Garde Civique
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The ''Garde Civique'' or ''Burgerwacht'' ( French and
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
; "Civic Guard") was a
Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
paramilitary
militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
which existed between 1830 and 1920. Created in October 1830 shortly after the
Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. T ...
, the Guard amalgamated the various militia groups which had been created by the middle classes to protect property during the political uncertainty. Its role was as a quasi-military "
gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
", with the primary role of maintaining social order within Belgium. Increasingly anachronistic, it was demobilised in 1914 and officially disbanded in 1920, following a disappointing performance during the German invasion of Belgium in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.


Organisation

The ''Garde'' was organized at a local level, originally in all communes with more than 30,000 inhabitants. Subsequently this "constitutional force" was limited to those towns having a population of 10,000 or more. More thinly populated communities did not have this obligation unless subject to special legislation. It was composed of citizens aged between 21 and 50 who did not already have military obligations as serving soldiers or reservists. Those aged between 21 and 32 were required to undertake training ten times annually, while the second class (aged 33–50) were obliged only to register their addresses at regular intervals. A third class was composed of older volunteers, who were not equipped, uniformed or armed and were expected only to provide support functions in their local regions. The ''Garde Civique'' was, in peacetime, the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior rather than the Ministry of War. It was distinct from the
Belgian Gendarmerie The Gendarmerie (French) or Rijkswacht (Dutch) was the former national Gendarmerie force of the Kingdom of Belgium. It became a civilian police organisation in 1992, a status it retained until 1 January 2001, when it was, together with the o ...
(''Rijkswacht'') which formed part of the military. Most of the ''Garde'' units were infantry but there were some artillery and mounted detachments. On the eve of World War I the ''Garde Civique'' included 33 companies of ''chasseurs-à-pied'' (light infantry), 17 batteries of artillery, 4 squadrons of ''chasseurs-à-cheval'' (light horse) and 3 companies of ''sapeurs-pompiers'' (armed firemen). About half of these special corps were concentrated in the urban areas of Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège, reflecting the historic role of the ''Garde'' as a force to maintain civil order. The mounted component of the ''Garde Civique'' were retained primarily for ceremonial purposes and were armed only with sabres and revolvers. The Liège Company of the ''chasseurs-à-cheval'' were however issued with
carbines A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges. The smaller size and light ...
at the time of the German invasion in August 1914 and served as infantry in defence of the city.


Purpose

The stated purpose of the ''Garde'' was to maintain order and preserve the independence and integrity of Belgium. It was anticipated that in the event of invasion the Civic Guard would be mobilised as part of the national defence, upon the passing of legislation by parliament. During the 19th century these "civic soldiers" had frequently been employed to control strikes or disorders. Membership in infantry units located in urban areas was in principle obligatory for adult men who could afford their own uniforms and had not served in the regular army. The more prestigious cavalry and artillery units were made up of volunteers, usually from affluent classes.


Uniform and equipment

Each regional unit of the ''Garde'' had its own dark blue or green uniform, generally following the pattern of those worn by the regular army but with a number of variations. Infantry wore a wide brimmed hat with plume, cavalry a fur busby and artillery a
shako A shako (, , or ) is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with an ornamental plate or badge on the front, metallic or otherwise; and often has a feather, plume (see hackle) ...
. Officers followed the same system of ranks and insignia as the army but traditionally substituted silver braiding and badges for the gold/bronze of the regulars. The 40,700 civil guardsmen serving in the active portion ("1st Ban") of the force were required to provide their own uniforms. Weapons, leather equipment and items such as drums and bugles were all issued from central stocks held by the Ministry of the Interior.


Role in World War I

The ''Garde Civique'' were mobilised following the German invasion of Belgium on 4 August 1914. Their intended functions were to secure lines of communication, guard bridges and other installations, escort prisoners and maintain order outside the actual areas of combat. The German military authorities however chose to regard members of the ''Garde'' as
franc-tireur (, French for "free shooters") were irregular military formations deployed by France during the early stages of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). The term was revived and used by partisans to name two major French Resistance movements set ...
s (irregulars) and, as such, not under the protection of international law if taken prisoner. Demands were made that they be disarmed and disbanded. In view of the German shooting of Belgian civilian hostages during the early stages of the invasion such threats were taken seriously and on 13 October 1914
King Albert I Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. Born in Brussels as the fifth child and second son of Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders and Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-S ...
decreed the dissolution of the ''Garde''. Most of its younger members transferred to the regular Belgian Army. The German threat to execute captured members of the ''Garde'' was not in the event acted on. While a number were held in prisoner of war camps all had been released by 1915.


Final disbandment

Upon entering liberated Belgium territory in October 1918, King Albert was reportedly met by a saluting veteran of the ''Garde Civique'' in full-dress uniform who had kept his equipment and rifle hidden during the four years of
German occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...
. Such incidents could not however avoid the reality that the ''Garde'' had proven to be of limited military use and was no longer required for the role of ensuring social order that had been its prime purpose during the 19th century. The force was accordingly formally disbanded in 1920.


See also

*
Gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
(Rijkswacht), a military police force in Belgium active from 1830 and disbanded in 1992. *
Force Publique The ''Force Publique'' (, "Public Force"; nl, Openbare Weermacht) was a gendarmerie and military force in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1885 (when the territory was known as the Congo Free State), through the period of ...
, a comparable quasi-military police force in
Congo Free State ''(Work and Progress) , national_anthem = Vers l'avenir , capital = Vivi Boma , currency = Congo Free State franc , religion = Catholicism (''de facto'') , leader1 = Leopo ...
and
Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...
.


References


Further reading

*


External links

{{commonscat
Garde Civique
at 1914-1918 Online: International Encyclopedia of the First World War 1830 establishments in Belgium 1920 disestablishments in Belgium Law enforcement in Belgium Military units and formations of Belgium in World War I Military units and formations of Belgium Defunct gendarmeries Military units and formations established in 1830 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920