Page 216 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

214  FR ANCE AND THE L OW C OUNTRIES

By 1555, the Low Countries had passed Napoleon’s defeat, by the Dutch. William I
into the hands of the Spanish Habsburgs, of Orange was appointed King of the
whose Catholic repression of the Netherlands at the Congress of Vienna in
Protestants sparked the 1815, and his autocratic
Dutch Revolt. In the course style, together with a
of the wars that led to series of anti-Catholic
Dutch independence measures, bred
(1568–1648), the considerable discontent,
predominantly Catholic especially among the
southern part of the Low French-speaking
Countries remained under Walloons. An 1830
Spanish rule. In 1700, the uprising ousted the
Spanish Habsburg dynasty Dutch and made
died out, and England, Leopold I king of a
Austria, and other powers newly independent
united to oppose French Belgium. Nine years later,
designs on the region in the Luxembourg, a Grand- Amsterdam
War of the Spanish King Leopold I, the first king of the Belgians, Duchy since 1815, also
Succession. When the war crowned in 1830 gained independence. Hull NORTH NETHERLANDS
came to an end in 1713, the Both countries’ SEA
Treaty of Utrecht transferred Belgium and economies flourished throughout the Zeebrugge A1
Luxembourg to the Austrian Habsburgs. 19th century, but all was eclipsed with Oostende Bruges Antwerp A21
Belgium was again ruled by foreign the start of World War I. In 1940, the Ramsgate (Brugge) N49 (Antwerpen) Albert Kanaal N74
A14
powers between 1794 and 1830. First, by Germans invaded again, this time A18 A17 Ghent Scheldt A12 A1 A13 Dusseldorf
(Gent)
the French Republicans, and then, after under Hitler’s command. Calais Ijzer A10 Mechelen A24 A2 Cologne
Belgium’s history in the latter half Kortrijk N43 BRUSSELS Leuven N2
KEY DATES IN THE HISTORY OF of the 20th century was dominated by A19 A14 (Bruxelles/Brussel) Dijle N3 GERMANY
BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG the ongoing language debate between Escaut N62 A8 A54 Waterloo N29 A3 Liège N3 A3
N5
56 BC Julius Caesar conquers the Low Countries the Flemings and the Walloons. The N6BELGIUM Meuse Verviers
963 AD Count Siegfried establishes Luxembourg constitution was redrawn, creating a A16 A7 A15 Namur N90 A27
1229 Brussels granted its first charter federal state with three separate regions: Mons Charleroi
1430 Under Burgundian rule, Brussels becomes the Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. Sambre Dinant A26
major administrative center of the region Paris Ourthe
1482 The region falls under Austrian sovereignty Language and Culture FRANCE N97
A4 N4
Reims
1519 Charles V becomes Holy Roman Emperor In the north of Belgium, the Flemish N7
1555–1794 Spanish and Austrian rule have their roots in the Netherlands N5 N95 Bastogne Vianden
1794 French Republican armies take over and Germany, while the Walloons of N4 Echternach
1815 Belgium and Luxembourg pass to William I of the south are related to the French. Reims LUXEMBOURG
1
Orange, King of the Netherlands French is one of the official languages Arlon LUXEMBOURG
1830 Belgium gains independence of Luxembourg, as is German, but the
1839 Luxembourg gains independence A13
indigenous language is Letzeburgesch,
1914 Both countries invaded by Germany Saarbrücken
1940 Nazi troops occupy both countries a dialect of German spoken by all.
1958 EEC (now the EU) headquarters set up in Brussels Artistically, Belgium is best known for
1962 Act of Parliament divides Belgium into Dutch- its 17th-century painters (including
and French-speaking regions Rubens, van Dyck, and Jordaens) and
1967 NATO headquarters move to Brussels more recently for its Art Nouveau style
2000 Grand Duke of Luxembourg abdicates in favor of architecture and Surrealist artists,
of his eldest son, Henri such as Magritte. Today, the country
2013 King Albert II of Belgium abdicates in favor of is one of the world’s most popular
his son Philippe
producers of chocolate and beer.

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