"That Theory of Race " Henr" #"re!!e o! the $!f"!" hed &$ "!e of the Great 'ar1 ()#HI*+,*+(CH-*#,RI./*R2 0000000000000000000000000000000- oc"ate #rofe or of H" tory 1 #e!! (tate 2!"3ers"ty *xact5y one year after the e!% of the 6"r t 'or5% 'ar, on Nove7ber 11, 1919, the ne9 acade7"c year 9a opene% at the 2!"3er "ty of Ghe!t. Hera5%"!: the re $7pt"on of c"e!t"f"c e!%ea3our after four year of Ger7a! 7"5"tary occupat"on, the e3ent ca55e% for o5e7!"ty. It a5 o ca55e% for "nter- pretat"on 1 a7ply prov"de% by the com7e!ce7ent a%dre of the ne9 rector, Henr" #"renne. The decept"3e5y 7ode t t"t5e of hi peech, "La nation belge et l'Allemagne: quelques réflexions historiques", be5"e% "t a7&"t"ous content; #"re!ne< addre a"7e% hi:h. It ought to tra! ce!% the pre3a"5"!: 7ood, 9hich 9a one of 5"!:er"!: "!%":nat"on o3er Be5:"$7< pa t $ffer"!: at the ha!% of the '"5he57"ne *7p"re, coup5e% 9"th &e9"5%ere% re e!t7ent over *nte!te :over!7ent < perce"3e% "!:rat"t$%e for Be5:"$7< contr"&ut"on to the 9ar effort. #"re!!e< peech proffere% a! overarch"!: "nterpretat"on of the 9ar 1 one that deft5y brought out the part"c$5ar re5e3a!ce of Be5:"$7< part "! "t. #"re!!e def"ne% Ger7a! a::re "on 3" -=-3" other tate a!% the"r c"t">e! a ha3"!: been, at heart, a! aberrat"on ca$ ed by rac"a5" t th"!?"!:; "if the &ar&aric 7a!!er with 9hich the Ger7a! co!%$cte% the"r 7"5itary operatio! hoc? $ to%ay, later :e!erat"o! 9"55 7ar3e5 e3e! 7ore at ho9 the"r race theory le% the7 a tray". If, dur"!: the 9ar, Ger7a! author"t"e a!% Ger7a! troops ha% how! a par- t"c$5ar "%" re:ar% for p"ty a!% @$ t"ce", &5a7e 7$ t be attr"bute% A$are5y to "that theory of race , the 7ost fa5 e &$t a5 o the 7o t per!"c"ou e3er". -ccor%"!: to #"re!ne, a! "nfat$at"on 9"th Ger7an-ne a!% co!com"ta!t conte7pt for other peop5e ha% progre "3e5y encroache% upon '"5he57"ne 1. *ar5"er 3ers"o! of th" te4t 9ere pre e!te% at the "!ternat"o!a5 co!fere!ce "The 2!f"!" he% Bu "!e of 'ar a!% Re3o5$t"o!; *$rope, 181B-1818" C)&erl"! Co55e:e, ,epart7e!t of H" tory, Darch 13-14, 2008EF at the Do%ern H" tory Co55oA$"$7 of the ,epart7e!t of H" tory at the #e!! y53a!"a (tate 2!"3ers"ty (No3e7&er 3, 2008EF a!% at the Gco5e %e Ha$te Gt$%e e! (c"e!ce (oc"a5e , #ari , o! Day 1H, 2010. I tha!? 7y co55ea:$e for the"r 3ery 3a5$a&5e co77e!t , "! part"c$5ar ,rs. (tIpha!e -$%o"!-Ro$>ea$, .e! -U9e G$ette5, -5a! Jra7er, Chr" tophe #rocha o!, a!% the a!o!y7o$ re3"e9er of th" @o$rna5. If th" te4t reta"! fact$a5 errors a!% errors of "!terpretat"o!, the re po! "&"5"ty " o5e5y the a$thor< . 2. Corre po!%e!ce co!cern"!: th" art"c5e ho$5% &e a%%re e% to (oph"e ,e (chaep%ri@3er: c%10Kp $.e%$ BTNG | RBHC, XLI, 2011, 3-4, pp. 533-552 c$5ture, re!der"!: attac? upon overe":! tate conce"3a&5e to &e:"! 9"th, a!% the! @$ t"fy"!: the7 after the fact. "- peop5e< c$5t of "t o-ca55e% race con c"ousne ," he c5a"7ed, "%oom "t f"r t to 7ora5 " olat"on a!% before 5o!: to mora5 deca%ence". #"re!ne 7ade hi ca e 9"th reference to the Ger7a! "!3a "on of ne$tra5 Be5:"$7 "! -$:$ t 1914, and, pec"f"ca55y, to the e! $"!: Ger7a! %" cour e of @$ t"f"cat"o! 1 a %" cour e that ha% ought to defe!% the "!3a "on by deny- "!: the "!3ade% country a!y c5a"7 to nat"onhood, a!% he!ce, "7pl"c"t5y, a!y r":ht to overe":! tatehood. -7on: '"5he57"ne 5"terat", a chor$ of acade7"c a!% e5f-appointe% expert of a55 tr"pe ha% prompt5y for7e% to %" 7" Be5:"$7 a a! <art"f"c"a5 tate<, a @$ t5y doome% a7a5:a7 of <Lat"!< 'a55oon a!% <Ger7a!"c< 65e7"!: . Th" rhetor"c pre ent5y ca7e "! for ome arca 7; "'hat pa7phlet , 9hat &oo? , 9hat !e9 paper a!