The German Fury in Belgium

A Dutch journalist, unaligned with either side, spent four months travelling alongside the invading German army as it swept through Belgium in 1914. His position as a neutral observer placed him at the heart of the action—from the siege of Liège to the streets of Visé, Louvain and beyond—allowing him to record what he actually saw rather than what he was told. The narrative follows his perilous movements, the frantic pace of the advance, and the stark contrast between disciplined orders and the chaos that often erupted among the troops.

Mokveld’s account does not shy away from the brutal realities—burning towns, mistreatment of prisoners, and the climate of fear that drove many soldiers to excess. At the same time he notes the rare instances of courtesy, always measured against the overwhelming cruelty, and he painstakingly debunks the myths of Belgian ‘snipers’ that were used to justify reprisals. Listeners will find a meticulously observed chronicle that offers both a historian’s eye for detail and the immediacy of a correspondent on the ground, making the early weeks of the conflict vivid and unsettling.