Of the million Belgians who invaded Holland at the start of the war, only about 100,000 were to stay permanently.
The civilians were sheltered in refugee camps, the soldiers in detention camps. There were 21 of these spread throughout the country.
Camp life was not as peaceful as the camp newsletters would have us believe. The editors anticipated censorship.
In Camp Zeist on 3 December 1914, an insurrection occurred as a result of the exorbitant prices on alcohol and tobacco. Eight people were killed and eighteen wounded.
The Belgians threw stones, the Dutch guards retaliated with bullets.
The Belgians in Camp Harderwijk built a bicycle track and a snackbar for french fries. In Amersfoort a Belgian university with 91 students existed in 1915.
After the war, the Dutch government presented the penniless Belgians with a bill of 98 million guilders for providing shelter and other amenities. Half of this debt was later remitted.
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