<b>Friesland (~500-1524)<b>

The exact origin of the Frisians is unknown, but it is thought they came from Scandinavia and settled in a large area of coastal lands stretching from just west of Denmark to the modern day Dutch province of Zeeland, shortly before the fall of the western Roman Empire. Throughout the Dark Ages, the Frisians were busy  traders, travelling from settlement to settlement, mostly trading their surplus food for more valuable objects. Roman glass has been found in old Frisian settlements, and it seems clear that the Frisians were a vital component in the trade between the Scandinavian and southern, Frankish, lands.

When the Vikings started raiding the coasts of Europe, the Frisians, never far away from the shores, were hit hard, and the Norse quickly set up their own settlements, especially in the southern half of the Netherlands. But the Frisians themselves had come from Scandinavia too, and they were no less fierce. They copied the tactic of raiding and plundering, and in the 11th century the King of Denmark complained to the Frisians for raiding his lands!

By the 12th century, the Frisians had already lost in influence. No longer did they form a Kingdom, and the southern part of their territory, the county of Holland, had been trying to get rid of the shackles that tied it to the Frisians. Friesland suffered another blow when a massive flood split their lands in two and created a treacherous inland sea in 1170. The county of Holland was then separated from Friesland Proper, and only a small part was still considered Frisian - this was West Friesland, which the Hollanders conquered by 1289.

From about 1100 on, there was no central authority in Friesland and all Frisians were free. Only a small higher class existed, but, as in the Swiss territories, this never managed to achieve political power. The peasants operated in communes, and all men carried arms and were expected to defend their lands in case of invasions. Contrary to popular belief, the arms of these peasants were actually of good quality; yet because they were few in number, they often preferred guerrilla style tactics, harrassing supply lines and ambushing lonely contingents. This proved highly effective against the Hollanders in many wars, the most important of which would be the invasions of 1256, 1345 and 1396-1411.

In times of war, a commander for the entire army was elected by representatives from the communes. The new leader would command for only one year and was drafted from the upper classes. Despite this haphazard organisation, the system appears to have worked very well. These elected generals won multiple battles against invaders and were responsible for the deaths of two kings (of Denmark and Germany) and numerous lesser lords, including Viking chieftains and counts of Holland. Even though ambushes were preferred, the Frisians excelled in the open field when it turned out to be necessary.

We are better informed on events during the 14th and 15th centuries, and the conflicting reports on the situation long misled historians. While local wars ('feuds') were well documented by pessimistic chroniclers, it was long thought these conflicts had appeared out of nowhere and seriously undermined the economy. However, recent research indicates that Frisian economy made giant leaps forward in the 15th century, when its cities started to attain respectable sizes. It is now thought that the feuds had always been there, even if barely mentioned before, and were little more than self-regulating justice systems that were actually effective in limiting violence. For example, the so-called Donia-war, a large-scale feud that ravaged central Friesland in the 1450's, claimed only about 250 lives. Commanders were careful to commit their men or attack, because they were held accountable for casualties and had to pay indemnities if necessary. This explains why people not involved in the conflict could keep out: warriors had nothing to gain and a lot to lose by assaulting innocents.

After conquering Holland, the Dukes of Burgundy claimed Friesland, too, but they were too busy elsewhere to actually invade it and establish effective ownership. Friesland remained in relative peace until the beginning of the 16th century, receiving little outside attention. A few prosperous families tried to transform the decentralised lands into a unified state, but this was effected only in East Friesland, by the Cirksena family.
From about 1500 on, German mercenaries ravaged Central Friesland, and Greate Pier led a peasant militia on land and on sea to drive them out. Aided by Karel van Egmond, Duke of Guelders, the Frisians were successful and even raided deep into Holland, plundering fortified cities such as Alkmaar. But the war effort could not be sustained by either the Duke of Guelders or the Frisians, and in 1524 the house of Habsburg conquered Friesland.
