A Brief History:

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Origins of Belgium

This part of Europe, together with the Netherlands to the north, was for many centuries part of the domain of the Habsburgs, a family dynasty that, over many centuries, provided monarchs to Spain, Austria, Bohemia (Czech Republic today) and the Holy Roman Empire.

By the end of the 16th century the Dutch in the, religiously more protestant, northern Netherlands had started their insurrection that would lead to their eventual independence in 1648. However the, religiously more roman Catholic, Southern Netherlands (modern day Belgium) remained under Hapsburg control (other than a short interlude of French control under Louis XIV) until the Napoleonic Wars when it was re-joined with the Northern Netherlands to form the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

But as a consequence of the Belgium Revolution in 1830, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands split largely on religious grounds and the country of Belgium was formed with the Treaty of London. In this treaty Britain became a guarantor of Belgium’s existence.