Editing Leopold II of Belgium (section)

==Domestic reign==
[[File:Koning Leopold II (1835-1909).jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.85|Leopold II in 1875. Portrait by [[Louis Gallait]]]]
[[File:Prestation de serment de Léopold II.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.15|Leopold II at his [[Swearing-in of the Kings of the Belgians|accession to the throne]]]]
Leopold became king in 1865. He explained his goal for his reign in an 1888 letter addressed to his brother, [[Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders]]: "the country must be strong, prosperous, therefore have colonies of her own, beautiful and calm."<ref name="wdvpo" />

Leopold's reign was marked by a number of major political developments. The [[Liberal Party (Belgium)|Liberals]] governed Belgium from 1857 to 1880, and during its final year in power legislated the [[Walthère Frère-Orban|Frère-Orban]] Law of 1879. This law created free, secular, compulsory primary schools supported by the state and withdrew all state support from [[Roman Catholic]] primary schools. The [[Catholic Party (Belgium)|Catholic Party]] obtained a parliamentary majority in 1880, and four years later restored state support to Catholic schools. In 1885, various socialist and social democratic groups drew together and formed the [[Belgian Labour Party|Labour Party]]. Increasing social unrest and the rise of the Labour Party forced the adoption of universal male [[suffrage]] in 1893.

[[File:Atelier Nadar - Léopold II. (1835-1909), König von Belgien seit 1865 (Zeno Fotografie).jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Leopold II, possibly by [[Nadar]], {{circa|1865}}]]
During Leopold's reign other social changes were enacted into law. Among these were the right of workers to form labour unions and the abolition of the ''livret d'ouvrier'', an [[employment record book]]. Laws against child labour were passed. Children younger than 12 were not allowed to work in factories, children younger than 16 were not allowed to work at night, and women younger than 21 years old were not allowed to work underground. Workers gained the right to be compensated for workplace accidents and were given Sundays off.

Leopold's reluctance to use the [[Dutch language]] in public did little to solve the [[History of Belgium#Linguistic conflict|linguistic conflict]] in Belgium and made him more unpopular than his father with the [[Flemish Movement]]. However, his nephew and heir, [[Prince Baudouin of Belgium|Prince Baudouin]], became something of a hero to the Flemings, and Leopold did make some speeches in Dutch shortly before and after Baudouin's premature death in 1891.<ref>{{cite book |last=van Goethem |first=Herman |date=2011 |title=Belgium and the Monarchy: From National Independence to National Disintegration |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W5hfnuo9jH4C&pg=PA49 |location=Brussels |publisher=ASP nv |pages=49–53 |isbn=978-9054876984}}</ref>

The first revision of the [[Belgian Constitution]] came in 1893. [[Universal male suffrage]] was introduced, though the effect of this was tempered by [[plural voting]]. The eligibility requirements for [[senate (Belgium)|the Senate]] were reduced, and elections would be based on a system of [[proportional representation]], which continues to this day. Leopold pushed strongly to enable a royal referendum, whereby the king would have the power to consult the electorate directly on an issue, and use his veto according to the results of the referendum. The proposal was rejected, as it would have given the king the power to override the elected government. Leopold was so disappointed that he considered [[abdication]].<ref name="BMhQe" />

Leopold emphasized military defence as the basis of neutrality, and strove to make Belgium less vulnerable militarily. He achieved the construction of defensive fortresses [[Fortified Position of Liège|at Liège]], [[Fortified Position of Namur|at Namur]] and [[National redoubt of Belgium|at Antwerp]]. During the [[Franco-Prussian War]], he managed to preserve Belgium's neutrality in a period of unusual difficulty and danger.<ref name="EB1911" /> Leopold pushed for a reform in military service, but he was unable to obtain one until he was on his deathbed. The Belgian army was a combination of volunteers and a lottery, and it was possible for men to [[remplacement|pay for substitutes]] for service. This was replaced by a system in which one son in every family would have to serve in the military. According to historian Jean Stengers, Leopold II’s imperialism was driven by economic advantage rather than political grandeur. Leopold sought to maximize profit through efficient exploitation, including forced labor and direct revenue. However, Stengers emphasizes that Leopold’s voracity was not solely for personal enrichment; it was also rooted in patriotism—a desire to ensure Belgium’s prosperity and embellishment.<ref>de Mesquita, B. B. (2007). Leopold II and the Selectorate: An Account in Contrast to a Racial Explanation. Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung, 32(4 (122)), 203–221. <nowiki>http://www.jstor.org/stable/20762247</nowiki></ref>

