This article is about the specific polity Kingdom of Belgium and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics
Is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. The country was established following the 1830 Belgian Revolution, when it seceded from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which had incorporated the Southern Netherlands after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In the past, the southern Netherlands had been consistently a separate territory than the modern-day Netherlands: it was a predominantly catholic region (the Netherlands were predominantly protestant) and were part of Spain and Austria until the revolutionary wars.
Summary
The Birth of an Independent Belgium (1830-1914) The Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830 after a successful revolt against the Netherlands. The new country was plagued by linguistic and cultural divisions between the Flemish-speaking north and the French-speaking south. Religion and politics were deeply intertwined, with the Roman Catholic church and the monarchy serving as unifying forces.
By the late 19th century, Belgium had developed into an economic powerhouse, with Antwerp as a major commercial center. However, domestic tensions remained, with the Flemish movement growing in strength and demanding greater autonomy. The country's neutrality was challenged just before World War I, leading to its invasion by Germany in 1914.
In the interwar period, Belgium grappled with political instability, the rise of extremist movements like the Rexists, and growing Flemish-Walloon tensions. When World War II broke out, the country was quickly overrun by the German forces. King Leopold III's controversial actions during the war led to a royal crisis after the conflict ended.
In the aftermath of World War II, Belgium sought to assert its role on the international stage, joining international organizations like the European Union. The Congo crisis and the royal issue were major domestic challenges in the immediate postwar years.
Over the following decades, Belgium underwent a gradual transformation into a federal state, with increasing autonomy granted to the Flemish and Walloon regions. This process was driven by the growing linguistic and cultural divide between the two main communities. By the 1990s, Belgium had become a highly decentralized country, with a complex system of power-sharing between the regions.
Establishment
August 1830: On August 25, 1830, after a performance of the romantic-nationalist opera La muette de Portici (The Mute of Portici) by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber at the Brussels Opera, the call of vive la liberté erupted in the audience.
October 1830: With the exception of the municipality of Mook en Middelaar in North Limburg and the cities of Maastricht and Luxembourg (which was a federal fortress of the German Confederation and where Prussian troops were therefore stationed), the whole of Belgium was in the hands of the Freikorps by the end of October.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Was the independence war of Belgium against the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
1.1.Belgian Revolt
Was a revolt in modern-day Belgium against the the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that started the Belgian Revolution.
1.2.Ten Days Campaign
Was a failed military expedition by the United Kingdom of the Netherlands against the secessionist Kingdom of Belgium between 2 and 12 August 1831.
August 1831: Zondereigen was taken by the Dutch.
August 1831: Near Ravels, the Belgian army was rapidly driven into the surrounding forests.
August 1831: The Dutch force was led by Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, while the Belgians were under the command of General Daine. The military occupation of Turnhout was part of the Belgian Revolution, which ultimately led to the independence of Belgium from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
August 1831: On 4 August, the Dutch took the city of Antwerp.
August 1831: The Dutch defeated the Belgian Army of the Meuse near Hasselt.
August 1831: The advance guard of the Belgian Army of the Scheldt, led by General Gérard Leman, was defeated near Boutersem in 1831 during the Belgian Revolution. This led to the territory falling under military occupation by the Netherlands.
August 1831: The next day the Dutch army attacked and defeated the Belgians near Leuven.
August 1831: The French army under Marshal Étienne Gérard crossed the border with Belgium.
August 1831: Fearing a war with France, the Dutch halted their advance in Belgium, and a ceasefire was signed on 12 August. The last Dutch troops returned to the Netherlands around 20 August, while only Antwerp remained occupied. The French troops that had been moved into Belgium to counter the Dutch invasion also left the country.
1.3.Siege of Antwerp
Was a siege conducted by French forces against a Dutch garrison during the Belgian Revolution.
December 1832: The King of the Netherlands, refusing to abandon the citadel at Antwerp, ordered the Dutch General David Hendrik Chassé to hold it at all costs. From the citadel, Chassé bombarded the city of Antwerp, setting fire to hundreds of homes and causing many casualties among the civilian population. The result was a second intervention by the Northern Army of Marshal Gérard, who returned to Belgium on 15 November 1832, to besiege the citadel of Antwerp.
Was a global conflict between two coalitions, the Allies (primarily France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States) and the Central Powers (led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). It was mainly caused by the competition of the western countries over domain in Europe and in the rest of the world with their colonial empires. The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers. The war also caused the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Russian Civil War.
2.1.World War I western Front
Was the theatre of war in western Europe during World War I.
June 1917: Battle of Messines (1917).
July 1917: Battle of Passchendaele.
September 1917: Battle of Passchendaele.
November 1917: Battle of Passchendaele: The Canadian Corps relieved the II ANZAC Corps and took the village of Passchendaele on 6 November.
