Munsey's Magazine, February 1915

Munsey's Magazine, Vol. LIV, No. 1: "The Story of the Brave Little State Famous as the Battle-ground of Europe"

This illustrated historical article by Richard Le Gallienne traces Belgium's origins from classical antiquity through the medieval period. The narrative examines how William the Silent's assassination in 1584 determined Belgium's fate as Europe's battleground, arguing that his survival might have unified the Netherlands against Spanish domination. The article surveys the region's ethnic composition—Germanic Frisians and Batavians in the north, Celtic Belgae in the south—and their contributions to Roman military strength.

Moving forward chronologically, Le Gallienne describes the evolution from Frankish rule through feudal fragmentation under petty rulers: Dukes of Brabant, Earls of Flanders, and various other principalities. He emphasizes how commercial interests and popular industry drove civic autonomy, with merchant classes and craft guilds securing charters that established prosperous free cities including Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, and Liège. The account highlights Flanders' medieval dominance through English wool trade monopoly and English wool imports' crucial role sustaining the region's textile wealth for three centuries.