===Builder King===
[[File:Brussels Cinquantenaire R02.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|The [[Cinquantenaire|Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark]] [[Cinquantenaire Arcade|memorial arcade]] and museums in [[Brussels]], commissioned by Leopold II]]

Leopold commissioned a great number of buildings, urban projects and public works. According to the historians [[Wm. Roger Louis]] and [[Adam Hochschild]], this was largely possible thanks to the profits generated from the [[Congo Free State]], though this is disputed.<ref>Matthew G. Stanard, "King Leopold's Bust. A Story of Monuments, Culture, and Memory in Colonial Europe", in: ''Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History'', 2011, no. 2, {{doi|10.1353/cch.2011.0020}}</ref> These projects earned him the [[epithet]] of "Builder King" ({{langx|nl|Koning-Bouwheer|link=no}}, {{langx|fr|Roi-Bâtisseur|link=no}}). The public buildings were mainly in [[Brussels]], [[Ostend]], [[Tervuren]] and [[Antwerp]], and include the [[Cinquantenaire|Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark]] (1852–1880), [[Cinquantenaire Arcade|memorial arcade]] and complex, the [[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels|Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] (1905–1969)<ref>Vandenbreeden. p. 13</ref> and [[Duden Park]] in Brussels (1881); the [[Hippodrome Wellington]] racetrack (1883), the [[Royal Galleries of Ostend|Royal Galleries]] and Maria Hendrikapark in Ostend (1902); the [[Royal Museum for Central Africa]] and its surrounding park in Tervuren (1898); and [[Antwerpen-Centraal railway station]] in Antwerp (1895–1905).

[[File:Cartoon depicting King Leopold 2 of the Belgians laying the first stone of the Basilica of Koekelberg.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.85|Cartoon depicting Leopold II laying the first stone of the [[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels|Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] in Brussels]]
In addition to his public works, Leopold acquired and built numerous private properties for himself inside and outside Belgium. He expanded the grounds of the [[Royal Castle of Laeken]], and built the [[Royal Greenhouses of Laeken|Royal Greenhouses]], as well as the Japanese Tower and the Chinese Pavilion near the palace (now the [[Museums of the Far East]]). In the [[Ardennes]], his domains consisted of {{convert|6700|ha|-3}} of forests and agricultural lands and the [[châteaux]] of [[Château royal d'Ardenne|Ardenne]], [[Ciergnon Castle|Ciergnon]], Fenffe, Villers-sur-Lesse and Ferage. He also built important [[country estate]]s on the [[French Riviera]], including the [[Jardin botanique "Les Cèdres"|Villa des Cèdres]] and its [[botanical garden]], and the [[Villa Leopolda]].

Thinking of the future after his death, Leopold did not want the collection of estates, lands and heritage buildings he had privately amassed to be scattered among his daughters, each of whom was married to a foreign prince. In 1900, he created the [[Royal Trust (Belgium)|Royal Trust]], by means of which he donated most of his properties to the Belgian nation in perpetuity, and arranged for the royal family to continue using them after his death.

===Attempted assassination===
On 15 November 1902, Italian anarchist [[Gennaro Rubino]] attempted to [[regicide|assassinate]] Leopold, who was riding in a royal cortege from a ceremony at the [[Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula|Church of St. Michael and St. Gudula]] (now Brussels' cathedral) in memory of his recently deceased wife, [[Marie Henriette of Austria|Marie Henriette]]. After Leopold's carriage passed, Rubino fired three shots at the procession. The shots missed the king but almost killed his [[grand marshal]], Count Charles John d'Oultremont. Rubino was immediately arrested and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment;  he died in prison in 1918.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Belgians rejoiced that the king was safe:  later in the day, in the [[La Monnaie|Royal Theatre of La Monnaie]] before ''[[Tristan und Isolde]]'' was performed, the orchestra played [[La Brabançonne|''The Brabançonne'']], which was sung loudly and ended with loud cheers and applause.<ref name="Meuse La 17-11-1902" />  Heads of state and the pope sent telegrams to the king congratulating him for surviving the assassination attempt.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}  After the attack, Leopold replied to a senator: "My dear senator, if fate wants me shot, too bad! (''Mon cher Sénateur, si la fatalité veut que je sois atteint, tant pis''!).<ref name="Meuse La 17-11-1902" />