Belgium was poorly prepared for war. Strict neutrality meant there was no coordination of any kind with anyone. It had a new, inexperienced general staff. It started compulsory service in 1909; the plan was to have an army of 340,000 men by 1926. In 1914 the old system had been abandoned and the new one was unready, lacking trained officers and sergeants, as well as modern equipment. The strategy was to concentrate near Brussels and delay a German invasion as long as possible—a strategy that in the event proved highly effective as it disrupted the German timetable for the invasion and capture of Paris. Much of the small army was captured early on as the frontier forts surrendered. In late 1914 the King had only 60,000 soldiers left. During the war young men volunteered to serve, so by 1918 the total force had returned to 170,000. That was far too few to launch a major offensive. The Germans had nothing to gain from an attack, so the short Belgian front was an island of relative calm as gigantic battles raged elsewhere on the Western Front.
 
UNITED BRICKS PRINTED FIGURES
 
United Bricks custom printed collectable minifigures are printed on genuine brand new LEGO parts using a high quality UV printing method. They make the perfect gift or addition to a collection, and are a great way to learn history through building and creating scenes.
 
This Minifigure features a fully printed 360 torso and legs, along with a printed head. In addition, it features a Custom 3D Printed Headgear and BrickArms Carcano M38.