German forces in Belgium entered quiet towns and villages, took civilian hostages, and executed them to discourage resistance. In the town of Dinant, German soldiers shot 612 men, women, and children. The American press called such atrocities acts of "frightfulness," the word then used to describe what later generations would call terrorism. On
During World War I, German troops invaded Belgium, targeting peaceful towns and citizens. They resorted to taking hostages and executing them as a method to instill fear and suppress any potential resistance from the local population. Notably, in Dinant, a horrific massacre occurred where 612 individuals, including men, women, and children, were shot by German soldiers.
The American media characterized these brutal actions as "frightfulness," a term that describes what would later be understood as terrorism. Such atrocities highlighted the severe impact of war on civilians and the lengths to which the occupying forces would go to maintain control, as discussed in Erik Larson's book "Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania."
