The FN 1900 is a classic John Browning design that put affordable, reliable semi-automatic pistols in the hands of the common man. The simple blowback guns were small enough to carry in a pocket, and .32acp was considered more than adequate for personal defense at the time.
The FN 1900 kicked off a revolution whereby manufacturers in Europe and the United States were scrambling to produce pistols to fulfill similar roles, and this period of time in history produced some spectacular handguns for personal protection.