Brussels, open city

A week after the invasion, the German advance becomes irresistible. After the loss of the Albert Canal and the withdrawal of the Belgian army to the west, Brussels finds itself directly threatened. The capital, rich in heritage and with a considerable population, has no decisive defensive value once the Dyle line is abandoned.

The city authorities must decide its fate. To declare Brussels an "open city" is to renounce any defence in order to spare its inhabitants bombardment and street fighting, but it is also to hand over the capital without resistance and offer the occupier a symbol. To try to defend it, on the contrary, would expose the population and the monuments to destruction, for a dubious military gain since the army is already withdrawing beyond it.

The memory of the martyred cities of 1914 weighs on the decision. Should the city be proclaimed open and a peaceful transition organised, the honour of the capital be defended in spite of everything, or the maximum evacuation be attempted before the arrival of the German troops? The choice involves the safety of hundreds of thousands of inhabitants.