Spanish Netherlands 1652–1658 Many wounded who were unable to walk were abandoned. It has the third-largest French harbour. It took over 900 vessels to evacuate the BEF, with two-thirds of those rescued embarking via the harbour, and over 100,000 taken off the beaches. Dunkirk is located in Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire in England, UK. [26] Summer high temperatures average around 20 to 21 °C (68 to 70 °F), being significantly influenced by the marine currents. Granted, Dunkirk is not a destination for a two-week break, any more than you’d spend a fortnight in Harwich. Dunkirk lies just south-east of the Cheshire border. Considered one the wealthiest places to live inside the Washington, … My father was at Dunkirk and told me very little of what happened. As most will know, Dunkirk was a famous Second World War evacuation effort of Allied troops from the beaches in and around the Northern French commune, which took place over 10 … He did take me to see the original film with Sir John Mills which he thought was a fairly close description of events and also years later took me and my brother to Dunkirk where we walked his battlefield. Answer (1 of 3): Dunkirk is a seaport that is located between the Belgian coast and Calais. They were ejected by King Charles VI of France, but left great devastations in and around the town. France 1662–1870 Nevertheless the general concept about Dunkirk is an evocative name that is synonymous to the Second World War. The population of the commune at the 2016 census was 91,412. The population was 2,363 at the 2000 census. More than 40,000 vehicles as well as massive amounts of other military equipment and supplies were left behind, their value being regarded as less than that of trained fighting men. Updates? 652 Squadron RAF, and No. Pop. Imports dominate and include iron ore, coking coal, and crude and refined oil. The belfry was chosen as the reference point in Dunkirk. The Gare de Dunkerque railway station offers connections to Gare de Calais-Ville, Gare de Lille Flandres, Arras and Paris, and several regional destinations in France. Sightings were made of signal lights at Dover Castle from the Dunkirk Belfry, and vice versa. The old port zone near the centre of the town, following the closure of the shipyards, has been redeveloped, with retailing, a maritime museum, and a marina. The area remained much disputed between the Kingdom of Spain, the United Netherlands, the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France. England 1659–1662 During World War II, in May–June 1940, the British Expeditionary Force and other Allied troops, cut off by the Germans, were evacuated from Dunkirk to England by naval vessels and hundreds of civilian boats. MS. Carte 218, fol(s). The port itself is capable of accepting 300,000-ton vessels and is the third largest complex in France (after Marseille and Le Havre) in terms of the amount of traffic handled. At the beginning of the Eighty Years' War, Dunkirk was briefly in the hands of the Dutch rebels, from 1577. Dunkirk’s service sector is still underdeveloped, although the port has stimulated the growth of transport-related activities, and the town is home to a branch of the Opal Coast University, located in the former docklands. [9], In January, 1916, a spy scare took place in Dunkirk. Nevertheless, a collapse was prevented and evacuate by sea across the English Channel, codenamed Operation Dynamo. The Treaty of Paris (1763) between France and Great Britain ending the Seven Years' War, included a clause restricting French rights to fortify Dunkirk, to allay British fears of it being used as an invasion base to cross the English Channel. Dunkirk (French: Dunkerque, Dutch: Duinkerke) is a town in the region of Nord-Pas de Calais in France.. This clause was overturned in the subsequent Treaty of Versailles of 1783. Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, ordered any ship or boat available, large or small, to collect the stranded soldiers. The railway line from Dunkirk to De Panne and Adinkerke, Belgium, is closed and has been dismantled in places. In September 2018, Dunkirk's public transit service introduced free public transport, thereby becoming the largest city in Europe to do so. [7], During the reign of King Louis XIV, a large number of commerce raiders and pirates once again made their base at Dunkirk. Latitude and longitude coordinates are: 51.050030, 2.397766. In the war against Covid, where is the government's Dunkirk spirit? Dunkirk’s great artificial port was largely rebuilt after 1945 and subsequently expanded to form a deepwater port and industrial zone to the west of the town. It lies along the Strait of Dover between Calais and the Belgian frontier, 49 miles (79 km) northwest of Lille by road. This work was completed by 1678. A fishing village arose late in the tenth century, in the originally flooded coastal area of the English Channel south of the Western Scheldt, when the area was held by the Counts of Flanders, vassals of the French Crown. The gap left by the Belgian Army stretched from Ypres to Dixmude. The surrounding wetlands were drained and cultivated by the monks of nearby Bergues Abbey. Spanish Netherlands 1583–1646 [17], On 14 December 2002, the Norwegian car carrier MV Tricolor collided with the Bahamian-registered Kariba and sank off Dunkirk Harbour, causing a hazard to navigation in the English Channel. The satellite coordinates of Dunkirk are: latitude 53°15'6"N and longitude 2°55'39"W There are 2781 places (city, towns, hamlets …) within a radius of 100 kilometers / 62 miles from the center of Dunkirk, the nearest place in the area is Lea by Backford, Cheshire. