Editing Liège Province (section)

== History ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=October 2022}}
The modern borders of the province of Liège date from 1795, which saw the unification of the Principality of the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]] with the [[French First Republic|revolutionary French]] Department of the [[Ourthe (department)|Ourthe]] (sometimes spelled Ourte). (Parts of the old Principality of Liège also went into new French départements [[Meuse-Inférieure]], and [[Sambre-et-Meuse]].)

The province of Ourthe, as it was known then, was under [[First French Empire|French control]] during the reign of [[Napoleon]], who visited the city during one of his campaigns. Napoleon ordered the destruction of its vineyards in order to prevent the Liège wine industry from competing with those elsewhere in France{{fact|date=April 2024}}. 

Following [[Abdication of Napoleon, 1815|Napoleon's fall from power]] in 1815, Liège became part of the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], while eastern half of modern [[Verviers]] became part of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. Liège University scholars helped to write the new Dutch constitution after the [[Napoleonic Wars]]{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}}. Despite these contributions there was a widespread perception among the people of Liège that they were discriminated against by the Dutch government due to religious and language differences.

In September 1830, rumors spread of a revolt in Brussels to expel the Dutch. Liège intellectuals responded to these events by contacting Walloon scholars living in Paris to discuss Belgian independence.  A militia was formed to press these demands led by Charlier "Wooden Leg" leading (eventually) to the [[Belgian Revolution|formation of an independent Kingdom of Belgium]].

In the 19th century, the province was an early center of the [[Industrial Revolution]]. Its rich coal deposits and steel factories helped Belgium to form the basis of the region's increasing economic power.

During the 20th century, due to Liège's borders with Germany, it saw fierce fighting in both World Wars. In [[World War I]], Liège's strong line of reinforced concrete military forts temporarily halted the [[German invasion of Belgium (1914)|German advance through Belgium]], giving time to construct trenches in Flanders which subsequently saw some of the worst fighting of that war. It also saw some of the war's worst civilian casualties as the [[German Army (German Empire)|Imperial German Army]] performed [[Collective punishment|collective punishments]] against local villagers for acts of resistance.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hastings|first=Max|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/828893101|title=Catastrophe 1914 : Europe goes to war|date=2013|isbn=978-0-307-59705-2|edition=1st American|location=New York|oclc=828893101}}</ref> In 1925 the [[Eupen-Malmedy|East Cantons]] and [[Neutral Moresnet]], that had become part of Belgium as a result of the [[Treaty of Versailles]], were absorbed into the province of Liège.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.journalbelgianhistory.be/en/system/files/article_pdf/004_OConnell_Vincent_2013_4.pdf|title="Left to their own devices". Belgium's Ambiguous Assimilation of Eupen-Malmedy (1919-1940)|last=O’Connell|first=Vincent|journal=Journal of Belgian History|year=2013|page=16|volume=XLIII|issue=4}}</ref>

In [[World War II]], Liège was the site of major fighting during the [[Battle of the Bulge]]. There, the Germans orchestrated their final offensive move against the combined Allied armies. Malmedy and [[St. Vith|Saint-Vith]] in particular saw intense battles against the [[Nazi Germany|Nazis]]. Malmedy was the site of a [[Waffen-SS]] [[Malmedy massacre|massacre]] of [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] prisoners of war. 

Liège's heavy industry thrived in the 1950s and 1960s{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}}but has been in decline since that time. Nevertheless, Liège remains the last city of Wallonia to maintain a functioning steel industry.{{cn|date=April 2022}}

Liège continues to be the economic and cultural capital of Wallonia, with its university, medieval heritage and heavy industry{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}}.