Editing History of Luxembourg (section)

===Crisis of 1867===
{{Main|Luxembourg Crisis}}

In 1867, Luxembourg's independence was confirmed, after a turbulent period which even included a brief time of civil unrest against plans to annex Luxembourg to Belgium, Germany, or France. The [[Luxembourg crisis|crisis]] of 1867 almost resulted in war between France and Prussia over the status of Luxembourg, which had become free of German control when the German Confederation was abolished at the end of the [[Seven Weeks War]] in 1866.

William III, king of the Netherlands, and sovereign of Luxembourg, was willing to sell the grand duchy to France's Emperor [[Napoleon III]] in order to retain [[Limbourg]] but backed out when Prussian chancellor, [[Otto von Bismarck]], expressed opposition. The growing tension brought about a conference in London from March to May 1867 in which the British served as mediators between the two rivals. Bismarck manipulated public opinion, resulting in the denial of sale to France. The issue was resolved by the second [[Treaty of London, 1867|Treaty of London]] which guaranteed the perpetual independence and [[Neutral country|neutrality]] of the state. The fortress walls were pulled down and the Prussian garrison was withdrawn.<ref>Frédéric Laux, "Bismarck et l'affaire du Luxembourg de 1867 à la lumière des archives britanniques," [Bismarck and the Luxembourg Affair of 1867 in Light of British Archives] ''Revue d'histoire diplomatique'' 2001 115(3): 183-202</ref><ref>Herbert Maks, "Zur Interdependenz innen- und außenpolitischer Faktoren in Bismarcks Politik in der luxemburgischen Frage 1866/67," ["The Interdependence of Domestic and Foreign Factors in Bismarck's Policies on the Luxembourg Question, 1866-67] ''Francia'' Part 3 19./20. 1997 24(3): 91-115.</ref>

Famous visitors to Luxembourg in the 18th and 19th centuries included the German poet [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]], the French writers [[Émile Zola]] and [[Victor Hugo]], the Hungarian composer [[Franz Liszt]], and the English painter [[Joseph Mallord William Turner]].