Editing Waterloo, Belgium (section)

==History==
{{unreferenced section|date = February 2015}}
The name of Waterloo was mentioned for the first time in 1102 designating a small hamlet at the limit of what is today known as the [[Sonian Forest]], along a major road linking [[Brussels]], [[Genappe]] and a coal mine to the south. Waterloo was located at the intersection of the main road and a path leading to a small farming settlement in what is now Cense. The crossing can still be found today as the intersection of the Chaussée de Bruxelles with Boulevard de la Cense. Waterloo was a place where travellers and merchants, particularly those carrying coal from the mine to the south, could find rest and protection from bandits.

Waterloo was located in the [[Duchy of Brabant]] created in 1183 with [[Leuven]] as the capital city. The [[Duchy of Brabant]] extended from [[Luttre]] to [['s-Hertogenbosch]] in 1477. [[Brussels]] became the capital city of the Duchy of Brabant in 1267 and the capital city of the [[Burgundian Netherlands]] in 1430.

Waterloo started to develop during the 17th century. A royal chapel was built in 1687 in Petit-Waterloo, and was extended in 1826, becoming the [[Church of Saint Joseph of Waterloo]].

During the late 18th century, whilst the region was under the rule of the Holy Roman Empire, a period of unrest marked the wake of the 1789 [[French Revolution]]. Reforms designed to quell those agitating to bring enlightenment ideas to the region were unsuccessful. In 1794, the French invaded, bringing an end to the region's [[Ancien Régime]], encompassing the monasteries, their official record-keeping, and the privileges of the nobility. 

[[File:The Village of Waterloo (Jones).jpg|thumb|''[[The Village of Waterloo]]'' by [[George Jones (painter)|George Jones]], 1821]]
Up until 1796, Waterloo was divided into two parts, Grand-Waterloo and Petit-Waterloo, depending, respectively, of the parishes of Braine-l'Alleud (Bishopric of Namur) and of Sint-Genesius-Rode (Bishopric of Mechelen). A new system based on municipalities was established under French rule. The municipality of Waterloo was created from Petit-Waterloo detached from Sint-Genesius-Rode and three former hamlets (Grand-Waterloo, Joli-Bois, Mont-Saint-Jean) detached from Braine-l’Alleud. 

In 1813, half of the hamlet of Chenois was detached from Braine-l’Alleud and became part of Waterloo. In 1824, Waterloo grew again as the areas Roussart and Sainte-Gertrude from the Sonian Forest became part of the municipality. Waterloo had 1,571 inhabitants in 1801 and 3,202 in 1846.

In 1795, the invaded territories were divided into nine departments. Some municipalities, including Waterloo, became part of the [[Dyle (department)|Dyle]] department, which became the province of Brabant Méridional in 1815 under Dutch rule, following the defeat of Napoleon. Upon [[Belgian independence]] in 1830, it became part of the province of Brabant.

On 4 September 1944, Waterloo was liberated from German occupation by Allied forces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oorlogsgraven Waterloo - Waterloo - TracesOfWar.nl |url=https://www.tracesofwar.nl/sights/18832/Oorlogsgraven-Waterloo.htm |access-date=2023-09-14 |website=www.tracesofwar.nl |language=en}}</ref>

In 1977, the second half of the hamlet of Chenois was detached from Braine-l’Alleud and became part of Waterloo together with a part of the hamlet next to the Lion.

In 1995, the province of Brabant was divided to match the limits of the administrative regions of Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders created in 1980. The part in which Waterloo is situated became the province of Walloon Brabant.

===Battle of Waterloo===
[[File:Andrieux - La bataille de Waterloo.jpg|thumb|right|[[Clément-Auguste Andrieux]]'s 1852 ''The Battle of Waterloo'']]
{{main article|Battle of Waterloo}}

The [[Battle of Waterloo]] took place near Waterloo on 18 June 1815 between the [[First French Empire]] of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] and the [[Seventh Coalition]] (troops from [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]], the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands|Netherlands]], [[Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover]], [[Duchy of Brunswick|Brunswick]] and [[Duchy of Nassau|Nassau]]), under the main allied commanders, the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Duke of Wellington]] and [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher|Field Marshal von Blücher]].