Liberators: The Allies and Belgian Society, 1944-1945 (Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare) 1st Edition

by Peter Schrijvers (Author)

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ISBN-13: 978-0521514828

ISBN-10: 0805822283

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In the autumn of 1944, Belgium was liberated at lightning speed. Yet Allied troops continued to dominate much of Belgian society until late 1945. Peter Schrijvers' revisionist account reveals that during that time, strong currents of discontent began to build beneath the waves of gratitude and admiration. Chronic shortages of food and coal, rampant venereal disease, and deteriorating discipline led the Belgian population to lament 'from the liberators, oh Lord, liberate us'. Despite all this, however, the countries and cultures that the Anglo-American troops represented still exerted substantial attraction and influence, causing them to have a lingering impact on Belgian society in ways that would set the tone for the remainder of the turbulent twentieth century. Using newly discovered material from the Belgian state security archives as well as testimonies of the liberated, this book vividly reconstructs the largely unknown history of Belgium's liberation era.

Liberators: The Allies and Belgian Society, 1944-1945 (Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Stimulating. An excellent book." -Times Literary Supplement

"Recommended." -Choice

"A pioneering work." -Vingtieme Siecle

"Highly recommended." -Military Review

"...highly recommended for general readers as an important and little understood aspect of the end of the war in Europe." -Hal Elliott Wert, Military Review

"This riveting and important book makes remarkable use of the rich collections..." -Sophie De Schaepdrijver, American Historical Review

"...this is a valuable, deeply researched study, one that students of the Second World War should welcome." -William I. Hitcock, The Journal of Modern History

Book Description

In 1944 Belgium was liberated at lightning speed. Past accounts have focussed on the stunning Allied victories and the initial euphoria of liberation but chronic food and fuel shortages, rampant venereal disease, and deteriorating discipline followed leading many Belgians to lament 'from the liberators, oh Lord, liberate us'.

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Product details

Series: Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare (Book 31)
Hardcover: 358 pages
Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (July 20, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805822283
ISBN-13: 978-0521514828
ASIN: 0521514827
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 1 customer review
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,848,595 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #428 in Books > History > Europe > Belgium
- #12747 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > History > Military
- #14451 in Books > History > Europe > Germany

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The Belgian civilian perspective in WWII

ByAndrew J. Brozynaon January 7, 2010

Format: Paperback

Liberators would be welcome on the shelf of any arm chair general. The writing style is approachable to the casual history buff, while the Belgian civilian perspective offers a more comprehensive understanding of the war in Europe.

In his epilogue Peter Schrijvers quotes a short passage from Rebirth of the West*. Although pulled from another book, this line is a convenient representation of Liberators: The Allies and Belgian Society 1944-1945. The passage and Schrijvers' book both speak of Belgium's introduction to fascism, the suffering brought by the Germans, the military triumph of the Anglo-Americans, and the enthusiastic Belgian acceptance of American culture and politics:

"By the fall of 1944, however, the Nazis in Belgium had lost both the literal and the metaphorical battle. By then, as Duigan and Gann have noted, fascism 'no longer appeared--as it had in the 1930s--the cause of youth, and of a banner-waving future. Instead, the US and Britain had out-produced, out-organized, out-thought, and out-fought the Axis Powers.'" --Liberators, p.272

As a 21st century man living in a long-time and affluent democracy, I was a little startled to consider that fascism had ever appeared as the fresh way of the future. I suspect that the typical World War II history buff limits his reading to battles, military equipment, and war heroes. The ideological environment that brought on the war is ignored, as is the war's dramatic influence on European society. I myself am guilty of the same oversight. Initially, I looked to this book only as a source for details on Allied supply work in the port of Antwerp (and for that it is useful). Yet, I immediately became engrossed by the author's fascinating accounts of Belgian war-time life.

The Belgian people experienced diverse interactions with the Americans, British and Canadians. Liberating Allied troops were welcomed with great exuberance. The Belgian resistance struggled for respect. German collaborators were publicly shamed. Women were gripped by passion for the young Allied soldiers. Belgium's unemployed received work from the Allied military. A populace living under severe food and fuel rations resented Allied apparent wealth. American popular culture and goods were embraced. New politics were developed with a look to the Anglo-Americans.

In Liberators a depth of realism balances the popular view of idyllic European liberation. The author gives full attention to evidence for the Belgians' negative perceptions of the Allied forces. I reason this to be an adherence to the objective principle of completeness--not an attempt at radical revisionist history. Our understanding is indeed revised, yet Belgian gratitude and admiration for the Allied nations remain the defining qualities of their wartime relationship.

*from Rebirth of the West, The Americanization of the Democratic World, 1945-1958, by Duigan and Gann.

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