Editing History of Belgium (section)

== Belgian revolution ==
[[File:Gustave Wappers - Episode of the September Days 1830, on the Grand Place of Brussels - Google Art Project.jpg|right|thumb|''Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830'', [[Egide Charles Gustave Wappers]] (1834), in the Musée d'Art Ancien, [[Brussels]]]]
{{Main|Belgian Revolution}}

The [[Belgian Revolution]] broke out in August 1830 when crowds, stirred by a performance of [[Daniel Auber|Auber's]] ''[[La Muette de Portici]]'' at the Brussels opera house of ''[[La Monnaie]]'', spilled out onto the streets singing patriotic songs. Violent street fighting soon broke out. The liberal bourgeoisie, who had initially been at the forefront of the burgeoning revolution, were appalled by the violence and became willing to accept a compromise with the Dutch.{{Sfn|Cook|2004|pages=59–60}}

On a political level, the Belgians felt significantly under-represented in the Netherlands' elected Lower Assembly and disliked the unpopular Prince of Orange, the future [[William II of the Netherlands|William II]] who was the representative of King [[William I of the Netherlands|William I]] in Brussels. The French-speaking [[Walloons]] also felt ostracised in a majority Dutch-speaking country. There were also significant religious grievances felt by the majority Catholic Belgians.

The king assumed the protest would blow over. He announced an amnesty for all revolutionaries, except foreigners and the leaders. When this did not succeed he sent in the army. Dutch forces were able to penetrate the [[Schaerbeek|Schaerbeek Gate]] into Brussels, but the advance was stalled in the [[Parc de Bruxelles]] under sniper fire. Royal troops elsewhere met determined resistance from revolutionaries at makeshift barricades. It is estimated that there were no more than 1,700 revolutionaries (described by the French Ambassador as an "undisciplined rabble"{{Sfn|Cook|2004|pages=49–54}}) in Brussels at the time, faced with over 6,000 Dutch troops. However, faced with strong opposition, Dutch troops were ordered out of the capital on the night of 26 September. There were also battles around the country as revolutionaries clashed with Dutch forces. Eight Dutch warships bombarded Antwerp following its capture by revolutionary forces.

Belgian independence was not allowed by the 1815 [[Congress of Vienna]]; nevertheless the revolutionaries were regarded sympathetically by the major powers of Europe. In November 1830, the [[London Conference of 1830]] or "Belgian Congress" (comprising delegates from Great Britain, France, Russia, Prussia and Austria) ordered an armistice on November 4. At the end of November Britain and France proposed no military intervention and the establishment of an independent kingdom of Belgium, which was accepted by the other three more conservative participants, who had favored a military intervention.<ref>Witte, Els, "La Construction de la Belgique 1828–1847", in E. Witte, É. Gubin and J.P. Nandrin, G. Deneckere, ''Nouvelle Histoire de Belgique, vol. I: 1830–1905'', p. 73.</ref> A protocol signed on 20 January 1831 stated that Belgium would be formed of the regions that did not belong to the North in 1790. The new kingdom would be obliged to remain neutral in foreign affairs. The British foreign secretary [[Lord Palmerston]] strongly backed the Prince of Orange as the new king. The Prince proved to be unacceptable to William I, his father, as well as to the French. Finally, Palmerston came up with his second choice, [[Leopold of Saxe-Coburg|Leopold I of Saxe-Coburg]], who was accepted by all.<ref>Els Witte, pp. 74–76</ref> On July 21, 1831, the first "King of the Belgians" was inaugurated. The date of his acceptance of the constitution – 21 July 1831 – is marked a national holiday.<ref>Paul W. Schroeder, ''The Transformation of European Politics 1763–1848'' (1994) pp.&nbsp;671–691, 716–718</ref>

The [[Liberalism|liberal]] bourgeoisie hastily formed a provisional government under [[Charles Rogier]] to negotiate with the Dutch, officially declaring Belgian independence on 4 October 1830. The [[Belgian National Congress]] was formed to draw up a constitution. Under the new constitution, Belgium became a sovereign, independent state with a [[constitutional monarchy]]. However, the constitution severely limited [[suffrage|voting rights]] to the French-speaking [[bourgeoisie|haute-bourgeoisie]] and the clergy, in a country where French was not the majority language. The Catholic church was afforded a good deal of freedom from state intervention.

The state of conflict (but not open warfare) with the Netherlands lasted another eight years, but in 1839, the [[Treaty of London (1839)|Treaty of London]] was signed between the two countries and the five [[great power]]s of Europe ([[Austrian Empire|Austria]], [[July Monarchy|France]], [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]], and the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]). By the treaty of 1839, the eastern part of [[Luxembourg]] did not join Belgium, but remained a possession of the Netherlands until different inheritance laws caused it to separate as an independent [[Grand Duchy]] (the western, French-speaking part of Luxembourg became the Belgian province of that name). Belgium lost Eastern [[Province of Limburg (1815–1839)|Limburg]], [[Zeelandic Flanders]], [[French Flanders]] and [[Eupen]]. The Netherlands retained the former two while French Flanders remained in French possession. Eupen remained within the [[German Confederation]]. The five great powers pledged to protect Belgium's neutrality in the future.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Abbenhuis |first=Maartje Maria |date=2013 |title=A Most Useful Tool for Diplomacy and Statecraft: Neutrality and Europe in the 'Long' Nineteenth Century, 1815–1914 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07075332.2012.737350 |journal=The International History Review |volume=35 |pages=5 |doi=10.1080/07075332.2012.737350 |s2cid=153502314}}</ref> In 1914, the violation of Belgium's neutrality would be the stated ''[[Casus belli]]'' of Britain's entry into World War I.<ref name="autogenerated70">{{Cite book |last=Bond |first=Brian |title=War and society in Europe, 1870–1970 |publisher=Fontana Paperbacks |date=1984 |isbn=978-0-0063-5547-2 |location=London |page=70}}</ref>