all 17 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [S] 38 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Explanation: In WW1, Imperial Germany invaded Belgium in order to move its troops to attack France.

In WW2, Nazi Germany invaded Belgium in order to move its troops to attack France.

In WW3-oops! Sorry, no spoilers, I forgot!

  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [+] 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)
  • [–] [S] 5 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    FUN FACT! Belgium is older than Germany.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

    Go back far enough, and the area of Belgium was part of the Holy Roman Empire, which starting around the 15th century was called Holy Roman Empire of German Nation. Check out this map showing the 1618 borders. The people in the area of Belgium probably didn't have much of an identity separate from the HRE (and their village) yet and might still have considered themselves "deutsch" (which is where the Dutch got their English name from) depending on the context.

    IMO, the question of "when was Germany founded" just isn't as clear-cut as "when was Belgium founded". Many modern states would consider the year they first became an independent polity as their foundational year (or at least as a foundational year), rather than the year the current state construct was founded. e.g. consider how the Chinese keep going on about how China was one state for thousands of years. In that sense, "Germany" was founded when the Carolingian empire was split in three.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 19 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Amusingly, thats exactly what Dutch people mostly use Belgium for. A very bumpy, annoying way to get to France.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 17 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    France: We don't need any fortifications on this border. Belgium will not attack us.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 12 points 7 months ago
    [–] 11 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    And that set the wheels in motion to create me. After their town was leveled by the Germans in ww2 my grandparents came to Canada where my mom met my dad.

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 11 points 7 months ago

    The soviets kicked each of my grandparents families out of their homes in former easter Germany in '45-46. After a couple years of hardship as refugees they ended up meeting in the city I would later be born :)

  • source
  • parent
  • When Germany goes right, they go right - through Belgium

  • source
  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    'Belgium' comes from the latin 'bellum'.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    the french will look at this and say, this is our front door.

  • source