December 1917: Battle of Passchendaele.
2.1.1.German Offensive in Flanders (World War I)
Was the German offensive in the Flanders at the beginning of World War I.
August 1914: Armies under German generals Alexander von Kluck and Karl von Bülow attacked Belgium on 4 August 1914 and occupied Liege.
August 1914: The first battle in Belgium was the Siege of Liège, which lasted from 5-16 August.
August 1914: The Belgian capital, Brussels, fall to the Germans.
August 1914: Battle of Charleroi.
August 1914: German siege at Namur that lasted from about 20-23 August.
August 1914: Battle of Mons.
August 1914: Siege of Maubeuge.
September 1914: The German Army came within 70 km of Paris but at the First Battle of the Marne (6-12 September).
October 1914: Race for the Sea: German forces arrive in Ypres and Baielleul.
October 1914: Germans take Antwerp.
May 1915: Second Battle of Ypres: by the end of the battle the Ypres salient was compressed, with Ypres closer to the line.
2.1.2.German spring offensive
Was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during the First World War, beginning on 21 March 1918. Following American entry into the war in April 1917, the Germans decided that their only remaining chance of victory was to defeat the Allies before the United States could ship soldiers across the Atlantic and fully deploy its resources.
April 1918: The Lys Offensive was a major German attack on the Western Front during World War I in April 1918. The Germans managed to penetrate Allied lines to a depth of 9.3 mi (15 km).
2.1.3.Hundred Days Offensive
Was a series of massive Allied offensives that led to the collapse of the Western Front and of the German Empire.
August 1918: Allied advancement up to 30 August.
September 1918: Allied advancement up to 25 September.
October 1918: Courtrai is liberated by the British Second Army.
November 1918: Entente advance in central Europe by 11 November 1918.
2.2.Aftermath of World War I
Were a series of treaties and military events that can be considered a direct consequence of World War I.
2.2.1.Treaty of Versailles
Was the treaty that ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allied Powers.
January 1920: Germany was required to recognize Belgian sovereignty over Moresnet.
Was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 (it started sooner in certain regions) between the Axis Powers (mainly Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (mainly the Soviet Union, the U.S.A., the U.K., China and France). It was the war with more fatalities in history. The war in Asia began when Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937. The war in Europe began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The war ended with the complete defeat of the Axis powers, which were occupied by the Allies.
3.1.World War II (Western Front)
Was the Western European theatre of World War II.
3.1.1.German Invasion of Belgium
Was the German Invasion of Belgium during World War II.
May 1940: The Belgian Command withdrew its forces behind the Namur-Antwerp line.
May 1940: Battle of Fort Eben-Emael.
May 1940: When news of the German breakthrough at Sedan reached Prioux, the French withdrew from Gembloux.
May 1940: The outnumbered Belgians abandoned Brussels and the Government fled to Ostend. The city was occupied by the German Army on 17 May.
May 1940: The Germans captured Terneuzen and Ghent that day.
May 1940: The Germans reached the outskirts of Bruges, and captured Ursel.
May 1940: Nevele, Vynckt, Tielt and Iseghem fall on the western and central part of the Leie front.
3.1.2.German Invasion of France
The Battle of France was the German invasion of France during World War II that ended with the French Armistice of Compiègne on 22 June 1940.
3.1.2.1.Central Front of the German Invasion of France (World War II)
Was the front of the Meuse Line during the German invasion of France in World War II.
May 1940: The German advance forces reached the Meuse line late in the afternoon.
May 1940: German advance in Belgium.
3.1.3.Overall Frontline (Belgium and France)
Refers to the battles on the northern French and Belgian front during the German invasion of the region.
May 1940: Frontline of the Battle of Belgium in that date.
May 1940: Antwerp and Suarlee fell to Germany on 19 May.
May 1940: Defensive Perimeter around Dunkirk established. The Germans occupy the surroundings of Dunkirk.
June 1940: Evacuation of British and Belgian forces from Dunkirk completed.
3.1.4.Ardennes Counteroffensive
Was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II.
3.1.4.1.Allied Counteroffensive
Allied military operations to liberate Belgium and Luxembourg during World War II.
January 1945: Territorial changes based on the known frontline of the western front of World War II in that date.
3.1.5.Siegfried Line campaign
Was a phase in the Western European campaign of World War II which involved actions near the German defensive Siegfried Line.
September 1944: Territorial changes based on the known frontline of the western front of World War II in that date.
3.1.5.1.Clearing the Channel Coast
Was a World War II operation undertaken by the First Canadian Army in August 1944 to capture the French coastline along the Strait of Dover.
September 1944: Ostend, a Belgian city and one of the German "channel forts", was liberated in 1944 by Allied forces.
