Zeeland was located near the front lines during the First World War (1914-1918). The war was close, and people were reminded of this almost daily.
The German Naval Corps Flanders (Marine–Korps Flandern ) was stationed just across the Belgian border in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. The marine corps fought not only on land but also at sea and in the air. They used the most advanced types of weaponry: torpedoes, sea mines, submarines, destroyers, seaplanes, fighter planes, poisonous gas, and flamethrowers.
When the war broke out, Zeeland was flooded with large amounts of Belgian refugees.
