Cock-pit of Europe
Preserved but no longer current.
Belgium is so called because it has been the site of more European battles than any other country; among them, Oudenarde (1708); Ramillies (1706); Fontenoy (1745); Fleurus (1794); Jemmapes (1792); Ligny, Quatre Bras and Waterloo (1815); Mons, Ypres and the continuous battles of the World War I; the invasion of the country by the Germans, 1940-45.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Cock-pit of Europe” mean?
Belgium is so called because it has been the site of more European battles than any other country; among them, Oudenarde (1708); Ramillies (1706); Fontenoy (1745); Fleurus (1794); Jemmapes (1792); Ligny, Quatre Bras and Waterloo (1815); Mons, Ypres and the continuous battles of the World War I; the invasion of the country by the Germans, 1940-45.
Is “Cock-pit of Europe” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.