Editing Low Countries (section)

===Modern period===
{{see also|United Kingdom of the Netherlands|Benelux}}
The [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]] (1815–1830) temporarily united the Low Countries again before it split into the three modern countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

During the early months of [[World War I]] (around 1914), the [[Central Powers]] invaded the Low Countries of [[Luxembourg]] and [[Belgium]] in what has been come to be known as the [[German invasion of Belgium (1914)|German invasion of Belgium]]. It led to the German occupation of the two countries. However, the German advance into [[France]] was quickly halted, causing a military stalemate for most of the war. In the end, a total of approximately 56,000 people were killed in the invasion.<ref name="ia800502.us.archive.org">{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/statisticsofmili00grea |title=Statistics of the military effort of the British Empire during the Great War, 1914–1920 |last=Great Britain. War Office |date=14 April 2018 |publisher=London H.M. Stationery Off |access-date=14 April 2018 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

During [[World War II]], when [[Adolf Hitler]]'s gaze turned his strategy west toward France, the Low Countries were an easy route around the imposing French [[Maginot Line]]. He ordered a conquest of the Low Countries with the shortest possible notice, to forestall the French, and prevent [[Allies of World War 2|Allied]] [[air power]] from threatening the strategic [[Ruhr Area]]{{vague?| /  zbxx|date=November 2020}}     of Germany.<ref>Frieser 2005, p. 74.</ref> It would also provide the basis for a long-term air and sea campaign against Britain. As much as possible of the border areas in northern France should be occupied.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/06.html|title= Directive No. 6 Full Text|access-date=5 December 2015}}</ref> Germany's [[Blitzkrieg]] tactics rapidly overpowered the defences of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

All three countries were occupied from May 1940 until early 1945. During the occupation, their governments were forced into exile in Britain. In 1944, they signed the [[London Customs Convention]], laying the foundation for the eventual [[Benelux|Benelux Economic Union]],<ref name=Yapou1>{{cite book|last=Yapou|first=Eliezer|title=Governments in Exile, 1939–1945|year=1998|location=Jerusalem|url=http://governmentsinexile.com/yapouluxembourg.html|chapter=Luxembourg: The Smallest Ally|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023020317/http://governmentsinexile.com/yapouluxembourg.html |archive-date=23 October 2012 }}</ref> an important forerunner of the [[EEC]] (later the [[EU]]).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Park |first1=Jehoon |last2=Pempel |first2=T. J. |last3=Kim |first3=Heungchong |title=Regionalism, Economic Integration and Security in Asia: A Political Economy Approach |date=2011 |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |isbn=9780857931276 |page=96 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ylY7FjtUX-QC&pg=PA96 |language=en}}</ref>