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. However, in the course of the Western Schism from 1378, English supporters of Pope Urban VI (the Roman claimant) disembarked at Dunkirk, captured the city and flooded the surrounding estates. Dunkirk is a commune in Nord, a French department in northern France. Dunkirk (UK: /dʌnˈkɜːrk/, US: /ˈdʌnkɜːrk/;[3][4] French: Dunkerque [dœ̃kɛʁk] (listen); French Flemish: Duunkerke; Dutch: Duinkerke(n) [ˈdœynkɛrkə(n)] (listen)) is a commune in Nord, a French department in northern France. British and other Allied troops waiting to be evacuated from the beach at Dunkirk, France, 1940. Check if it is available to stream online via "Where to Watch". Dunkirk Rebels 1577–1583 During the German occupation, Dunkirk was largely destroyed by Allied bombing. Dunkirk contains intense and realistic sequences of war violence with many casualties by shooting, drowning, burning, and explosion shown. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The name of Dunkirk derives from West Flemish dun(e) 'dune' or 'dun' and kerke 'church',[citation needed] which together means 'church in the dunes'.[5]. Spanish forces under Duke Alexander Farnese of Parma re-established Spanish rule in 1583 and it became a base for the notorious Dunkirkers. However, the film never lingers on the deaths and avoids showing blood and gore almost entirely. Dunkirk is a city in Blackford and Jay counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. 338,226 men (including 123,000 French soldiers) were evacuated – the miracle of Dunkirk, as Churchill called it. Guy's son, Count Robert III (1305–1322), nevertheless granted further city rights to Dunkirk; his successor Count Louis I (1322–1346) had to face the Peasant revolt of 1323–1328, which was crushed by King Philippe VI of France at the 1328 Battle of Cassel, whereafter the Dunkirkers again were affected by the repressive measures of the French king. First mentioned in 1067 as Dunkerk (Flemish: “Church of the Dunes”), the town was besieged and sacked six times during the Middle Ages and was in the centre of conflicts between France, Spain, England, and Holland in the 16th and 17th centuries before it was finally recovered by France in 1662. The fortifications were again enlarged, including the construction of a belfry daymark (a navigational aid similar to a non-illuminated lighthouse). The commune has grown substantially by absorbing several neighbouring communes: Dunkirk has the third-largest harbour in France, after those of Le Havre and Marseille. Dunkirk was a critical turning point in World War II.German dictator Adolf Hitler’s blitzkrieg strategy depended on maintaining concentrated forward momentum in its invasion of France and Belgium; Germany had overrun the region by May 1940. Dunkirk is located at 40°22′28″N 85°12′35″W / 40.37444°N 85.20972°W / 40.37444; -85.20972 (40.37, -85.21), primarily within Jay County but with a section neighboring Blackford County. The main character (and possible real prisoner) in the famous novel Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas was arrested at Dunkirk. An additional fort was built in 1701 called Fort Blanc. It lies 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Belgian border. The town museum, also partly destroyed in 1940, has preserved a collection of 17th-century paintings by minor Dutch masters. For the people in western Europe, World War Two was about to … Several weeks after the scheme had been introduced, the city's mayor, Patrice Vergriete, reported that there had been 50% increase in passenger numbers on some routes, and up to 85% on others. However, according to the Official War Diary of Army Group A, its commander, Generaloberst Gerd von Rundstedt, ordered the halt to allow maintenance on his tanks, half of which were out of service, and to protect his flanks which were exposed and, he thought, vulnerable. The jetties were defended a few years later by the construction of five forts, Château d'Espérance, Château Vert, Grand Risban, Château Gaillard, and Fort de Revers. Dunkirk, along with the rest of Flanders, was incorporated into the Habsburg Netherlands and upon the 1581 secession of the Seven United Netherlands, remained part of the Southern Netherlands, which were held by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands) as Imperial fiefs. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Dunkirk is a beautiful old small city in the northernmost part of France, located on the shores of the La Manche Strain, about 7 miles west of the border between France and Belgium. 