Page 48 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

46  INTRODUCING BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG

The armies of Louis XIV of France bombarding Brussels’s city centre in 1695
Invasion of the Sun King More trouble lay ahead. Following his
The 17th century was a time of great marriage to Maria Theresa, daughter of
religious and political stuggle for Europe. Philip IV of Spain, Louis XIV of France (the
The Thirty Years’ War divided the land along Sun King) felt he had a claim over the
Catholic and Protestant lines. In addition, Spanish Netherlands. After Philip IV died in
Spain was engaged in the Revolt of the 1665, Louis launched the War of Devolution
Netherlands. Under the Peace of Münster, (1667–8), winning Tournai, Kortrijk and
which ended both these wars, Philip IV of Charleroi. He took Bouillon in 1678,
Spain finally recognized the independence Luxembourg in 1684 and Namur in 1692; all
of the United Provinces. The Spanish were subsequently fortified by his ingenious
Netherlands now consisted of a region military architect, the Marquis de Vauban.
more-or-less similar to modern Belgium and However, when Namur was retaken in 1695,
Luxembourg. However, under this treaty, the the piqued Sun King moved his army to
United Provinces gained control of the Brussels. On 13 August 1695, the French
mouth of the River Scheldt, and Antwerp bombarded Brussels from a hill outside
lost its access to the sea – a disaster for the the city, destroying the Grand Place.
city that was not rectified until Napoleon
overturned the ruling 150 years later. Austrian Succession
Subsequent decades were further dogged
by war as Austria and England sought to
stave off French ambitions. When Philip of
Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV, succeeded to
the Spanish throne in 1700, it looked as if the
combined threat of Spain and France would
over whelm the rest of Europe. Emperor
Leopold I of Austria, together with England
and many German states, declared war on
France. The resulting War of the Spanish
Succession raged across Europe for 14 years.
Ratification of the Treaty of Münster, which ended the war
between the United Provinces and Spain Campaigns led by the Duke of Marlborough
Louis XIV, the Sun King
1648 The Thirty Years’ War ends and 1667 Louis XIV of France
the Peace of Münster recognizes the launches a war to claim the
independence of the United Provinces Spanish Nertherlands
1620 1640 1660 1680 1700
1660 Work begins on 1695 French
1618 Beginning of the Thirty the Baroque abbey bombardment of
Years’ War in western Europe church of Grimbergen Brussels destroys the
Grand Place
Altar at Grimbergen
abbey church

046-047_EW_Belgium.indd 46 18/10/16 3:00 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
History Portrait template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 20th August 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm