Belgian Revolution

The Belgian Revolution was a conflict that led to the creation of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. It began when the southern provinces, mainly the former Southern Netherlands, decided to separate from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The people in the south were mostly Flemings and Walloons, and they were traditionally Roman Catholic, unlike the mostly Protestant people in the north. Many people were unhappy with the rule of King William I, feeling it was unfair. There were also many problems, like high unemployment and trouble in factories.

On 25 August 1830, big protests broke out in Brussels. After a popular opera called La muette de Portici, many people joined the protests. Soon, protests spread across the country, and some people even took over factories and broke machines. The Dutch king sent soldiers, but the protests kept going, and leaders began to talk about leaving the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Eventually, a new government in Brussels declared independence. After some discussions with other big countries in Europe, Belgium's independence was recognized. A new king, Leopold I, was chosen, and Belgium became its own country.

United Kingdom of the Netherlands

After Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, leaders from many countries met at the Congress of Vienna. They decided to create a new kingdom for the House of Orange-Nassau. This new kingdom joined together the United Provinces in the north with the former Austrian Netherlands in the south. The goal was to make a strong country as a protection between France and the rest of Europe. When 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 was given the southern provinces instead.

Causes of the revolution

The Belgian Revolution happened because of several important reasons. The main reason was the difference in religion between the south, which was mainly Catholic, and the north, which was Protestant. The people in the south also felt they did not have enough control over their own affairs.

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

"Night at the opera"

People in Belgium were excited about big changes happening 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 in the audience left the theater and joined protests that had already started. They shouted slogans 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 and get ready for more challenges. 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 gathered 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 the countries were still cautious. The French, under the new July Monarchy, supported Belgium's independence, but others like Russia, Prussia, Austria, and the United Kingdom preferred the Netherlands to stay united because 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 be helpful to 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 create rules for the new country. They decided Belgium would be a constitutional monarchy, meaning the king would have limits on his power. By February 1831, they had announced these rules but did not yet have a king.

The Congress did not want someone from the Dutch royal family to rule. They considered three French men but faced opposition. Later, they asked Leopold of Saxe-Coburg to be king. At first, he was unsure, but after thinking about it and seeing the happy welcome from people, 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 with Belgium's independence, which split his kingdom and affected his finances. In August 1831, the Dutch army invaded Belgium, known as 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 withdrew.

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, a movement called Orangism after the Dutch royal color orange. This idea was unpopular with authorities. Between 1831 and 1834, there were violent incidents against Orangists, and in 1834, expressions of Orangism were banned with heavy penalties.

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.