Show W r BELGIUM LONG LONGA f A BATTLEGROUND Country Is Gateway Between f Powerful Nations ITS INDEPENDENCE CE UPHELD i iNo No No Nation Would Ever Allow Another ar t tp Gain G in Con Control rol of Strategic Point Poin f ff f of War War Some Some of the Fa Fa- t Battles Batties Fought on Belgian Soil l lent ent Place In History y- y t i i r t. t V I I Look s.-Look Look at the map of conti conti- aj f ue ne and it can readily be bl bej j- j i 8 seen e why Belgium has been the the the- fj f. i at atoY r of ot European wars from the timer time I 1 r 1 o oj J Caesars Caesar's area a M Invasion and even before at and geographically lly t it t f natural gateway No wonder Elands France and Germany al al al- 4 nays Ii have ve been jealous over the po pos pos- i t ses session on ef of f Belgium The nation tb t L p possesses Sess Bel Belgium would have have pirl v t. i advantage dran In fn an international conflict rI It is due mainly to this very Jealousy jealous It that at Belgium has remained an inde- inde It f ti pendent 7 state If It I cant can't have it you yot i cant can't nt bas has been the attitude of ot each each f f. power So Belgium small and weak weal j s to be be has enjoyed ex er- I. I ry independence and nations t hare vied have e vied with each cach other to win hett her het t friendship so valuable is it esteemed T If ten In It wartime Today as often in the pest PAst t. t events events e that are to decide th the fut fu- fu tufe ture t of pt Europe are transpiring in Belgium Bel- Bel b gium m In the battle of Belgium was fought W ter 18 1815 On the s same samey me v y day was was fought the battle of ot Wavre won by the French As it was I how bow t i ever ver ever Grouchy's vict victory ry was useless H He might have bave S1 saved ved the day for Na t p leon had td he arrived at Waterloo in time The battles battle of Ligny was fought in fn f Bel June Belgium June um 16 10 1815 Just two d days YS' YS before the battle battie of Waterloo That j last victory On th the same same day on Belgian soil was fought the battle battie of Quatre Bras won by the British and allies but their i sl sui ess was rendered fruitless by thes the s reverse reverse at Li Ligny y I i ibe battle JattIe of ot Nov 0 lI I i 1792 1702 between the French and Austrians Austrians Austrians Aus- Aus was one of ot the most Important 1 ot of the French revolution It was fol fol- la lo wed wexT d' d by the annexation of ot the Ausk Austrian Aus Aus- k trian Netherlands erlands to France l fought May 11 1745 in inthe in tb the war tar of the Austrian succession rosult resulted t in a n victory for the French Iv ii over the th combined c forces Corces of the Brit Brit- BritT T JI II Dut Dutch b and Austrians It was the I ts t hi lasi t victory of ot France Ouden Ouden rde fought July 11 1708 resulted re reo r r s suited 1 ii in the defeat deCent of the Frenc French bya by a 1 tb th the English English and and Imperialists It was wasI I 1 one one ne neot of ot the great victories' victories of Marl- Marl b and nd Prince Eugene over Louis XIV ml le foug tl Iny 23 1708 was a ak k victory victory for the the English and a allies lIes overS over S the French and was Coil followed owed by ther the r French Evacuation of ot the chief towns town of the I N Neerwinden July 24 1093 1033 in the I wars of r t Louis XIV SIV V. V resulted in a b for pr the French over the the the Eng English Ostend Osten 1 was thu tho scene of one o of 01 the most r memorable sieges In history It lasted listed from July 1601 1001 to September 1004 and nd cost many thousands of ot lives It was In the war of ot the libera libera- liberation 1 tion of ot the Netherlands The siege ended In iii In the surrender of ot the fortress II to the Spanish under Spinola but the I Spaniards lost upward of menS men S Scarcely arcely a house In the town was left I standing I The siege ol of lasted from March 12 to 29 1579 and resulted i iq In the capture oi he city by the Span l lards who men worn wom j t en en pad and children has bas been the scene of several other disastrous u conflicts KF Antwerp likewise has bas been the scene P of ot contU conflicts ts In 7 1576 7 an engagement b between t the local German and Spanish troops resulted In the death of persons and the surrender of the citadel cit ad adf adel I by the citizens In 1583 the citizens citi zens zens zens d defeated an n attempted seizure of I J tp e city by the Duke of Anjou On Aug 17 1 1585 1685 the citadel capitulated I I. a after r a as thirteen months' months siege e on one of ot the most eventful lu in history to the thi Duke p of ot Parma Spanish h viceroy of or the Netherlands The citadel was captured h ln hi 1 1 1741 4 and nd 1792 1702 by the French In f bi the Austrians AustrIan In 1794 by the In fu iSO I 1809 Ol Bonaparte protected tire Lord Chatham's Chathams attempt at It tempt tC l t try the port x rt and nd Iud the rort forts it I faits defended lI against aln t the Eu Jl by and surrendered d only ony after the tbt conclusion of lit peace pae May fa w DJ Gi In O. O during durin the tilt Bc rp J tt t tite IP r tl ity va 1 1 from rom the t cl adel bJ the the- Dutch Deitch General Chasse t ff nt il reed to surrender his hll l r stronghold nih ld Ot nee Dec 21 1832 after r u a siege f b n h firms of ot men under 1 M i RI i II Orran This l ended elided th the con con- on te test fJ h on Dec 30 1832 th the citadel almost tJ wholly de de- s st t y 1 Uh lw was 0 OP oc bythe b Belgian B l troops h i |