About Belgium

History of Belgium

As the province of Belgica – a name introduced by Caesar – the area now known as Belgium experienced many rulers. During the Early Middle Ages, it was part of the Frankish Empire and was often divided politically during its partitions. Later, it became mostly part of the Holy Roman Empire, splitting into duchies and counties.

From the High Middle Ages to the early modern period, the Flemish cities were one of the two centers of the European economy. These territories eventually came under the rule of the House of Burgundy. After the Burgundian heiress Mary of Burgundy married Maximilian I of Austria in 1477, the Habsburgs inherited the territories. In 1555/56, the Habsburg dynasty split into Spanish and Austrian branches, with the Netherlands assigned to the Spanish Habsburgs.

In 1579, the Catholic Union of Arras and the Calvinist-Protestant Union of Utrecht were formed. The Utrecht Union provinces broke away from Spain in 1581, founding the Dutch Republic. The Arras Union provinces, including Flanders and Brabant, were governed as the Spanish Netherlands by Spanish officials. After the Spanish Habsburgs died out in 1700, the War of Spanish Succession led to the Austrian Habsburgs taking over the Austrian Netherlands in 1714.

In 1789, the absolutist reforms of Joseph II led to the Brabant Revolution and the short-lived United Belgian States in 1790. Revolutionary France annexed the Austrian Netherlands between 1792 and 1794, incorporating them into the French Republic in 1795. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the provinces were assigned to the northern Netherlands, with Brussels as the king’s residence.

During the Belgian Revolution in 1830, the country gained independence from the Netherlands. A parliamentary monarchy was established, and Leopold of Saxe-Coburg became the first king. His son, Leopold II, acquired the Congo as a private colony. After the brutal exploitation of the Congo became internationally known, the territory was transferred to Belgium as a colony in 1908. Congo gained independence in 1960.

In World War I, neutral Belgium was invaded by Germany and almost entirely occupied. German forces committed atrocities against civilians, including massacres and forced labor. After the war, the Versailles Treaty (1919) placed Eupen-Malmedy under Belgian control. A disputed referendum in 1920 led to the region officially joining Belgium in 1925.

In World War II, Belgium declared neutrality but was invaded by Germany in May 1940. It remained occupied until 1944/45, with minorities like Jews and Roma deported to concentration camps. The Ardennes Offensive in late 1944 caused severe destruction in the east. After liberation, Belgium suffered relatively less physical damage than other European nations.

The customs and economic union of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Benelux) was implemented in 1960. Belgium became a founding member of the European Economic Community (EEC).

Post-World War II, Belgian politics focused on federalizing the state to ease tensions between its linguistic regions.