During World War I, a Belgian invention changed the way battles were fought: armored vehicles equipped with cannons and machine guns. These were auto-canons-mitrailleuses (ACM), designed in 1914 by resourceful Belgian officers. They formed a unique military unit, bringing unprecedented mobility and firepower to the battlefield.
But while the war on the Western Front turned into a stalemate of trenches, these fast armored vehicles became useless in that environment. That’s when Russia saw their potential. At the request of the Russian military, King Albert I, as a sign of support and alliance, sent this elite unit to fight on the Eastern Front, where warfare remained more mobile.
Once in the East, these motorized soldiers took part in major battles, launching daring raids and becoming a formidable force. Despite intense fighting, they lost only one armored vehicle!
Then, in 1917, everything changed. The Russian Revolution broke out, the tsar was overthrown, and civil war erupted. The Belgian soldiers suddenly found themselves stranded in Russia, unable to return home by land. Their only option? An incredible journey across Siberia that took several months. It wasn’t until July 1918, after a year of adventure around the world, that they finally made it back to Belgium.
Fun fact: Among these soldiers were some who would later become famous. Julien Lahaut, future leader of the Belgian Communist Party, and Marcel Thiry, writer and poet, were both part of this extraordinary mission.
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