Farmers And Their Job

A farmer is someone who cultivates or farms land for agricultural purposes. He is a man who leads his family by hard effort on agricultural farms or in land cultivation. His livelihood is based on the sweat on his brow.

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In some countries, he is the most well-known figure. A farmer is someone who works in agriculture. He is, in essence, the economy’s driving power. We may also know him as the “Father of Agriculture.” They are, nevertheless, devalued. But in reality, our country cannot progress without him.

Getting Rid Of The Blockage

A farmer drives his tractor through the serene green fields of Erquelinnes, a tiny French town. But then he realizes he can’t go any further. Puzzled about how he would be completing his day’s work, he decided to do something with it.

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A massive, old stone protrudes from the ground in front of him, impeding his vehicle’s passage. He hefts the obstruction out of the path without thinking, accidentally igniting a war of epic proportions.

Is This For Real?!

As incredible as it may sound, this seemingly tiny deed resulted in global chaos. But how do you do it? After all, the unremarkable stone is worthless on its own. Why does it mean so much now?

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But what caused the authorities in Belgium and France to become so agitated? What happened to the farmer? And what was the end result of this strange chain of events? What are the resolutions for this problem?

All Of These Because Of A Small Stone?

Commentators believed that in order to resolve the disagreement, a long-defunct commission would need to be recalled. So, how did a small stone cause so much consternation?

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Surprisingly, the answer can be found in a treaty signed over 200 years ago and a seemingly benign gesture that nearly brought decades of peace to an end. Let’s dive into this treaty a bit deeper, shall we?

This Is Not A Place For An International Conflict

Erquelinnes, a peaceful town of 9,500 people, does not appear to be the scene of a major international conflict. It is 150 miles from the French capital of Paris and this should be enough to be far from drama.

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It is located in the country’s northeastern corner, near the Belgian border. It appears to be the kind of area that would offer a tranquil, bucolic way of life, nestled among rolling hills and farms.

Our Last Dramatic Event Was 200 Years Ago

In truth, the most dramatic events in Erquelinnes’ history took place almost 200 years ago, during the First Coalition War. The War of the First Coalition was a series of wars waged between 1792 and 1797 by numerous European powers, first against the constitutional Kingdom of France and subsequently against the French Republic that succeeded it.

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This struggle, which began in 1792, saw a number of European states band together to attack France. Two years later, near the Belgian border, a massive conflict erupted. After that, life became more peaceful.

The Battle Of Erquelinnes

The battle, now known as the Battle of Erquelinnes, ended in an Austrian and Dutch triumph, dealing a blow to France. However, historians estimate that between 3,000 and 5,400 people died as a result of this horrible assault.

Erquelinnes, Belgium

However, this village on the Belgian border is now at the focus of yet another fight after a farmer accidentally moved something out of his way. However, experts predicted that the outcome will be less violent.

How Did Shifting A Stone Result Into A Long Debate?

So, how did the simple act of shifting a stone result in such a dramatic outcome? Is it possible that the artifact is a gravestone marking the final resting place of a beloved and fallen soldier?

BBC

Disturbing such a monument, after all, could be considered sacrilegious — and perhaps a war crime by some. However, this is far beyond that. The stone symbolized so much more than it looks.

Prior Conflicts

Was the stone in issue a historic relic, cherished for generations as a memento of something long gone? If that’s the case, may the farmer have offended it by relocating it away from its usual spot?

Almost

Conflicts have erupted in the past over similar instances, and the courts are littered with unhappy complainants wanting to reclaim their property. Things are there for a reason, it exists to serve their purpose.

The Truth

The truth, it turns out, is maybe even more fascinating than a vanished artifact or a gravestone. According to a tale published in the French daily La Voix du Nord in April 2021, the saga began with a trio of local history buffs. Jean-Paul Maieu, Jean-Pierre Chopin, and Philippe Fayt are their names.

