Belgium was brutally occupied by the Germans for four years during World War II, starting with a quick military defeat in May 1940. Only a small percentage of the Jewish population survived the harsh food and fuel shortages, forced labor in German war enterprises, and the systematic persecution and deportation of the Jewish people to concentration camps like Auschwitz. There was cooperation with the Germans as well as the emergence of a robust resistance movement, both active and passive, backed by a government-in-exile and a sizable underground press. After the Allied forces liberated the nation in late 1944 and early 1945, a period of political unrest and reconstruction ensued.

Food, fuel, and clothing were strictly rationed, with significant shortages and a thriving black market for the well-off. Many Belgians were forced into labor programs in Germany, working in factories, agriculture, and other industries for the German war effort. German military and political authorities seized public and private buildings for their own use. Widespread inflation and stagnating wages led to a drastic decrease in living standards, and the country's GDP was significantly reduced. The German administration tightly controlled information and news, suppressing dissent while promoting collaborationist newspapers.

A strong resistance movement emerged, encompassing both active and passive strategies, such as distributing underground newspapers, sabotage, and assassinations, as well as passive strategies like listening to BBC broadcasts from London. The Belgian administration escaped to London after the surrender, where it fought alongside the Allies. Some Belgians openly cooperated with the occupiers, recruiting for the German troops and taking advantage of the new government, because they were influenced by pre-war fascist parties.