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Our soldier set of the Belgian Army during the early part of World War I and centers around the Second Battle of Ypres in the Spring of 1915.

The Kingdom of Belgium, bordered by Netherlands to the North, Germany and Luxembourg to the East, France to the South and the English Channel to the West, was founded by the Congress of Vienna in 1814 after the collapse of the Napoleonic empire.

Initially part of the Protestant Netherlands, the Catholic Belgium revolted in 1830 to create an independent kingdom. Belgium was formally recognized as a neutral power in 1839 under the Treaty of London by all the major powers, including Germany. Aware of the rising militarism in Germany, Belgium initiated compulsory military service in 1909.

By the outbreak of WWI, the Belgian Army numbered approximately 120,000 strong, but suffered a significant shortage of officers. In addition to this first line of regular troops, there were approximately 65,000 older men stationed in static fortresses.