25 Best Shows of the Year. Dunkirk is located in New York City, United States. The Allied position was complicated by Belgian King Leopold III's surrender on 27 May, which was postponed until 28 May. As Maximilian was the son of Emperor Frederick III, all Flanders was immediately seized by King Louis XI of France. Wenn man sich den Film »Dunkirk« ansieht, wird man sehr schnell merken, dass er sich merklich von den üblichen Kriegsfilmen abhebt. The town was subsequently rebuilt on a new plan, with the spacious Place Jean Bart in the centre. To seize the now strategically insignificant town would consume too many Allied resources which were needed elsewhere. Alternative Title: Dunkerque. The town was by-passed masking the German garrison with Allied troops, notably 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade. Assessing the situation, von Rundstedt advocated holding his armor west and south of Dunkirk, as the marshy terrain was unsuitable for armored operations and many units were worn down from advance west. Traveling to Army Group A's headquarters at Charleville on May 24, Hitler urged its commander, General Gerd von Rundstedt, to press the attack. As part of the transition towards offering free bus services, the city's fleet was expanded from 100 to 140 buses, including new vehicles which run on natural gas. Habsburg Netherlands 1482–1556 France 1646–1652 The city's population, which had been 39,000 in 1914, reduced to fewer than 15,000 in July 1916 and 7,000 in the autumn of 1917. Omissions? Understand []. Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is likely to be the most widely seen or read depiction of history released in 2017. Until the middle of the 20th century, French Flemish (the local variety of the Dutch language) was commonly spoken in Dunkirk; it has largely been forsaken, although it can still be heard. More-recent diversification has led to the development of pharmaceuticals and the production of cans for the beverage industry. The base closed shortly after the Armistice of 11 November 1918. [9][13] These decorations now appear in the city's coat of arms.[14]. France 1873–1940 Where is Dunkirk. [15] Hitler merely validated the order several hours later. [9], From 1915, the city experienced severe bombardment, including from the largest gun in the world in 1917, the German 'Lange Max'. It has the third-largest French harbour. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Dunkirk-France, Dunkirk - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). About AD 960, Count Baldwin III had a town wall erected in order to protect the settlement against Viking raids. The population of the commune at the 2016 census was 91,412. As the Wehrmacht swept through western Europe in the spring of 1940, using Blitzkrieg, both the French and British armies could not stop the onslaught. [12], In October 1917, to mark the gallant behaviour of its inhabitants during the war, the City of Dunkirk was awarded the Croix de Guerre and, in 1919, the Legion of Honour and the British Distinguished Service Cross. Dunkirk Dunkirk is a town in the region of Hauts-de-France in France.The town is a historic resort, 10 km from the border with Belgium.If you're coming from the UK, it's a great place to start your journey further into the Continent, but also a great holiday… When Mary died in 1482, Maximilian retained Flanders according to the terms of the 1482 Treaty of Arras. [citation needed] Count Philip I (1157–1191) brought further large tracts of marshland under cultivation, laid out the first plans to build a Canal from Dunkirk to Bergues and vested the Dunkirkers with market rights. (1999) 97,957; (2014 est.) CDT Nord. Dunkirk, French Dunkerque, town and seaport, Nord département, Hauts-de-France région, northern France. Dunkirk, Hauts-de-France, France. The town was liberated by the U.S. Army in May 1945, but more than three-quarters of its houses were destroyed in the fighting. The port was expanded in the 1670s by the construction of a basin that could hold up to thirty warships with a double lock system to maintain water levels at low tide. The Tour du Leughenaer (Tour du Leughenaer [fr]) (the Liar's Tower), The remains of the East Mole of Dunkirk harbour, pictured in 2009. Jean Bart was the most famous. The population was 2,362 at the 2010 census. In 1658, as a result of the long war between France and Spain, it was captured after a siege by Franco-English forces following the battle of the Dunes. However, the archduke defeated the French troops in 1479 at the Battle of Guinegate. During the Second World War, in the May 1940 Battle of France, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), while aiding the French and Belgian armies, were forced to retreat in the face of the overpowering German Panzer attacks. Unexpectedly, the German Panzer attack halted for several days at a critical juncture. However, German forces refused to relinquish their control of the city, which had been converted into a fortress. Near that square is a belfry, 131 feet (40 metres) high, that was built in the 15th century and restored after severe damage by fire in 1940. The basin was linked to the sea by a channel dug through coastal sandbanks secured by two jetties. Spanish Netherlands 1556–1577 The simple reason is that it was from Dunkirk and its 10-mile stretch of beaches that Britian evacuated a plethora of soldiers after the collapse of Belgium and eventually the collapse of France. The name Dunkirk derives from West Flemish "dun" (Dune) and "Kerke" (Church). For years, it was assumed that Adolf Hitler ordered the German Army to suspend the attack, favouring bombardment by the Luftwaffe. 89,160. Corrections? Add Dunkirk to your Watchlist to find out when it's coming back. For the World War II evacuation, see, Subprefecture and commune in Hauts-de-France, France, (Description of contents of carte papers), Levine, Joshua (2017) Dunkirk, Harper Collins, New York, List of twin towns and sister cities in France, "Répertoire national des élus: les maires", "Correspondence and papers of the first Duke of Ormonde, chiefly on Irish and English public affairs: ref. Dunkirk is a small town in the northernmost tip of France. 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