Flamenpolitik
Encyclopedia
Flamenpolitik is the name for certain policies pursued by German authorities occupying Belgium during World War I
and World War II
. The ultimate goal of these policies was the dissolution of Belgium into separate Walloon
and Flemish
components.
The German authorities aimed to exploit the longstanding linguistic problems in Belgium, particularly the systematic discrimination towards the Dutch language
present in Belgium that existed before World War I. The policy was also based on Pan-Germanism
.
The first solely Dutch-speaking university was established in Ghent
, named after the German military governor Moritz von Bissing
. German Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg encouraged Flemish nationalist leaders to declare independence and to integrate into the German sphere; at the same time, the German occupying forces were helped and encouraged by Walloon and Flemish nationalist movements.
Von Bissing convened a commission to organise the division of the country, and in a decree issed on March 21, 1917, separated Belgium into two administrative areas: Flanders and Wallonia. Taking into account the 1912 decision by Walloon nationalists to recognize Namur
as the most central city of Wallonia, he established the Walloon administration there. Wallonia then consisted of four southern Belgian provinces and one part of the province of Brabant: the district of Nivelles, realizing also another revendication of the Walloon movement
: the creation of the Walloon Brabant. The Flemish region had Brussels
as its capital, and was made up of the four northern provinces of north, as well as the districts of Brussels and Leuven
. This was the first attempt at dividing Belgium along linguistic lines.
The geographical basis for the country's division was largely inspired by the federalist goals of the Flemish and Walloon nationalist movements, and divisions along similar lines were advanced later by the same movements. In the present day, after the federalisation of Belgium, the Flemish Community
and Wallonia have the same capitals and almost the same territory as the administrative entities of Flamenpolitik.
pursued a similar policy aimed at the dissolution of Belgium; however, this version of Flamenpolitik also aimed at the Aryanization
of the Belgian territories.
As part of this policy, the German authorities decided to release all Flemish NCOs and reservists who were made prisoners of war after the Belgian surrender. Any soldier of these categories who passed a linguistic test was theoretically entitled to an Entlassungschein, allowing him to return home.
However, in practice this was extended preferentially to Flemish soldiers, while Walloon soldiers frequently remained in POW camps until the end of the war. That policy was intended to exacerbate internal Belgian conflicts and foster support for the German occupiers in the north of Belgium. Implementation was made easier by the fact that in 1938 the Belgian army had been divided into Flemish and Walloon regiments.
The German regime decided to take the next step for the wartime Flamenpolitik in 1944 by initiating the total annexation
of both the Flemish
and Walloon sections of Belgium as full-fledged provinces of the German Reich: the Reichsgaue
Flandern
and Wallonien
. The bicultural capital of Brussels
was maintained as special district under the authority of a Reichskommissar
.
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The ultimate goal of these policies was the dissolution of Belgium into separate Walloon
Walloons
Walloons are a French-speaking people who live in Belgium, principally in Wallonia. Walloons are a distinctive community within Belgium, important historical and anthropological criteria bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term also refers to the inhabitants of the Walloon...
and Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
components.
The German authorities aimed to exploit the longstanding linguistic problems in Belgium, particularly the systematic discrimination towards the Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
present in Belgium that existed before World War I. The policy was also based on Pan-Germanism
Pan-Germanism
Pan-Germanism is a pan-nationalist political idea. Pan-Germanists originally sought to unify the German-speaking populations of Europe in a single nation-state known as Großdeutschland , where "German-speaking" was taken to include the Low German, Frisian and Dutch-speaking populations of the Low...
.