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The three men had set out to inspect the property around Bousignies-sur-Roc, a French village seven miles from Erquelinnes, earlier that month. Their objective, it appears, was to inventory a line of historic stones that had been erected along the France-Belgium boundary following the Battle of Waterloo. However, they soon discovered that one of these things was not in its proper location.

Shifted for Seven And A Half Feet

After reviewing their maps, the group discovered that the stone had shifted seven and a half feet from its previously stated location. You might wonder why the stone shifting became such a huge deal.

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In 1819, the item was one of several used to demarcate the border between the contested Belgian and French territory. A government’s power is limited by its borders. People who live within a country’s borders must abide by its laws and pay its taxes, this is why it became big news when the farmer moved the border.

Going Against A 200-Year Old Protocol

The Treaty of Kortrijk, signed the next year, established this line in law. The boundaries between France and the Netherlands were established by this treaty (under the reign of King William I of the Netherlands). With slight changes, these lines still serve as the formal border between Belgium and France, as well as between Luxembourg and France.

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So, when one stone was shifted several feet into Belgium, technically extending French territory beyond its legal borders, the action was politically charged. In fact, it went against a 200-year-old protocol.

A Tractor Was Hired To Move It

So, what went wrong? What exactly happened and was the stone moved?  What happens to the countries now? It was quite an undertaking, according to Aurélie Welonek, the mayor of Bousignies-sur-Roc.

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“I believe a tractor must have been employed to lift the bollard, which weighs over 150 kilos [23.6 stone],” she told La Voix du Nord. But one thing is certain: its location no longer matches the information we know.”

A Farmer And The Belgian-French Border

As a result, it appears that a plain farmer may have been responsible for modifying the Belgian-French border. However, there are conflicting claims as to what his intentions may have been.

Some say he wanted to expand the size of his property, while others say the border stone was merely in the way of his tractor. And what do we do when something is on our way? We move it.

Small Decisions May Lead To Big Consequences

Whatever the farmer’s intentions, the eventual consequence was something he could never have predicted. “He made Belgium bigger and France smaller, it’s not a good idea,” Erquelinnes mayor David Lavaux said to the French television network TF1 in May 2021, according to the BBC.

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The official also pointed out that incidents like this can cause terrible trouble between neighboring landowners, even without national politics thrown in. When it comes to properties, people can get very possessive with what they own.

Put It Back Or Else

“I was thrilled,” Lavaux said, “since my town had grown.” But the mayor of Bousignies-sur-Roc disagreed.” For the time being, the event isn’t being taken seriously but things may have been different.

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However, it all depends on how the farmer reacts when he realizes his mistake. The authorities are expected to demand that he return the stone. If he refuses, then all hell may break loose.

A Special Border Committee

According to Lavaux, if the authorities refuse, they will be forced to assemble a special border committee for the first time since the 1930s. Things may actually be taken seriously.

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Experts are now divided on how this intervention should be implemented. Historian Marnix Beyen attempted to explain the whole situation in an email to Vice-affiliated website Motherboard.

Boundary Disputes

“As far as I know, such ‘boundary disputes’ between Belgium and France have hardly occurred between 1820 and today, and I have no idea why the border panel met in 1930,” Beyen stated.

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“If they had to meet again, I’m sure they’d handle the situation in a more impartial and amicable manner.” We all just need a good talk in order to solve a situation no matter what the situation is.

The Difference

The fact that the farmer expanded Belgian territory into France rather than vice versa, according to Beyen, has further aided the situation. If it was the other way around, things would be different.

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“Probably this kind of incident would have aroused more consternation if the border had been moved the other way (at least in the 19th century), because fear of French annexation has been an important feature of Belgian political and cultural life,” he wrote, “because fear of French annexation has been an important feature of Belgian political and cultural life.”

What Will The Farmer Say?

Thankfully, Beyen isn’t the only one hoping for a peaceful resolution to this unexpected conflict. “We should be able to avert a new border war,” Welonek quipped to La Voix du Nord.

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But would the farmer sacrifice his freshly acquired land to keep international peace? Or will a global incident erupt from the most unlikely beginnings like moving a stone out of the way of his tractor?