German invasion of Belgium German invasion of Belgium The German invasion of Belgium was a military campaign which began on 4 August 1914. Earlier, on 24 July, the Belgian government had announced that if war came it would uphold its historic neutrality. The Belgian government mobilised its armed forces on 31 July and a state of heightened alert () was proclaimed in Germany. On 2 August, the German government sent an ultimatum to Belgium, demanding passage through the country and German forces invaded Luxembourg. Two days later, the Belgian Government refused the demands and the British Government guaranteed military support to Belgium. The German
Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France The processional giants and dragons of Belgium and France are a set of folkloric manifestations which have been inscribed by UNESCO on the lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008, originally proclaimed in November 2005. Through these festivals and their giants, this concerns the set of gigantic manifestations specific to each country. In the case of Belgium, these are the festivities of Dendermonde (Ommegang van Dendermonde), Mechelen (Ommegang van Mechelen), Mons (the ducasse, and the fight which is named the "Lumeçon"), Ath (the ducasse) and Brussels (the Meyboom). For France, these are