September 1944: The 1st Polish Armoured Division crossed the Belgian border and captured Ypres.
September 1944: Allied troops crossed the Ghent-Bruges Canal against strong opposition.
3.1.5.2.Battle of the Scheldt
Was a series of military operations led by the First Canadian Army, with Polish and British units attached, to open up the shipping route to Antwerp so that its port could be used to supply the Allies in north-west Europe.
October 1944: Allied advances by October 16th in the Low Countries and Belgium, during the Battle of the Scheldt.
November 1944: Allied advances by November 10th in the Low Countries and Belgium, during the Battle of the Scheldt.
3.1.6.Operation Dragoon
Was the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15 August 1944.
3.1.7.Battle of Moerbrugge
Was a three-day battle during the Liberation of Belgium that cleared part of the West Flanders from German troops.
September 1944: Allied liberation of Moerbrugge.
3.1.8.Western Allied invasion of Germany
Was the invasion of the western territories of Germany mainly by the United States, United Kingdom, France and Canada at the end of World War II.
March 1945: Frontline of the western front of World War II in that date.
3.1.8.1.German Offensive on the Western Front during the Allied invasion
Was a offensive of Germany against the Allies that were invading German-occupied Europe during World War II.
December 1944: Territorial changes caused on December 16th 1944 by the German Ardenne Offensive of 1944 ("Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein").
December 1944: Territorial changes caused on December 20th 1944 by the German Ardenne Offensive of 1944 ("Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein").
December 1944: Territorial changes caused on December 25th 1944 by the German Ardenne Offensive of 1944 ("Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein").
3.1.8.2.Operation Grenade
Was the crossing of the Roer river between Roermond and Düren by the U.S. Ninth Army which marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of Germany.
February 1945: Territorial changes based on the known frontline during the Rhineland campaign.
3.2.End of World War II in Europe
Refers to the surrender of Axis forces and the end of World War II and to the territorial changes that were a direct consequence of World War II but happened after the traditional end of the War.
May 1945: After the End of World War II the Western European countries of Germany are reverted to their pre-war borders.
April 1949: On 1 April 1949 (prior to the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany), the border areas in the territories of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate were temporarily divested to Belgium.
August 1958: Belgium returned the German annexed territories on 28 August 1958 through the German-Belgian border treaty of 24 September 1956. The place Losheimergraben and the western part of the Leykaul municipality, as well as some forests, were excluded from this restoration. These areas remained in Belgium, and so did the previously Belgian municipalities of Eupen and Malmedy that had been incorporated into the German Reich in 1940.
January 1831: The 1830 London Conference of major European powers recognized Belgian independence.
April 1839: The western part of Luxembourg left the federation in 1839 after unification with Belgium.
Selected Sources
Battle of the Scheldt. Canadiansoldiers.com. Retrieved on 7 April 2024 on https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/campaigns/northwesteurope/scheldt.htm
Campaign In The West, Situation 4 June 1940. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe%20Med/WWIIEurope13.jpg
Cook, C. / Stevenson, J. (2006): The Routledge Companion to World History since 1914, Routledge, p.3
Cook, C. / Stevenson, J. (2006): The Routledge Companion to World History since 1914, Routledge, p.4
Crossing Of The Rhine, 22-28 March 1945. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe%20Med/WWIIEurope79.jpg
German Ardennes Counter-Offensive, 26 December 1944 16 January 1945. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe%20Med/WWIIEurope73.jpg
NORTHWESTERN EUROPE, 1940 - CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST, 1940 - Situation 21 May and Operations Since 16 May. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://www.westpoint.edu/sites/default/files/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe/WWIIEurope12.pdf
NORTHWESTERN EUROPE, 1940 - CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST, 1940 Situation 16 May and Operations - Since 10 May. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://westpoint.edu/sites/default/files/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe/WWIIEurope11.pdf
Pursuit To The West Wall, 26 August-14 September 1944 United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe%20Med/WWIIEurope66.jpg
Sullivan, G.R.: Ardennes-Alsace p.23. U.S. Army Center of Military Hisotry. Retrieved on 7 April 2024 on https://www.history.army.mil/brochures/ardennes/aral.htm
The Rhineland Campaign, Operations 8 February-5 March & Operations 6-10 March 1945. United States Military Academy West Point. Retrieved on March, 26th, 2024 on https://s3.amazonaws.com/usma-media/inline-images/academics/academic_departments/history/WWII%20Europe%20Med/WWIIEurope76combined.jpg
Williams, M.H. (1989): United States army in World War II - Special Studies - Chronology 1941-1945, p. 530
Williams, M.H. (1989): United States army in World War II - Special Studies - Chronology 1941-1945, p.266
Kingdom of Belgium
