VOICED : Memories of German WWI atrocities haunt Belgium

In August 1914, the German army committed atrocities against civilians in towns like Deno and Louvan, killing hundreds and destroying cultural landmarks. These events were used by the Allied powers as propaganda to justify their involvement in World War I and to encourage other nations to join. The outrage over these acts led to the notion that wartime atrocities must be punished, a concept that was novel at the time. The legacy of these events continues to influence global perspectives on war crimes.

What event on August 23, 1914, led to the loss of 647 civilians?

• A civilian uprising

• A natural disaster

• A German army attack

• A French artillery strike

What was the fate of the medieval university town of Louvan on August 25, 1914?

• It was occupied peacefully

• It was destroyed, including its library

• It was evacuated before the attack

• It was spared from destruction

What was the purpose of the organized terror attacks by the Germans?

• To protect their own civilians

• To establish a new government

• To intimidate and weaken resistance

• To gain resources

How did the Allied powers use the news of the killings?

• To negotiate peace

• To justify their entry into the war

• To ignore the events

• To support the German army

What new idea emerged from the outrage over wartime atrocities?

• That civilians should be armed

• That war crimes should be ignored

• That wartime atrocities must be punished

• That wars should be avoided at all costs