% @o$r!a5 artic5e o! th" Leitmoti3N COE ($ch %o::e%!e "! %e7o! trat"!: to $ that 9e %"% !ot e4" t!". Ha3"!: thus "7pl"c"t5y tate% the robu t e4" te!ce of <$ < 1 hi 5"?e-7"nde% a$%"ence !ee%e% no further aff"r7at"on 1 #"re!!e 9ent o! to dep"ct the "!3ader < ethn"c-e ent"a5" t per pect"3e a funda7e!ta55y f5a9ed, "nce the 7a@or"ty of Be5:"a! had, after a55, ref$ e% to counte!ance any outcome of the 9ar hort of the re torat"o! of !at"ona5 "!depende!ce. I! hi conc5$ "on, he ret$rne% once a:a"! to a :enera5 per pect"3e on "that theory of race ", e!%"!: hi peech on a !ote of r"!:"!: opt"7" 7; Ger7any' defeat "! the 9or5% 9ar pe5t the e!d of race theory and a retur! to huma!" t+3"e9 . "-!% th" , $re5y, COE " o!e of the happier re $5ts of th" 9ar 9h"ch ha co t o 7$ch &loo% a!% o 7a!y tear . 6$ture :e!eratio! 9"55 :ro9 $p "! a! atmo phere p$rifie% of !o4"o$ f$7e ." Th" fond hope+9a , howe3er, fo55o9e%+&y a ca3eat;+#"renne+%ry5y announce% that he har%5y expecte% "the ha5f-e%ucate% a!% the do:7at"c to "77e%"ate5y ope! up to the 5":ht of e3"dence" a!% that 7any, "ndeed, 9oul% cont"!$e to aff"r7 the"r be5"ef "that race deter7"!e peop5e < 7enta5"ty, 5a!:ua:e, ent"7ent a!d pote!t"a5"+C#"re!ne, 1919, 5-24, c"tat"o! 18, 16, 7, 20E. It 9a hi:hly ymbol"c that #"re!!e he5% h" peech i! the aula of that 3ery $!"3er "ty that, $!%er the pa t 7"5"tary occupat"on, ha% bee! a foc$ of the occupat"on author"t"e < 7o t concerte% effort to re%ra9 the bou!%ar"e of Be5:"$7< "7a:"ne% com7$!"t"e . The 5ar:e5y francophone 2!"3er "ty of Ghent ha% c5ose% "t %oor under the occupat"on. I! 1916, "t ha% bee! reopene% a a ,$tch-5a!:ua:e "! t"t$t"o! on order of the Ger7a! 7"5"tary author"t"e . That refor7 9a part a!% parce5 of the occupat"on re:"7e< effort L534M (. ,* (CH-*#,RI./*R to ee? fa3our 9"th the 65e7" h publ"c "! order to both e ta&5" h "t ow! 5e:"t"7acy a!% ap the &a " of the Be5:"a! tate. -5though thi "65e7" h pol"cy" CFlamenpolitikE ha% 7ade ome "nroa% "! 65e7" h 7"5"tant opi!"on, "t ha% fa"5e% to :a"! 9"de tract"on %$e to the repre "3e nat$re of the re:"7e, 9hich 9a e pec"a55y 7arke% "! hea3"5y-occupie% Ghent. - a conseque!ce, the occ$pat"on a$thor"t"e ha% turne% to a top-dow! approach a!% crac?e% dow! on re " ter . #"re!ne hi7 e5f, a e3erybody "! the a$%"ence a!% a 5ar:e part of the e%$cate% p$&5"c 9or5%9"%e ?ne9, 9a %eporte% to Ger7any "! 1916 Ctogether 9"th h" fe55ow 7e%"e3a5" t #a$5 6reder"cAE a!% he5% there unt"5 9ar< end. -fter hi return, he 9a 5"on" e% a a! e7&5e7 of nat"ona5 re " tance. H" 9or? on the 9ar, from the 1919 com7e!ce7ent peech to the 7ono:raph La Belgique et la Guerre Mondiale, pub5" he% 9"th the Car!e:"e 6oundat"on "! 1928, "!terprete% the Ger7a! occupat"on of Be5:"$7 e e!- t"a55y a a! a a$5t $pon a 5"bera5-5ea!"!: pol"ty 9"th a 3oluntar" t 3"e9 of nat"onhoo% by a! author"tar"a! re:"7e :$"de% by a "per!"c"o$ race theory", 9"th the <B": Bertha< of Flamenpolitik Chi "7"5eE a ca e "! poi!t C#"renne, 1919, 22E.3 That th" pol"cy had fa"5ed to s9ay the 5ar:er c"t">e!ry a!% that the theory underp"!!"!: "t 9a 3a!A$" hed, $nder cored, for #"re!ne, the e en- t"a55y re:re "3e and therefore doomed nature of $ch an a a$5t. Dea!9h"5e, P"re!!e< Nove7ber 1919 speech wa he5%+"!+6rench on5y, i! a c"ty 9here !one &$t the e%ucate% e5"te poke 6rench, a!% 9here, e3er "nce the -r7" t"ce, a%3ocate for 5"!:$" t"c eAua5"ty ha% bee! 3"5"f"e% a 5atter-day recr$"t of Flamenpolitik &y %"ehar% promoter of the dom"nance of 6rench i! Be5:"a! pub5"c c$5t$re.4 The e e5f- er3"!: %" tort"o! of #"re!ne< 3" "on need not deta"!+$ here, sa3e to poi!t out that they complete5y pa ed over hi core ar:$7ent re:ar%"!: the e e!t"a5 %"fference &et9ee! the pa t occ$pat"on re:"7e a!% the pre e!t, re tore% pub5"c phere.