Belgian Army order of battle ( 1914 ) This is the Belgian Army order of battle on the outbreak of war in August 1914 . A major reorganisation of the Army had been authorised by the government in 1912 , providing for a total army of 350 , 000 men - 150 , 000 in the field forces , 130 , 000 in fortress garrisons and 70 , 000 reserves and auxiliaries . However , this reorganisation was nowhere near complete - it was planned for completion by 1926 - and only 117 , 000 men could be mobilised for the field forces , with the other branches equally deficient . The Commander - in - Chief was King Albert I , with Lieutenant - General Chevalier de Selliers de Moranville as the Chief of the General Staff . Army . In addition , there were garrisons at Antwerp , Liège and Namur , each placed under the command of the local divisional commander . Unit strengths . Each division contained three mixed brigades ( of two infantry regiments and one artillery regiment ) , one cavalry regiment , and one artillery regiment , as well as various support units . Each infantry regiment contained three battalions , with one regiment in each brigade having a machine - gun company of six guns . An artillery regiment had three batteries of four guns . The nominal strength of a division varied from 25 , 500 to 32 , 000 all ranks , with a total strength of eighteen infantry battalions , a cavalry regiment , eighteen machine - guns , and forty - eight guns . Two divisions ( the 2nd and 6th ) each had an additional artillery regiment , for a total of sixty guns . The Cavalry Division had two brigades of two regiments each , three horse artillery batteries , and a cyclist battalion , along with support units ; it had a total strength of 4 , 500 all ranks with 12 guns , and was - in effect - little more than a reinforced brigade . " Garde Civique " . The standing army was supplemented by a militia called the " Garde Civique " ( ) . There were two distinct elements of the " Garde Civique " , " active " and " non - active " . The organisation was " active " in large towns and fortified places , where it was organised into units of infantry , with some cavalry and artillery . It was largely composed of middle class volunteers for whom service in the " Garde " was a means of social advancement . There were 36 , 000 serving members in 1913 . The " non - active " element were men of between 20 and 40 years of age who were liable to be called to arms in an emergency . On 5 August 1914 , about 100 , 000 men were called up by royal decree . The established units of the " active " " Garde Civic " were incorporated into Belgium ' s defence plans , whereas those mobilised at the moment of invasion were assigned to local static defence duties , provided that uniforms ( often just an armband and a cockade ) and weapons could be found for them . Force Publique . The Force Publique were the Belgian forces in the Belgian Congo . Originally no more than a police force , by 1916 they took the offensive against German forces in German East Africa . Officers & NCO ' s were Europeans only , mainly Belgian . During the war they suffered 9 , 077 dead 58 of which were Europeans . Congo - Kasai Province , Katanga Province Equator Province Eastern Province