Béthune

Town in the Pas-de-Calais département of northern France, 30 km/19 mi southwest of Lille; population (1990) 25,200, conurbation 120,000. Industries include the manufacture of textiles, machinery, beet sugar, and tyres. Béthune was formerly a centre for coal mining, but this has now been supplanted by the automobile industry. The church of St Vaast is of historical interest, part of it dating from the 13th century; it also has a 14th–16th-century belfry.

History Béthune dates from the 11th century, but did not come under French rule until ceded to Louis XIV in 1678 by the Treaties of Nijmegen. The town was severely damaged in both world wars. During World War I it was the principal railhead for Allied forces north of the River Lys, providing connections with the Channel ports, and was the scene of heavy fighting, especially during German drives to capture the town in 1915 and 1918.