Belgians against Germany
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The soldiers gave themselves this name as a compliment, from an army order that was said to have been given at Aix on August 19th by the Kaiser to his generals.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Belgians against Germany” mean?
The soldiers gave themselves this name as a compliment, from an army order that was said to have been given at Aix on August 19th by the Kaiser to his generals.
Is “Belgians against Germany” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.