James Baquet Flanders is not a country — anymore. It was once the “County of Flanders.” Today, it is the most populous region of Belgium, with its capital in Brussels. But in the past, the Flemings (the demonym for people from Flanders) were a largely independent people, speaking their own language, Flemish. This is the adjective used for things from Flanders, like the Flemish paintings by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640). The County of Flanders had been technically a part of France since 843, at the end of the Carolingian Civil War. The three sons of Louis the Pious (and grandsons of Charlemagne) were fighting over the territory their grandfather had unified. Flanders was then included in the territory of West Francia (mainly modern France today), ceded to Louis’ son Charles the Bald. However, from then until the ascension of Philip IV of France, Flanders had pretty much functioned independently. Now, as Philip asserted his power, the Flemings fought back. In January 1297, Guy of Dampierre, Count of Flanders, openly rebelled against Philip and allied himself with King Edward I of England, with whom Philip was then at war. The result of Guy’s rebellion was the Franco-Flemish War (1297-1305). When Guy rebelled, French troops occupied Flanders. From October of that year until nearly 1300, things cooled off as the Pope declared an armistice so the combatants could settle their differences. Meanwhile, the French were exacting harsh taxes from the Flemings, who in May 1302 rose up and, in the city of Bruges, massacred every Frenchman they could find, soldier and citizen alike. The French responded in July with 8,000 troops, while the Flemings mustered 9,400 men to counter them. The two armies met on July 11, 1302. The French cavalry was unable to overwhelm the armored Flemish infantry, fighting in formation with pikes. The French suffered heavy losses, and the Flemings took from them 500 sets of spurs, giving the Battle of the Golden Spurs its name. As Flemish nationalism grew in the 18th and 19th centuries, the event took on greater significance, until in 1973 July 11 became the official holiday in Belgium for the Flemish Community. Vocabulary: Which words above mean: 1. name of people from a place 2. requiring 3. assembled (as troops) 4. truce 5. devices worn on the heel to urge a horse forward 6. became calmer 7. area ruled by a count 8. forced, insisted on 9. spears that are held, not thrown 10. lacking hair |