Heads of state call for peace during WWI remembrance

One hundred years to the day after the German Army marched into Belgium, world leaders gathered in collective remembrance of the conflict that cost the lives of 10 million soldiers. Foreign heads of state and delegations visited Liège, Leuven and Mons yesterday in a flagship day for Belgium’s four-year commemoration programme. It was one of the largest security operations in the region, under the eyes of the world’s media.

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde welcomed 83 heads of state (or their representatives) and European monarchs, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, representing the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh). The day of reconciliation started in Liège, the site of the first battle when Germany invaded Belgium, violating the country’s neutrality and triggering Britain’s entry into the conflict. A national ceremony at the Allied memorial in Cointe, overlooking the city centre, paid tribute to all the fallen, military and civilian. Peace and reconciliation were the unifying themes of the dignified and respectful service as European leaders recalled the events of 1914 and appealed for vigilance in assuring future peace.

German president Joachim Gauck said Germany’s invasion of neutral Belgium was “completely unjustifiable” and that “the destruction of the world-famous library in Leuven became a symbol that spread fear, shock and rage far and wide. He called Belgium “a particularly appropriate place to praise European unity” and “the fact that small and large member states of the European Union now strive to find joint solutions and agree on joint policies in a peaceful manner in Brussels is an achievement of civilisation that cannot be overstated.”

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, recalled Belgium’s sacrifice and courage. “Many nations here today, the United Kingdom among them, owe you a great debt of gratitude for your fortitude and resistance.” After paying tribute to British nurse Edith Cavell who was executed for saving soldiers from each side, he said lessons still needed to be learnt and that “events in Ukraine testify to the fact that instability continues to stalk our continent. The fact that the presidents of Germany are here today, and that other nations – then enemies – are here too, bears testimony to the power of reconciliation.”

A leaden sky gave way to sunshine as the service ended with a 12-gun salute, one for each of the valiant Liège forts that successively succumbed to the might of the German army. King Philippe laid a wreath of white roses, placed by each arriving guest, and a young girl symbolically release a white balloon followed by hundreds of balloons in the colours of nations present.

The Belgian royal couple and French president François Hollande later appeared in front of Liège’s city hall following a commemoration service of the French Legion of Honour that was presented to Liège on August 7, 2014. Hollande praised Belgium’s brave resistance and paid tribute to the thousands of French soldiers who died on Belgian soil.

King Philippe and President Gauck continued to Leuven, one of seven martyr towns that suffered destruction and the murder of civilians when the German Army marched through Belgium after finally overturning resistance in Liège, Namur and Antwerp. In a further act of contrition a commemorative plaque was unveiled at the university library.

It was then the turn of Mons to welcome dignitaries in ceremonies organised by the British government. Enthusiastic crowds had gathered all day in Mons’ main square to see a public appearance by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, accompanied by Belgian prime minister Elio Di Rupo. A private ceremony followed at the nearby Saint-Symphorien military cemetery, the only one to honour the fallen from both sides of the conflict.

It famously contains the graves of ‘the first and the last soldiers’ of the British Empire believed to have died in the first world war. The grave of John Parr, killed aged 17 on August 21, 1914, lies opposite that of Private George Ellison, killed shortly before the armistice on November 11, 1918. In the dappled woodland setting, the poignant twilight service featured readings, poetry and music by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. As darkness fell the dignitaries held lanterns to honour the moment when the world changed forever.