BISSING, BARON Moritz Ferdinand von, German soldier; governor-general of Belgium, 1914-17: b. Bellmannsdorf, Silesia, 30 Jan. 1844; d. Brussels, 18 April 1917. He entered the Prussian army at 19, served in the Austrian campaign (1866) and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, attaining the rank of full general in 1902. Up to the time of his retirement in 1908 he had held several high commands. He was succeeded in his command of the 7th German Army Corps at Miinster by General von Bernhardi (q.v.). Bissing was recalled to the service on the outbreak of the European War, and in November 1914 he superseded General von der Goltz as governor-general of the conquered territory of Belgium. During his tenure of that office the name of Baron Bis sing acquired much unenviable prominence on account of the stern regime he introduced over the Belgian population. Responsibility has been laid on his shoulders for the levying of mil lions of dollars from various towns for alleged infractions of German military laws; for the execution of Edith Cavell (q.v.); and for the wholesale deportation of Belgians into Ger many. There are strong indications, however, that Bissing was rather the obedient instru ment in carrying out these rigorous measures than the instigator of them. While his signature certainly appeared under all the proclamations and drastic restrictions imposed upon the Bel gian people, and his assent was given to many "executions," the Berliner Tageblatt stated after his death that "most of the measures taken under his governorship created a world wide sensation and aroused a world-wide pro test. They were not taken by him, but in spite of his efforts to prevent them.° It is known that Bissing was opposed to the killing of Edith Cavell; that he tendered his resignation to the Kaiser over the affair, and that he was also opposed to the deportations. Both of these measures — according to the German paper quoted — were ordered from the Kaiser's head quarters. Particular interest attaches to a document entitled "General von Bissing's Tes tament," published after his death. In a letter to Dr. Stresemann (14 Jan. 1917) von Bissing declared that Germany must on no account re linquish Belgium, which "must be used to enhance our power." He confessed that his policy in Belgium had been guided by "such consideration of *what may happen in the future. Great difficulties have often been put
in the way of my policy, and thz. policy of the fist alone has been set up as the right policy." His church policy had been conducted "with a wise moderation" bec'ause "we shall need the church when some day we want to develop German ways and German activity in Belgium." On the subject of the "Testament" he wrote, "There lies in my house a memorandum com posed by me for myself alone, which deals more precisely and exhaustively with the future of Belgium, and the conclusion I arrive at is this, that, if we do not get Belgium into our sphere of power, and if we do not govern it in German fashion (and use it in German fashion) the war is lost . . ." The memorandum re ferred to was published by a member of the Reichstag in the Bergische Miirkische Zeitung a month after Bissing's death. The writer de velops his theories with much ingenuity, ad vancing numerous political and economic rea sons why Belgium must in the future become a German possession. He realizes the difficulty "that we shall ever be able to conclude with the King of the Belgians . . . a peace by which Belgium will remain in the German sphere of power," and that "in view of our just and ruthless procedure, the King of the Belgians will be deposed, and will remain abroad as an aggrieved enemy. We must put up with that . . . and we can read in Machiavelli that he who desires to take posses Sion of a country will be compelled to remove the King or Regent, even by killing him." One of the necessary methods to be employed in Germanizing Belgium is, in von Bissing's opinion, that "he who remains in the country must declare his allegiance to Germany, and after a certain time must declare his allegiance to Germanism." Furthermore, "it cannot be tolerated that wealthy Belgians shall leave the country, and nevertheless draw profit from their possessions in Belgium." In order to prevent this, "expropriation is absolutely neces sary." The possession of the Belgian Kongo "is certainly to be aimed at, and I desire to insist that a German colonial empire, whatever its shape, is indispensable for Germany's world policy and expansion of power." The memo randum was written toward the end of 1915.