United Kingdom of the Netherlands

Kingdom of the Netherlands
*Koninkrijk der Nederlanden* (Dutch)
*Royaume des Belgiques* (French)^[1]
Kingdom of the Netherlands Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (Dutch); Royaume des Belgiques (French)
1815–1839
	Flag Coat of arms
	Motto: semi-constitutional monarchy
King
• 1815–1830	William I
Legislature	Late modern period
• Congress of Vienna	16 March 1815
• Constitution adopted	24 August 1815
• Belgian Revolution	25 August 1830
• Treaty of London	19 April 1839
Population
• 1817	5.563.119
Currency	Dutch guilder
ISO 3166 code	NL
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands
	First French Empire
	Provisional Government of Belgium (1814–1815)
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Duchy of Limburg
Luxembourg
Belgium
Neutral Moresnet
Today part of	Netherlands; Belgium; Luxembourg

The United Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; French: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; French: Royaume des Belgiques) as it existed between 1815 and 1830. The United Netherlands was created in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars through the fusion of territories that had belonged to the former Dutch Republic, Austrian Netherlands, and Prince-Bishopric of Liège in order to form a buffer state between the major European powers. The polity was a constitutional monarchy, ruled by William I of the House of Orange-Nassau.

The polity collapsed in 1830 with the outbreak of the

Kingdom of Belgium

.

Background

Before the

polities created by the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648). The Dutch Republic in the north was independent; the Southern Netherlands was split between the Austrian Netherlands and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège^[2] - the former being part of Habsburg monarchy, while both were part of the Holy Roman Empire. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, the War of the First Coalition broke out in 1792 and France was invaded by Prussia and the Holy Roman Empire. After two years of fighting, the Austrian Netherlands and Liège were captured by the French in 1794 and annexed into France.^[3] The Dutch Republic collapsed in 1795 and became a French client state.^{[citation needed}

]

Creation of the United Netherlands

In 1813, the Netherlands was liberated from French rule by Prussian and

Great Powers secretly agreed to the Eight Articles of London which allocated the region to the Dutch as William had advocated. That August, William Frederik was made Governor-General of the Southern Netherlands and the Prince-Bishop of Liège, which combined are almost all of what is now Belgium. For all intents and purposes, William Frederik had completed his family's three-century dream of uniting the Low Countries under a single rule.^{[citation needed}

]

Discussions on the future of the region were still ongoing at the Congress of Vienna when Napoleon attempted to return to power in the "Hundred Days". William used the occasion to declare himself king on 16 March 1815 as William I. After the Battle of Waterloo, discussions continued.^{[citation needed]}

In exchange for the Southern Netherlands, William agreed to cede the

Principality of Orange-Nassau and parts of the Liège to Prussia on 31 May 1815. In exchange, William also gained control over the Duchy of Luxembourg, which was elevated to a grand duchy and placed in personal union with the Netherlands, though it remained part of the German Confederation.^{[citation needed}

]

A British cartoon, satirising the "wedding" of Belgium and the Netherlands at the Congress of Vienna
William I in March 1815 as King of the Belgians and Grand Duke of Luxembourg on a bronze medal by Michaut, obverse.
On the back of this medal commemorating the unification of the Low Countries: Belgium and the Netherlands shake hands.

Government

Constitution and government

Though the United Netherlands was a constitutional monarchy, the king retained significant control as head of state and head of government. Beneath the king was a bicameral legislature known as the States General with a Senate and House of Representatives.^{[citation needed]}

From the start, the administrative system proved controversial. Representation in the 110-seat House of Representatives, for example, was divided equally between south and north, although the former had a larger population. This was resented in the south, which believed that the government was dominated by northerners. Additionally, the king had somewhat greater power than is the case for Dutch and Belgian monarchs today. Most notably, the ministers were responsible solely to him.^{[citation needed]}

Provinces

Map of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands

The United Netherlands was divided into 17 provinces and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg which was constitutionally distinct. All of these provinces can trace their origin to a medieval

Duchy of Gelderland

). Their status changed when they came under French rule, when their administration was centralised, reducing their powers. They included:

