National Content: Belgium
Air Raids
| Source | “La Libre Belgique” , the 15th of April 1943 |
| Event referred to | City Bombing during World War II |
| Technological characteristics | Type of file: Image Extension : pdf Characteristics Dimension of the file: 634 Ko Availability proposed: pdf document with zoom options |
| Description of the source | Kind of source: Newspaper article Origin of the source: Archives of the National Library of Belgium, Brussels Language: French Copyright issues: reproduction and pedagogical exploitation authorized in the framework of the MHM project |
| Contextualisation of the source | “La Libre Belgique” was a national newspaper before the war. It was a paper of right catholic tendency. It became clandestine at the beginning of the war. It was one of the most spread and read of the clandestine papers. |
| Interpretation of the source | The aim of this article is to counter the German propaganda about the air raids on Belgian towns and industrial centers. This article aims to demonstrate that the Anglo-American air raids on Belgium are used by the German propaganda in order to create and arouse hostile reactions towards the Allies. First, The Germans are responsible of the first cities bombings at the outbreak of hostilities and during the war on Belgian and English cities. Secondly, the German air raids aim at civil targets, the Allies at military targets. |
| Original Contents | |
| Original Contents (English Translation) | Air raids... The American air raids on the Erla and Gevaert factories remind us of the sufferings and cruelties of the war. … The Germans and their collaborators, the traitors, have been sure to take advantage of it. They tried to exploit, in favour of their bad cause, the corpses of our miserable compatriots. … But in front of increased dangers of an intensified air offensive, it is important that we examine here, generally speaking and quite objectively, the problem of the responsibilities. … The German forces implemented, as war method, air raids on crowded towns. We remember some painful names, particularly : Tournai, Nivelles, Rotterdam, London, Coventry, Belgrade… They purely and simply wanted to break civil population’s spirits. We remind that the actual air bombings on our country are totally different from the German strategy. The targets of each allied air raid on our country were indisputably military. To end these observations, it is important that we pay homage to the stricken population’s firm and dignified attitudes. |