Belgian Revolution

The Belgian Revolution was a time when people worked to create an independent Kingdom of Belgium. It started when the southern parts, called the former Southern Netherlands, wanted to leave the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

People in the south were mostly Flemings and Walloons, and many were Roman Catholic. They were not happy with King William I and felt things were unfair. There were also problems like not enough jobs and trouble in factories.

On 25 August 1830, big protests began in Brussels. After watching an opera called La muette de Portici, many people joined the protests. The protests grew, and some people took over factories. The Dutch king sent soldiers, but the protests continued.

Finally, leaders in Brussels declared independence. After talking with other countries in Europe, Belgium's independence was accepted. A new king, Leopold I, was chosen, and Belgium became its own country.

United Kingdom of the Netherlands

After Napoleon lost at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, leaders from many countries met at the Congress of Vienna. They made a new kingdom for the House of Orange-Nassau. This kingdom joined the United Provinces in the north with the former Austrian Netherlands in the south. They wanted to create a strong country to protect Europe from France. Because the United Kingdom kept places like Dutch Ceylon and the Cape Colony that they had taken from the Netherlands during Napoleon's rule, the new kingdom received the southern provinces instead.

Causes of the revolution

The Belgian Revolution happened for a few important reasons. The biggest reason was the difference in religion. The south was mainly Catholic, and the north was Protestant. People in the south felt they did not have enough say in their own matters.

Other reasons included not having enough representatives in the government, because most leaders came from the north. The north also held many important jobs and made most decisions. There were also issues with fair treatment of language and culture, plus economic problems that made life harder for people in the south.

"Night at the opera"

People in Belgium were excited about changes in nearby France. On August 25, 1830, during a special show at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels for the birthday of King William I, something special happened. The show was an opera called La Muette de Portici by Daniel Auber. After one of the songs, many people left the theater and joined protests that had already started. They shouted about their country and took over important places in the city.

The protests grew and continued for several days. The people of Brussels started to organize. King William I sent his sons to try to calm things down. Later, a group was formed to create a new government, and Belgium declared its independence on October 4, 1830.

The European powers and an independent Belgium

On 20 December 1830, the London Conference of 1830 brought together five major European countries: Austria, the United Kingdom, France, Prussia, and Russia. At first, these countries were unsure about Belgium wanting to be independent. The Napoleonic Wars had just ended, and they were still careful.

The French, under the new July Monarchy, supported Belgium's independence. But others, like Russia, Prussia, Austria, and the United Kingdom, wanted the Netherlands to stay united. They were worried the French might take over Belgium later.

In the end, none of these powers sent soldiers to help the Dutch government. Some were busy with their own problems, like Russia dealing with the November Uprising in Poland. Britain began to think that having Belgium as a buffer state between France, the Netherlands, and Prussia would help keep things peaceful.

Accession of King Leopold

Main article: Leopold I of Belgium

See also: Monarchy of Belgium

In November 1830, a group called the National Congress of Belgium was formed to make rules for the new country. They decided Belgium would be a constitutional monarchy, meaning the king would have some limits on his power. By February 1831, they had shared these rules but still did not have a king.

The Congress did not want a king from the Dutch royal family. They thought of three French men but had trouble. Later, they asked Leopold of Saxe-Coburg to be king. At first, he was not sure, but after seeing how happy people were, he agreed. Leopold became King Leopold I of Belgium on July 21, 1831. This day, July 21, is celebrated every year as Belgian National Day.

Post-independence

Ten Days' Campaign

Main article: Ten Days' Campaign

King William was unhappy when Belgium became independent, as it split his kingdom. In August 1831, the Dutch army invaded Belgium in what is called the "Ten Days' Campaign." They took control of Antwerp and won a battle at Hasselt. King Leopold asked France and Britain for help. French troops entered Belgium, and after a battle at Leuven, the Dutch agreed to stop fighting and left.

The Dutch still held Antwerp's citadel and sometimes attacked the city. In 1832, French forces returned and took the citadel. King William did not accept Belgium until 1839, when a treaty finally set the borders.

1839 Treaty of London

Main article: Treaty of London (1839)

In April 1839, a treaty signed by European powers recognized Belgium as an independent and neutral country. It included areas like West Flanders, East Flanders, Brabant, Antwerp, Hainaut, Namur, Liège, and parts of Luxembourg and Limburg. The Dutch kept part of Limburg with its coal fields.

Orangism

Main article: Orangism (Belgium)

Soon after 1830, some people in Belgium wanted to rejoin the Netherlands. This idea was called Orangism after the Dutch royal color orange. It was unpopular with authorities. During this time, there were some violent incidents, and later expressions of Orangism were banned.

Anniversary remembrances

The 50th anniversary of Belgium's independence led to the creation of the Cinquantenaire park complex in Brussels.

In 2005, Belgium celebrated 175 years since its revolution with a special 100 euro coin. The coin showed a detail from a painting called Scene of the September Days in 1830.