First Battle of Ypres anniversary marked
Published on 29 october 2014German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Belgian and Dutch royal families were among dozens of leaders taking part in the observance.
Both the Germans and Western Allies fought to secure the strategically important Belgian town, which would eventually be completely destroyed.
A similar ceremony was held 40 kilometres away in Nieuwpoort, where a century ago, the Belgian army flooded a huge area of land to prevent the German advance.
Around half a million people were killed in the Flanders region alone during the Great War of 1914-18.
Reporting from Belgium, our correspondent Sandor Zsiro said: "Ypres hosted the main commemoration to mark the start of World War One earlier this year. But this time, guests from several African, Asian and American counties helped mark the occasion."
Source: Euronews
