THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS The Powers were determined not to leave France in possession of Belgium. It could not be given back to the Austrian emperor, who in any case did not desire it. Under the influence of England it was decided to unite it in a single State with the old Republic of the United Provinces, and thus to constitute a new barrier better capable of resisting future French expansion than that of 1715. The Kingdom of the Netherlands, the existence of which was confirmed by the Treaty of Vienna (June 1815) , was thus established for the convenience of Europe, regardless of the wishes of the Belgians and the Dutch who would have to live side by side in one country. Prince William of Orange ascended the throne on March 16, 1815, under the title of William I.
William I.—The new ruler was faced with the task of assimi lating two peoples which for the last 200 years had had strikingly contrasted customs, economic interests, ideas and above all re ligions, the one being Catholic and the other Protestant. The Fundamental Law (Grondwet) of the new kingdom gave the Belgians and Dutch an equal number of representatives in the States-General, although the population of Belgium was three and a half millions and that of Holland only two millions. It also recognized religious liberty, and this was obnoxious to the Catho lic Church. Finally, it gave extremely wide powers to the king, who was Dutch and Protestant. All these provisions were offen sive to the Belgians. The king laid the Constitution before the "notables" for adoption ; they rejected it, but it was nevertheless promulgated. During the first few years, however, the situation appeared to be not unsatisfactory. Belgium began to assume the industrial character which has distinguished it ever since. Ant werp once more became an important port. The cotton spinning industry at Ghent, the manufacture of linen at Verviers, and the coal-mining industry in the Liege and Hainault districts attained even greater prosperity than during the French occupation. The Dutch colonies provided new markets for export.
The king also endeavoured to promote education, which, with the support of the opponents of the old were appre hensive of the influence of the Church, he organized under the auspices of the State. Universities were founded at Ghent, Liege and Louvain; "Athenees" were created; the independent, i.e., ecclesiastical, schools were subjected to inspection. On June 14, 1825, a "Philosophical College" was set up at Louvain, and seminarists were required to attend it. These measures revived the hostility of the clergy. The substitution of Dutch for French as the official language irritated the middle classes, which had been affected by French influence. Finally, there grew up a liberal party which attacked the king's prerogatives in the name of parliamentarianism.
William, who was naturally obstinate, persisted in his plans. The opposition journals were prosecuted, but this only increased the strength of the movement. It became irresistible when, in 1828, the Liberals and the Catholics, who up till then had opposed one another, concluded the "union of parties." A general petition for the redress of grievances was organized, and by Nov. 1829 had obtained over 300,00o signatures. The king's refusal to yield was bound to lead to a revolution. All foreign observers were united in expecting such a development as early as 1829. The Paris revolution of July 183o was thus not the cause of that which broke out in Brussels a few weeks later; but it fired the train.
The Belgian Revolution.—The disturbances broke out on Aug. 25, of ter a performance of La Muette, an opera abounding in appeals to liberty. The authorities were taken by surprise and lost their heads; the troops retired, without resistance, on the royal palace. On the following day a citizens' guard was organized under the command of Emmanuel d'Hoogvorst, and took over the duties of the lawful authorities. Disturbances at once broke out in the provinces in sympathy with those in the capital, and the red, yellow and black flag which had been the sign of the Brabancon Revolt began to be shown. No one, however, yet contemplated the overthrow of the dynasty. All that was demanded was the administrative separation of Belgium and Holland.
The king failed to realize the importance of the movement, and still thought that it could be suppressed. He hurriedly sent his sons to Brussels at the head of a small body of troops. They found the town prepared for resistance, and as they did not dare to risk a fight, the prince of Orange, the heir to the throne, con sented to parley with the rebels. He was unsuccessful, and on Sept. 3 he left Brussels, taking the garrison with him.
While the king was summoning the States-General at The Hague, volunteers were flocking into Brussels. Charles Rogier (q.v.) arrived at the head of a troop of Liegeois. French repub licans came to foment the revolt. All regularly constituted author ity was abolished. Wilbur', who hoped to obtain the support of the moderates, sent his second son, Prince Frederick, to occupy the town. His troops entered Brussels on Sept. 23, but were received by the population with a fusillade which checked their advance. After three days' fighting they retreated, and the volun teers and the citizens' guard, whose numbers were swollen by contingents from all parts of the country, victoriously pursued them to Antwerp.
The Provisional Government.—On the evening of Sept. 23 there had been constituted an "administrative committee" which took the title of provisional Government. It included Rogier, d'Hoogvorst, Joly, F. de Merode, Gendebien, Van de Weyer, and after the 28th, L. de Potter. This revolutionary Government took no further notice of the States-General, which on the 29th voted in favour of the separation of the two parts of the king dom. It also refused to negotiate with the prince of Orange, whom the king had sent to Antwerp, and who, exceeding his in structions, went so far as to recognize the Belgians as an "inde pendent nation." On Oct. 4, the provisional Government had itself proclaimed national independence, paying no attention either to the king or to the Powers which had set up the kingdom of the Netherlands. The revolt was thus not merely against William, but also against Europe. On the same day as it proclaimed national independence, the provisional Government summoned a congress to draw up the constitution of the country. The congress met on Nov. i o.
In the meantime, the Belgians had captured Antwerp. Gen. Chasse maintained his position in the citadel, and bombarded the town from there. The only result was to exacerbate the hatred felt for the king and the dynasty. On Nov. 24 the congress voted the perpetual exclusion of the house of Orange from the throne of Belgium.
The London Conference.—William had already appealed to the Powers to intervene, and in November, at the proposal of Great Britain, a conference of ambassadors was called in London. The main object was to avert a European war, which would have been the inevitable consequence if France had intervened in Belgium. Under the influence of France and Great Britain, Russia (which was paralysed by the Polish rising), Prussia and Austria consented to give up the principle of legitimacy. On Dec. 20, the conference imposed an armistice on William and the Belgians, invited the provisional Government to send a deputa tion, and declared the dissolution of the Kingdom of the Nether lands. A month later, on Jan. 20, 1831, it decided that Belgium should be an independent and perpetually neutral State, not guar anteed by the Powers.