Invasion of France
Agrees to let Billote take command of the Allied Armies in Belgium
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1940 in Belgium
Explore 25 historical events and records for Belgium in 1940.
Historical records for Belgium in 1940
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 25 of 25 unique records.
25Unique records
1 of 1Page
17Named events on this page
4Named people on this page
7Places on this page
May
Commander in Chief
Appointed Commander of the French forces during the retreat
Commander in Chief
Appointed Commander of France
Commander of Allied Armis
Appointed Commander of the Allied Armies in France
Commander of Allied Armis
Appointed Commander of the Allied Armies in France
Belgian Surrender Ends Organised Flanders Defence
Belgium's surrender ends organised Belgian resistance in Flanders while British and French forces continue withdrawing.
Capture of Belgium
Surrenders Belgium to the Germans
Abdication
The Senate makes demandis Leopolds dethronement on "moral" & "juridicial" grounds
Abdication
Says Leopolds reasons for staying are "mad, stupid, worse still criminal"
Invasion of France
The Leader of the Belgian Chamber charges Leopold with surrendering to Germany
Belgian Army Defends Flanders Line
Leopold's army fights in Flanders as German forces press westward through Belgium.
Belgian Withdrawal through Flanders Conducted
Belgian forces fall back through Flanders while trying to maintain contact with British and French armies.
German Occupation
German forces occupy Bruges during the campaign in Belgium.
June
Invasion of France
Meets de Gaulle & informs him that he is preparing an armistice with the Germans
Capture of Rouen
The Germans capture Rouen
Armistice
Asks Reynaud to seek an armistice with Germany while French troops can keep the peace
July
Vichy Government
Part of the new Vichy Government
September
Vichy Government
Appointed Delegate-General to the North African colonies
October
Neutrality
Belgium declares its neutrality
Other events (month unknown)
Commander of North Africa
Appointed Commander for North Africa
Commander of North Africa
Appointed Commander for North Africa
Foreign Secretary of Belgium
Appointed Foreign Minister
Foreign Secretary of Belgium
Appointed Foreign Minister
Minister of National Defence
Appointed Minister of National Defence
Wartime Childhood
Spends part of the German occupation concealed in orphanages to hide his Jewish identity and survive Nazi persecution.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.