Brussels celebrates 75th anniversary of its WWII liberation

Belgian civilians cheer British troops in Brussels on September 4, 1944. - Copyright Sgt Midgley / War Office Second World War Official Collection

By Euronews

Published on 03/09/2019 - 12:41

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British troops reached the Belgian capital on September 3, 1944.

A parade of military vehicles travelled through Brussels on Tuesday to commemorate the Belgian capital's liberation in 1944.

The 75 vehicles — some modern, some from the Second World War — rode down the Esplanade du Cinquantenaire and will now be exhibited in the eponymous park until late on Wednesday.

American troops were the first to enter Belgium on September 2, 1944, followed by the British who reached Brussels on September 3. It took just a week for the entire country to be liberated from the Nazi regime.

The 75th anniversary of the country's liberation also coincides with the 80th anniversary of WWII's outbreak following the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939.

Two days later, George V, Britain's monarch, declared the country at war while a French ultimatum to German leader Adolf Hitler also expired, prompting the country to also declare itself at war.

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