De Broqueville government in exile

The Immeuble Dufayel in Sainte-Adresse where the government sat between 1914 and 1918.

The De Broqueville government in exile refers to two successive Belgian governments, led by Charles de Broqueville, which were the government in exile of Belgium in Le Havre in northern France from October 1914 after the German invasion in World War I. The first government, known as the First de Broqueville government, was a Catholic government which elected in 1911 and continued until 1916, when it was joined by Socialists and Liberals expanding it into the Second de Broqueville government which would last until 1 June 1918.

Exile in Le Havre

2014 october, centenary in Le Havre - Sainte-Adresse.

In October 1914, the government moved to the French coastal city of Le Havre. It was established in the large Immeuble Dufayel ("Dufayel Building"), built by the French businessman Georges Dufayel in 1911, situated in the suburb of Sainte-Adresse. The whole area of Sainte-Adresse, which still carries the national colours of Belgium on its shield, was leased to Belgium by the French government as a temporary administrative centre while the rest of Belgium was occupied. The area had a sizeable Belgian émigré population, and even used Belgian postage stamps.

King Albert I considered that it was inappropriate for the King to leave his own country and so did not join his government in Le Havre. Instead, he established his staff in the Flemish town of Veurne, just behind the Yser Front, in the last strip of unoccupied Belgian territory.

Criticism

The Flamingant poet René de Clercq published a poem called Aan Die Van Havere ("To those of Le Havre") in 1916, in which he accused the government (the "Lords of Le Havre") of having forgotten the plight of Flanders.

Further reading

• Dumoulin, Michel (2010). L'Entrée dans le XX^e Siècle, 1905–1918. Nouvelle Histoire de Belgique (French ed.). Brussels: Le Cri édition. ISBN 978-2-8710-6545-6. 

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Belgian government cabinets 1830–present 1830–1918 Provisional Government de Gerlache Lebeau I de Muelenaere Rogier I de Theux de Meylandt I Lebeau II Nothomb Van de Weyer de Theux de Meylandt II Rogier II de Brouckère de Decker Rogier III Frère-Orban d'Anethan de Theux de Meylandt-Malou Frère-Orban-Van Humbeeck Malou-Jacobs-Woeste Beernaert de Burlet de Smet de Naeyer I Vandenpeereboom de Smet de Naeyer II de Trooz Schollaert de Broqueville I de Broqueville II (in Le Havre) Cooreman 1918–1995 Delacroix I Delacroix II Carton de Wiart Theunis I Van de Vyvere Poullet Jaspar I Jaspar II Renkin de Broqueville III Theunis II Van Zeeland I Van Zeeland II Janson Spaak I Pierlot I Pierlot II Pierlot III Pierlot IV (in London) Pierlot V Pierlot VI Van Acker I Van Acker II Spaak II Van Acker III Huysmans I Spaak III Spaak IV G. Eyskens I Duvieusart I Pholien I Van Houtte I Van Acker IV G. Eyskens II G. Eyskens III G. Eyskens IV Lefèvre I Harmel I Vanden Boeynants I G. Eyskens V G. Eyskens VI Leburton I Leburton II Tindemans I Tindemans II Vanden Boeynants II Martens I Martens II Martens III Martens IV M. Eyskens I Martens V Martens VI Martens VII Martens VIII Martens IX Dehaene I 1995–present Dehaene II Verhofstadt I Verhofstadt II Verhofstadt III Leterme I Van Rompuy Leterme II Di Rupo Michel