Battle of Belgium Battle of Belgium The Battle of Belgium or Belgian Campaign, often referred to within Belgium as the 18 Days' Campaign (, ), formed part of the greater Battle of France, an offensive campaign by Germany during the Second World War. It took place over 18 days in May 1940 and ended with the German occupation of Belgium following the surrender of the Belgian Army. On 10 May 1940, Germany invaded Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium under the operational plan "Fall Gelb" (Case Yellow). The Allied armies attempted to halt the German Army in Belgium, believing it to be the main
History of Belgium empire in the Belgian Congo, which the government took over after a major scandal in 1908. Belgium was neutral but its strategic location as a pathway to France made it an invasion target for Germany in 1914 and 1940. Conditions under the occupation were severe. In the postwar period Belgium was a leader in European unification, as a founding member of what has become the European Union. Brussels is now host to the headquarters of NATO and is the "de facto" capital of the European Union. The colonies became independent in the early 1960s. Politically the country was once polarized