World War I
In the beginning, Flamenpolitik consisted only of an effort to translate the laws of Germany into the languages of Belgium. However, in 1916, a new plan was developed with the idea that Belgium should never again be an obstacle to German advancement and that Germany should be surrounded by weak buffer states open to German influence. This plan required a separate Flemish state not subject to Walloon influence, and thus necessitated much more radical measures than had yet been taken.The first solely Dutch-speaking university was established in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, named after the German military governor Moritz von Bissing
Moritz von Bissing
Moritz Ferdinand Freiherr von Bissing was a Prussian General der Kavallerie.-Early life:Bissing was born at Ober Bellmannsdorf in the Province of Silesia. In 1865 Bissing entered the Prussian Army and raised steadily through the ranks until he became major-general in 1894, lieutenant-general in...
. German Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg encouraged Flemish nationalist leaders to declare independence and to integrate into the German sphere; at the same time, the German occupying forces were helped and encouraged by Walloon and Flemish nationalist movements.
Von Bissing convened a commission to organise the division of the country, and in a decree issed on March 21, 1917, separated Belgium into two administrative areas: Flanders and Wallonia. Taking into account the 1912 decision by Walloon nationalists to recognize Namur
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
as the most central city of Wallonia, he established the Walloon administration there. Wallonia then consisted of four southern Belgian provinces and one part of the province of Brabant: the district of Nivelles, realizing also another revendication of the Walloon movement
Walloon Movement
The Walloon Movement is an umbrella term for all Belgian political movements that either assert the existence of a Walloon identity or defend French culture and language within Belgium. The movement began as a defence of the primacy of French but later gained political and socio-economic objectives...
: the creation of the Walloon Brabant. The Flemish region had Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
as its capital, and was made up of the four northern provinces of north, as well as the districts of Brussels and Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. This was the first attempt at dividing Belgium along linguistic lines.
The geographical basis for the country's division was largely inspired by the federalist goals of the Flemish and Walloon nationalist movements, and divisions along similar lines were advanced later by the same movements. In the present day, after the federalisation of Belgium, the Flemish Community
Flemish Community
The term Flemish Community has two distinct, though related, meanings:...
and Wallonia have the same capitals and almost the same territory as the administrative entities of Flamenpolitik.
World War II
Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
pursued a similar policy aimed at the dissolution of Belgium; however, this version of Flamenpolitik also aimed at the Aryanization
Aryanization
Aryanization is a term coined during Nazism referring to the forced expulsion of so-called "non-Aryans", mainly Jews, from business life in Nazi Germany and the territories it controlled....
of the Belgian territories.
As part of this policy, the German authorities decided to release all Flemish NCOs and reservists who were made prisoners of war after the Belgian surrender. Any soldier of these categories who passed a linguistic test was theoretically entitled to an Entlassungschein, allowing him to return home.
However, in practice this was extended preferentially to Flemish soldiers, while Walloon soldiers frequently remained in POW camps until the end of the war. That policy was intended to exacerbate internal Belgian conflicts and foster support for the German occupiers in the north of Belgium. Implementation was made easier by the fact that in 1938 the Belgian army had been divided into Flemish and Walloon regiments.
The German regime decided to take the next step for the wartime Flamenpolitik in 1944 by initiating the total annexation
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
of both the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and Walloon sections of Belgium as full-fledged provinces of the German Reich: the Reichsgaue
Reichsgau
A Reichsgau was an administrative subdivision created in a number of the areas annexed to Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1945...
Flandern
Reichsgau Flandern
The Reichsgau Flanders was a short-lived Reichsgau of Nazi Germany established in 1944. It encompassed the present-day Flemish Region in its old provincial borders, so including Comines-Warneton but excluding Voeren...
and Wallonien
Reichsgau Wallonien
The Reichsgau Wallonia was a short-lived Reichsgau of Nazi Germany established in 1944. It encompassed present-day Wallonia in its old provincial borders, so excluding Comines-Warneton but including Voeren...
. The bicultural capital of Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
was maintained as special district under the authority of a Reichskommissar
Reichskommissar
Reichskommissar , in German history, was an official gubernatorial title used for various public offices during the period of the German Empire and the Nazi Third Reich....
.