Execution of 27 Nazis who Killed Belgian Women: Hard to Watch

Narrator: Marchand Steenkamp. About the story: By the summer of 1944, Belgium stood on the edge of crisis. German retreat, Resistance attacks, and Rexist vows of revenge combined to create an atmosphere of fear and anticipation. It was in this climate that events in August would erupt into one of the most infamous massacres in Belgian history. During the night of 17 August, more than twenty civilians were dragged to a requisitioned house in Courcelles, close to the place where resistance fighters ambushed a car and killed Belgian Nazi collaborator Oswald Englebin with his family. They were locked in the cellar as their captors prepared their execution. Among them was Father Pierre Harmignie, the dean of Charleroi, known for his outspoken criticism of the Nazi occupiers. Others included lawyers, engineers, and police officers, respected figures who had served as pillars of their community. At dawn, the Rexists started the engines of their vehicles to drown out the sound of gunfire. The massacre at Courcelles did not go unnoticed by the occupiers. German authorities not only tolerated the killings but actively used them for propaganda. Newspapers across Belgium declared that Englebin and his family had been murdered by so-called “terrorists” and claimed that twenty Resistance fighters had been shot in reprisal. In reality, the victims in Courcelles were innocent civilians, chosen precisely to spread fear and strengthen collaborationist control. Join World History channel and get access to benefits: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKy_pNKZBX4KcCct8505HA/join Disclaimer: All opinions and comments below are from members of the public and do not reflect the views of World History channel. We do not accept promoting violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on attributes such as: race, nationality, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation. World History has right to review the comments and delete them if they are deemed inappropriate. ► CLICK the SUBSCRIBE button for more interesting clips: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKy_pNKZBX4KcCct8505HA/?sub_confirmation=1 #worldhistory #worldwar2videos #worldwar2videos #WWII #ww2 #nazi #history #documentary #europe #Nazicollaborator #Belgium #Belgian #WorldWarTwo #MilitaryHistory #HistoryDocumentary #worldwartwohistory Rexist Party, Holocaust in Belgium, Belgian collaborators in World War II, Nazi occupation of Belgium, Courcelles massacre, Nazi collaborators explained, Massacre de Courcelles, Nazi collaborators, German invasion of Belgium, German occupation of Belgium, Belgium World War 2, Belgium history,