This dissertation examines the ultimately unsuccessful efforts of French-speaking populations in Flanders -- who had long constituted an elite group within Flemish society -- to maintain a place for French in the Flemish public realm, namely administration, the judiciary, and education. It spans the period from the late nineteenth century and the first concerted legislative efforts to (re)introduce Dutch into the overwhelmingly Francophone administrative and educational institutions of Flanders, to the 1970s, when a combination of legislative measures and socioeconomic pressures erased the last vestiges of French in Flemish public life. By examining the periodical press, debates in scholarly publications, political pamphlets and posters, parliamentary speeches, and private correspondence produced by these Francophones, I question how and why their arguments in favor of a legal presence for French in Flanders changed over time. At first, many Francophones appealed to the universality and utility of French language and culture, and argued that individuals should enjoy "free choice of language" in the public realm. Such arguments reflected the dominant status of French in the Western world as well as the prevailing anti-statist sentiments among the Francophone elite of Flanders. During the period between the world wars, and again during the 1960s, however, some Francophones who wanted French-language rights in public services constructed an identity as a minority and made claims in terms of minority rights. This rhetorical shift came about for several reasons. The growth of a mass-based Flemish Movement made elitist and classically liberal appeals to the "free choice of language" politically untenable. During the interwar period, "minority rhetoric" had become common across Europe among previously-elite groups like the German-speakers of Poland and Czechoslovakia; it is likely that the Francophones hoped that their use of such would make their claims more legitimate in the eyes of both the Belgian state and the international community. Finally, the decline of French as an international language, especially after World War II, made the Francophones less likely to appeal to its "universality" when arguing in favor of a place for the French language in Flemish public life.

This book examines the efforts of the French-speaking minority in Flanders, Belgium, to maintain a legal and social presence of the French language in Flemish public life. Chronologically, the study is bookended by two developments, almost exactly a century apart. In 1873, the first laws were passed which required the use of Dutch in some aspects of public administration in Flanders, challenging the de facto use of French among the Flemish ruling class. One hundred and one years later, the last French daily newspaper in Flanders collapsed, marking the end of a once-vibrant French-language public sphere in Flanders. The author contends that the methods and arguments by which French speakers defended the role of French in Flemish public life changed along with the social and political situation of this minority. As the Flemish movement grew over the course of the twentieth century, French speakers’ appeals to the “free choice” of language lost traction, and they put forward claims that they represented an ethnolinguistic minority who deserved protection for their mother tongue. Providing new insights for scholars of European history, and in conversation with the literature on liberalism, national identity, and Francophonie, this book demonstrates how the debate over the role of French in Flanders was at the center of Belgium’s ethnolinguistic conflict – the repercussions of which continue to be felt to this day.

The Fall of France in 1940 has been well chronicled but numerous misconceptions remain.This fascinating and thought-provoking collection of essays on wide-ranging issues covering the politics and fighting on land, sea and in the air will be greatly welcomed by academics and military history enthusiasts.Topics covered include the preparations of the BEF, the failure of allied counter attacks, the air war, the Royal Navys's role in the campaign, the influence of the Battle on British military doctrine and the repercussions from the British, French and German angles.

This book is an attempt to address the widespread criticism of 'conspiracy theories', raising issues like: the control and negligence of the main organs of the media and police which make it difficult for true information to reach the public (and hence the public remain in ignorance of - and dismiss as a 'conspiracy theory' - the true facts); and the public's habit of underestimating the complexity of modern day politics. A number of complex political plots and allegations are described in detail including: the 1641 Rebellion, British Intelligence manipulation of the 1919-21 Irish leaders, Secret Societies and the role of Occult organisations in Ireland and around the world, the allegations that Martin McGuinness is a British agent, and the motivation behind large scale immigration into Ireland. The author also addresses the question of value systems in modern Western societies and asks are even these being manipulated in order to assist the process of political control.

The central theme of this book is the changing experience of childhood in nineteenth-century France.

In this book, Michael F. Palo explains how a historical and theoretical examination of Belgian neutrality, 1839-1940, can help readers understand the behaviour of small/weak democracies in the international system.