Early history The Belgian Army was established in 1830 after Belgium gained independence from the
Netherlands after the
Belgian Revolution. It was initially expected that as neutral buffer state with borders guaranteed by
France,
Britain, and
Prussia, Belgium could avoid the need for an expensive permanent military, relying instead on the part-time
militia of the existing (Civil Guard); however, the need of a regular full-time army was soon acknowledged, and the Belgian Army was promptly established. at the 2007
Bastille Day Military Parade with members of the armed forces According to the Law of August 1837, the Belgian Army was to consist of:
Infantry • 14
line infantry regiments (3 active battalions, 1 reserve battalion and 1 company at each regiment's depot) • 3
Jäger regiments (3 active battalions, 1 reserve battalion and 1 company at each regiment's depot) • 1
grenadier regiment (3 active battalions, 1 reserve battalion and 1 company the regiment's depot) • 1
carabinier regiment (4 active battalions, 2 reserve battalions and 1 company the regiment's depot)) • 2 companies settled • 1 disciplinary body • 1 military school for the children of servicemen Note: A battalion (864 men) consisted of four companies of 216 men
Cavalry • 4
lancer regiments (4 active squadrons and one reinforcement squadron in each regiment) • 4 guides regiments (4 active squadrons and one reinforcement squadron in each regiment) • 2
chasseur regiments (4 active squadrons and one reinforcement squadron in each regiment) Note: A squadron had approximately 130 horses
Artillery • 4 regiments of artillery (10 batteries in each regiment) • 3 regiments of fortress artillery or siege artillery (16 batteries, 1 battery and 1 spare battery at each regiment's depot) • 1 pontoon company • 1 company of artificers • 1 company of gunsmiths • 1 company of artillery workers Note: A battery had 6 guns
Engineering • 1 Engineer Regiment (3 active battalions and one depot battalion) • 1 railway company • 1 field telegraph company • 1 telegraph company • 1 pontoon room company • 1 workers company
Train • 7
train companies
First World War A major reorganisation of the army had been authorised by the government in 1912, providing for a total army of 350,000 men by 1926: 150,000 in the field forces, 130,000 in fortress garrisons and 70,000 reserves and auxiliaries. At the outbreak of war this reorganisation was nowhere near complete and only 117,000 men could be mobilised for the field forces, with the other branches equally deficient. The Commander-in-Chief was
King Albert I, with Lieutenant-General Chevalier
Antonin de Selliers de Moranville as the Chief of the General Staff from 25 May 1914 until 6 September 1914 when a Royal Decree abolished the function of Chief of Staff of the army. In this way the King secured his control of the command. •
1st Division (Lieutenant-General Baix) – around
Ghent. •
2nd Division (Lieutenant-General
Dossin) –
Antwerp. •
3rd Division (Lieutenant-General
Leman) – around
Liège. •
4th Division (Lieutenant-General
Michel) –
Namur and
Charleroi. •
5th Division (Lieutenant-General Ruwet) – around
Mons. •
6th Division (Lieutenant-General
Lantonnois van Rode) –
Brussels. •
Cavalry Division (Lieutenant-General
de Witte) – Brussels. In addition, there were garrisons at Antwerp, Liège and Namur, each placed under the command of the local divisional commander. Each division contained three mixed brigades (of two infantry regiments and one artillery regiment), one cavalry regiment, and one artillery regiment, as well as various support units. Each infantry regiment contained three battalions, with one regiment in each brigade having a machine-gun company of six guns. An artillery regiment had three batteries of four guns. The nominal strength of a division varied from 25,500 to 32,000 all ranks, with a total strength of eighteen infantry battalions, a cavalry regiment, eighteen machine-guns, and forty-eight guns. Two divisions (the 2nd and 6th) each had an additional artillery regiment, for a total of sixty guns. The Cavalry Division had two brigades of two regiments each, three
horse artillery batteries, and a cyclist battalion, along with support units; it had a total strength of 4,500 all ranks with 12 guns, and was, in effect, little more than a reinforced brigade.
Second World War In 1940, the
King of Belgium was the commander in chief of the Belgian Army which had a mobilised strength of 610,000 troops. The army was composed of seven infantry corps and one cavalry corps. The corps were as follows: • I Corps with the 4th and 7th Infantry Divisions • II Corps with the 6th and 9th Infantry Divisions • III Corps with the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Divisions • IV Corps with the 12th, 15th, and 18th Infantry Divisions • V Corps with the 13th and 17th Infantry Divisions • VI Corps with the 5th and 10th Infantry Divisions • VII Corps with the 2nd Chasseurs Ardennais Division and 8th Infantry Division • Cavalry Corps with the 2nd Cavalry Division and 1st and 14th Infantry Divisions • Groupement Keyaerts with the 1st Chasseurs Ardennais Division and 1st Cavalry Division • Army Reserve with the 11th and 16th Infantry Division Each army corps had its own headquarters staff, medical and logistic support units, engineers and signal troops and corps-level artillery support. Each infantry division had a divisional staff, reconnaissance unit, medical and logistic support units, engineers and signal troops. Active and first tier reserve divisions had two additional antitank companies. Infantry regiments numbered approximately 3,000 troops. Each active and first tier reserve regiment had 108 light machine guns, 52 heavy machine guns, 8 mortars and 12 antitank guns. Within the
Free Belgian Forces that were formed in Great Britain during the occupation of Belgium between 1940 and 1945, there was a land force formation, the
1st Belgian Infantry Brigade. An additional three divisions were raised and trained in
Northern Ireland, but the war ended before they could see action. However, they joined the initial Belgian occupation force in Germany, I Belgian Corps, whose headquarters moved to Luedenscheid in October 1946. Of the 75,000 troops that found themselves in Germany on 8 May 1945, the vast majority had been recruited after the liberation of Belgium. There was also a
bicycle infantry formation known as the
Frontier Cyclists.
Korean War During the
Korean War, Belgium provided
combat troops for
South Korea and became part of the
United Nations Forces.
Cold War During the
Cold War, Belgium provided the
I Belgian Corps (HQ Haelen Kaserne, Junkersdorf,
Lindenthal (Cologne)), consisting of the 1st Infantry Division in
Liège and 16th Mechanised Division in
Neheim-Hüsten, to
NATO's
Northern Army Group for the defence of West Germany. There were also two reserve brigades (10th Mechanised Brigade,
Limbourg, and the 12th Motorised Brigade,
Liège), slightly bigger than the four active brigades, which were intended as reinforcements for the two divisions. Interior forces comprised the Para-Commando Regiment in
Heverlee, three national defence light infantry battalions (5th Chasseurs Ardennais, 3rd Carabiniers-cyclists, and 4th Carabiniers-cyclists), four engineer battalions, and nine provincial regiments with two to five light infantry battalions each. (Isby and Kamps, 1985, 64, 72) After the end of the Cold War, forces were reduced. Initial planning in 1991 called for a Belgian-led corps with 2 or 4 Belgian brigades, a German brigade, and possibly a U.S. brigade. However, by 1992 this plan was looking unlikely, and in 1993 a single Belgian division with two brigades became part of the
Eurocorps. == Organization ==