Province	Emerged from the former Départements	Members in the House of Representatives^[4]	Presently part of	Later developments
Antwerp (Dutch: Antwerpen)	Southern part of Deux-Nèthes (Dutch: Twee Neten)	5	Belgium
Drenthe (Dutch: Drente)	southern part of Ems-Occidental (Dutch: Westereems)	1	Netherlands
Friesland	Frise	5	Netherlands
Gelderland	Yssel-Supérieur (Dutch: Boven-IJssel)	6	Netherlands
Groningen	Northern part of Ems-Occidental (Dutch: Westereems)	4	Netherlands
Hainaut (Dutch: Henegouwen)	Jemmape	8	Belgium
Holland	Bouches-de-la-Meuse (Dutch: Monden van de Maas) and western part of the Zuyderzée (Dutch: Zuiderzee)	22	Netherlands	1840 divided in the provinces North Holland and South Holland
Limburg	Meuse-Inférieure (Dutch: Nedermaas)	4	Nederland	From 1839 onwards divided into the Belgian province of Limburg and the Duchy of Limburg, which became the Dutch province of Limburg in 1866.
Liège (Dutch: Luik)	Largest part of Ourthe	6	Belgium
Namur (Dutch: Namen)	Western part of Sambre-et-Meuse (Dutch: Samber en Maas), part of the Ardennes	2	Belgium
North Brabant (Dutch: Noord-Brabant)	Bouches-du-Rhin (Dutch: Monden van de Rijn), northern part of Deux-Nèthes (Dutch: Twee Neten), eastern part of the Bouches-de-l'Escaut (Dutch: Monden van de Schelde)	7	Netherlands
East Flanders (Dutch: Oost-Vlaanderen)	Southern part of the Escaut (Dutch: Schelde)	10	Belgium
Overijssel	Bouches-de-l'Yssel (Dutch: Monden van de IJssel)	4	Netherlands
Zeeland	Western part of the Bouches-de-l'Escaut (Dutch: Monden van de Schelde) and northern part of the Escaut (Dutch: Schelde)	3	Netherlands
South Brabant (Dutch: Zuid-Brabant)	Dyle (Dutch: Dijle). Since 1831 the Province of Brabant.	8	Belgium	1831 renamed Province of Brabant, 1995 divided into the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant with the Brussels Capital Region.
Utrecht	Southeastern part of the Zuyderzée (Dutch: Zuiderzee)	3	Netherlands
West Flanders (Dutch: West-Vlaanderen)	Lys (Dutch; Leie)	8	Belgium

The United Netherlands was also a colonial power with overseas colonies in the East Indies and elsewhere.^{[citation needed]}

Economic policy

Economically, the United Netherlands prospered. Supported by the state, the Industrial Revolution began to affect the Southern Netherlands where a number of modern industries emerged, encouraged by figures such as John Cockerill who created the steel industry in Wallonia. Antwerp emerged as major trading port.^{[citation needed]}

William I actively supported economic modernisation. Modern universities were established

Brussels–Charleroi canals.^{[citation needed}

]

Language policy

Willem I felt that one nation must have one language and began a policy of Dutchification in politics and education. In the southern provinces of Antwerp, East-, West-Flanders, Limburg (1819), and the bilingual South Brabant (1823); Dutch was made the sole official language. While in the Walloon provinces of Hainaut, Liège, Namur; French was maintained as official language but Dutch was gradually introduced into education. Although French was still used to some degree in administration in both North and South.^[5] In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, French was the de facto official language while German was used in education.^{[citation needed]}

Regional tensions

Differences between Southern and Northern Netherlands were never totally resolved. The two were divided by the issue of religion because the south was strongly

conservatives against Dutch rule.^{[citation needed}

]

Belgian Revolution and secession

The Belgian Revolution broke out on 25 August 1830, inspired by the recent July Revolution in France. A military intervention in September failed to defeat the rebels in Brussels, radicalising the movement. Belgium was declared an independent state on 4 October 1830. A constitutional monarchy was established under King Leopold I.^{[citation needed]}

William I refused to accept the secession of Belgium. In August 1831, he launched the

Ten Days' Campaign, a major military offensive into Belgium. Though initially successful, the French intervened to support the Belgians and the invasion had to be abandoned.^[8] After a period of tension, a settlement was agreed at the Treaty of London in 1839. The Dutch recognised Belgian independence, in exchange for territorial concessions.^[9] The frontier between the two countries was finally fixed by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1843. Luxembourg became an autonomous state in personal union with the Dutch, though ceding some territory to Belgium.^{[citation needed}

