Ilpendam |
Most of them were from Belgium,
but there were also some from England and Germany. These military refugees were
accommodated in internment camps.
This happened in accordance with the international agreements which had been established
at the second peace conference of The Hague in 1907.
The majority of the civilian refugees
returned
home before the year was over. However, over 100,000 Belgians remained in The
Netherlands.
If they were not able to support themselves, they were accommodated in refuge camps under
the supervision of the Dutch government.
|
