Submenu of the history-page

This is the SUBMENU of the History-page.You will find a similar submenu on all main pages of the CarPark site.
The MAIN-MENU can be found at the top of all pages of the site: Index, Intro, Archives, History, Genealogy, Language, Sources and the WareHouse.

Furthermore you'll find some search- and translation tools at the top of each page.The language tool will allow you to translate Dutch words into English.
Search this site gives you the opportunity to search the complete CarPark site for any word.

All EXTERNAL links (links to other sites than the CarPark) will be opened in a new window.

How to define 'French Flanders'

French Flanders, Southern Flanders, Maritime Flanders etc. all are names used to indicate, describe an area with no fixed borders. Thus talking about 'French Flanders' is talking about something pretty vague.
Remnants of Dutch culture and language yet can be found in the outmost northeastern part of France: around the towns of Dunkirk, St. Omer and Hazebrouck.This is roughly the area bordered by the Northsea and the rivers Leie and A, called 'de Westhoek'. One could define this area as 'French Flanders'.[80.000 Dutch-speakers]
Scientific research has proven though that a -more southern- line can be drawn from the French port Etaples via Montreuil, Hesdin and Bethune to the town of Lille (Rijssel) as the linguistical border between Dutch and French:
the area north of this line can be defined as the 'French Flanders'.[see the map]

Louis XIV (1643-1713), the French King

Captured:
By the end of the 16th century following areas were captured from the Spanish Netherlands:
Landrecies /Landerschie, Avesnes /Avenne,
Le Quesnoy /Kiezenet.

Between 1659 and 1678 France captured the following coastal areas from the Spanish Netherlands:
Montreuil /Monsterhole,Etaples/Stapel,
Boulogne /Bonen, Calais/Kales,
Gravelines /Grevelingen, Dunkerque /Duinkerke

Acquired by Treaties:
1659 Peace of the Pyrenees
Acquired by the French King:
Hesdin/Heusden - Bapaume/Bapalmen - Arras/Atrecht - Douai/Dowaai - Bétune/Betun,Bourbourg/Broekburg
1668 Peace of Aachen [Aix-la-Chapelle]
The French King acquired:
St. Winoksbergen, Lille /Rijsel, Condé /Konde along the river Schelde and Armentiers
1678 Peace of Nijmegen
The French King acquired:
the regions and towns, Le Cateau,
Cambrai /Kamerijk, Bouchain /Boesem, Valencienne /Valensijn, Condé /Konde,
Bavai /Bavik, Maubeuge /Malbode.
1713 Peace of Utrecht
The French King had to cede to the Austrian Netherlands:
Veurne, Ieper, Menen, Kortrijk, Doornik, Binche, Philippeville and Marienbourg