Editing History of Belgium (section)

== United Kingdom of the Netherlands ==

{{Main|United Kingdom of the Netherlands}}

After [[Napoleon]]'s defeat at [[Battle of Waterloo|Waterloo]] in 1815, the major victorious powers (Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia) agreed at the [[Congress of Vienna]] on uniting the former [[Austrian Netherlands]] (''Belgium Austriacum'') and the former [[Dutch Republic|Seven United Provinces]], creating the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]] as a buffer state against any future French invasions. This was under the rule of a Protestant king, [[William I of the Netherlands|William I]]. Most of the small and [[ecclesiastical]] states in the [[Holy Roman Empire]] were given to larger states at this time, and this included the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]] which now became formally part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The [[enlightened despot]] William I, who reigned from 1815 to 1840, had almost unlimited constitutional power, the constitution having been written by a number of notable people chosen by him. As despot, he had no difficulty in accepting some of the changes resulting from the social transformation of the previous 25 years, including equality of all before the law. However, he resurrected the [[Estates of the realm|estates]] as a political class and elevated a large number of people to the nobility. Voting rights were still limited, and only the nobility were eligible for seats in the upper house.

William I was a [[Calvinist]] and intolerant of the Roman Catholic majority in the southern parts of his newly created kingdom. He promulgated the "Fundamental Law of Holland", with some modifications. This suppressed the clergy, abolished the privileges of the Roman Catholic Church, and guaranteed equal protection to every religious creed and the same civil and political rights to every subject. It reflected the spirit of the French Revolution and in so doing displeased the bishops in the south.<ref>Kurth, Godefroid, "Belgium" in [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02395a.htm ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' (1907) online]</ref>

William I actively promoted economic modernization. His authority was shared with a legislature partly chosen by himself and partly elected by the more prosperous citizens under the constitution. Government was in the hands of national ministries of state, and the old provinces were reestablished in name only. The government was now fundamentally unitary, and all authority flowed from the center. The first fifteen years of the Kingdom showed progress and prosperity, as industrialization proceeded rapidly in the south, where the [[Industrial Revolution]] allowed entrepreneurs and labor to combine in a new textile industry, powered by local coal mines. There was little industry in the northern provinces, but most of the former Dutch overseas colonies were restored, and highly profitable trade resumed after a 25-year hiatus. Economic liberalism combined with moderate monarchical authoritarianism to accelerate the adaptation of the Netherlands to the new conditions of the 19th century.

=== Unrest in the southern provinces ===
Protestants controlled the new country, although they formed only a quarter of the population.{{Efn|For a religion map see http://www.quirksmode.org/politics/kuyper.html}} In theory, Roman Catholics had full legal equality; in practice few held high state or military offices. The king insisted that schools in the South end their traditional teaching of Roman Catholic doctrine, even though almost everyone there was of that faith.{{Sfn|Schama|1972|page=86}} Socially, the French-speaking Walloons strongly resented the king's policy to make Dutch the language of government. There was also growing outrage at the king's insensitivity to social differences. According to [[Simon Schama|Schama]], there was growing hostility to the Dutch government.{{Sfn|Schama|1972|page=87}}

Political liberals in the south had their own grievances, especially regarding the king's authoritarian style; he seemed uncaring about the issue of regionalism, flatly vetoing a proposal for a French-language teacher-training college in francophone [[Liège]]. Finally, all factions in the South complained of unfair representation in the national legislature. The south was industrializing faster and was more prosperous than the north, leading to resentment of northern arrogance and political domination.

The outbreak of [[July Revolution|revolution in France]] in 1830 was used as a signal for revolt. The demand at first was Home Rule for "Belgium", as the southern provinces were now being called, rather than separation. Eventually, revolutionaries began demanding total independence.<ref>{{Cite book |first=J. C. H. |last=Blom |first2=E. |last2=Lamberts |display-authors=et al |title=History of the Low Countries |date=1999 |pp=307–312}}</ref>