The history of Belgium is intertwined with those of its neighbors: the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Luxembourg. Due to its strategic location, Belgium has been called the “crossroads of Europe” as well as the “battlefield of Europe” because of the many armies that fought on its soil. When World War I began, Germany invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg as part of the Schlieffen Plan, and the threat to France caused Britain to enter the war. The Belgian army is remembered for its stubborn resistance during the early days of the war. Although Belgium tried to pursue a policy of unaligned neutrality before the Second World war, on May 10, 1940 the country was once again invaded by German forces.