]

References

^ La parenthèse française et hollandaise (1795-1830), Encyclopædia Universalis. Retrieved on 4 July 2021.
^ S Marteel, The Intellectual Origins of the Belgian Revolution (2018) p. 23
^ A W Ward, The Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy 1783-1919 Vol I (Cambridge 1922) p. 263
^ Karl Heinrich Ludwig Pölitz (1817). "Die Constitutionen der europäischen Staaten seit den letzten 25 Jahren, Band 2". Google Books. Leipzig, Brockhaus. p. 495.
^ "Structuur en geschiedenis van het Nederlands :: Niederländische Philologie FU Berlin". neon.niederlandistik.fu-berlin.de. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
^ S Marteel, The Intellectual Origins of the Belgian Revolution (2018) p. 4
^ D Richards, Modern Europe (London 1964) p. 86-7
^ D Richards, Modern Europe (London 1964) p. 88
^ D Richards, Modern Europe (London 1964) p. 89

Notes

^ The Kingdom did not cease to exist at this time and continues to the present day; however; this is when Belgium and Luxembourg were no longer under the jurisdiction of the Dutch Crown and both became independent sovereign states.

Bibliography

ISBN 9780198221081
.

External links

Media related to United Kingdom of the Netherlands at Wikimedia Commons

[1] La parenthèse française et hollandaise (1795-1830), Encyclopædia Universalis. Retrieved on 4 July 2021.

[3] S Marteel, The Intellectual Origins of the Belgian Revolution (2018) p. 23

[4] A W Ward, The Cambridge History of British Foreign Policy 1783-1919 Vol I (Cambridge 1922) p. 263

[poelitz1817-5] Karl Heinrich Ludwig Pölitz (1817). "Die Constitutionen der europäischen Staaten seit den letzten 25 Jahren, Band 2". Google Books. Leipzig, Brockhaus. p. 495.

[6] "Structuur en geschiedenis van het Nederlands :: Niederländische Philologie FU Berlin". neon.niederlandistik.fu-berlin.de. Retrieved 2021-07-08.

[7] S Marteel, The Intellectual Origins of the Belgian Revolution (2018) p. 4

[8] D Richards, Modern Europe (London 1964) p. 86-7

[9] D Richards, Modern Europe (London 1964) p. 88

[10] D Richards, Modern Europe (London 1964) p. 89

[2] The Kingdom did not cease to exist at this time and continues to the present day; however; this is when Belgium and Luxembourg were no longer under the jurisdiction of the Dutch Crown and both became independent sovereign states.

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v t e Belgian Revolution and the independence of Belgium (1830–1839)
Belgian Revolution	Belgian Revolution Rattachism Orangism La muette de Portici (August 1830) La Brabançonne (August 1830) Provisional Government of Belgium (September 1830 – February 1831) National Congress of Belgium (November 1830) Constitution of Belgium (February 1831)
First Belgian monarchs	Érasme, Baron Surlet de Chokier (Regent ; February 1831 – July 1831) King of the Belgians ; July 1831 – December 1865)
Important figures	Charles Niellon Alexandre Dechet (Jenneval) Frédéric de Mérode Juan Van Halen (see also List of members of the National Congress)
Provisional Government	Alexandre Gendebien André Jolly Charles Rogier Louis de Potter Sylvain Van de Weyer Feuillien de Coppin Félix de Mérode Joseph Vanderlinden Emmanuel Van der Linden d'Hooghvorst
de Gerlache Government	Étienne Constantin de Gerlache Charles de Brouckère Alexandre Gendebien Albert Goblet d'Alviella Sylvain Van de Weyer
Lebeau I Government	Joseph Lebeau Étienne de Sauvage Charles de Brouckère Paul Devaux
United Kingdom of the Netherlands	King William I Prince William Ten Days' Campaign (August 1831) Siege of Antwerp (1832)
Treaties	London Conference of 1830 Treaty of the Eighteen Articles (1831) Treaty of London (1839) Treaty of Maastricht (1843) Iron Rhine Treaty (1873)
Monuments and honours	Monument to the Martyrs of the 1830 Revolution Congress Column Civic Guard Merit Medal 1830 Star of Honour Iron Cross 1830 Volunteers' Commemorative Cross