CLEP US History II

Answer: C - In 1914, the Rape of Belgium shocked many Americans, becoming the first in a series of events that informed America’s perception of World War I. In accordance with pre-existing treaties, Belgium remained neutral as tension in Europe mounted in 1914, but Germany was determined to travel through Belgium as German forces moved toward France. They eventually violated Belgian neutrality by crossing their borders, perpetrating acts of violence along the way. As they marched across the country, the Germans burned homes, destroyed a university library containing 300,000 medieval texts, executed civilians without provocation, and victimized women. (Although rape was reportedly rampant during the invasion, the title “Rape of Belgium” describes the violation of the country as a whole.) While Americans still widely supported neutrality in 1914, the events in Belgium did firmly establish Germany as the “enemy” in the American mindset.