The Belgian Army in World War I Format: Paperback

While small in numbers, the Belgian Army played a vital role in World War I (1939-1945) that is often overlooked. Germany's invasion of neutral Belgium, which led Britain to declare war in August 1914, should have been swift and fierce yet the unexpected heroic defense, against great odds, of Belgian fortresses, frustrated the German Schlieffen Plan for a thrust to Paris and a lightning victory. The plucky Belgian resistance proved successful in buying time for French and British troops to mobilize and report to the front, where the Belgians would then go on to fight, stubbornly defending the northern end of the Allied trench line for the rest of the war. Discover the story of this determined Army, from their organization and commanders, to their uniforms and equipment. The only main combatant army of World War I not previously covered by Osprey, this volume will be an important addition to any enthusiast's collection, accompanied by detailed artwork and archive photographs.

Ronald Pawly, born in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1956, is a member of several international societies for Napoleonic studies. His forté is research in the field of military portraiture. He contributed to two major French reference works, Répertoire Mondial des Souvenirs Napoléonien and Dictionnaire des Colonels de Napoléon. In 1998 he published his first major work, The Red Lancers – Anatomy of a Napoleonic Regiment.

Pierre Lierneux is the author of several books on the Belgian Army during the Great War.

Patrice Courcelle was born in northern France in 1950 and has been a professional illustrator for some 20 years. Entirely self-taught, he has illustrated many books and magazine articles for Continental publishers, and his work hangs in a number of public and private collections.