Historical Timeline

Timeline of Belgium

27 dated events spanning the recorded history of Belgium.

Chronology

27 events spanning the history of Belgium. BCE/CE dating.

100 BCE
Belgae
Celtic tribes, called Belgae, settled in the area of Belgium.
200 – 400
The Franks
The Franks, a Germanic tribe, settled in the region of Belgium.
496
Christianity as the state religion
Clovis, king of the Franks, founded a kingdom which included Belgium. He also established Christianity as the state religion.
768
The Carolingian Family
The Carolingian family began to rule the Frankish kingdom.
800
Charlemagne
Charlemagne helped to make Belgium the center of the Frankish kingdom, after he was made king.
900 – 1100
Feudal States -- Major Families
The Carolingians lost most of their power. Feudal states became important in the area. Several families emerged as strong rulers of their provinces. These families included Flanders, Brabant, Hainaut, Limburg, and Namur.
1302
Feudal States
A French army tried to take control of the Flanders are. The local peasants and workers defeated the French army.
1354
Joyeuse Entree
The Duke of Brabant helped to form the Joyeuse Entree. The document granted powers to the church, the towns, and some nobles, so that the Duke could collect taxes.
1477
Austria Rule
Belgium was brought under the rule of Austria when Maximilian of Austria was married to Mary of Burgundy.
1506
Charles V
Charles Maximilian’s grandson inherited the Netherlands (which included present-day Belgium). Charles ascended the throne of Spain in 1516 and later became Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. In 1549 he decreed that the Netherlands be formally joined to the possessions of Spain.

1566
Philip II
Philip II of Spain, Charles’s successor, tried to suppress Protestantism and forbade all trade between his subjects and the outside world, he provoked a rebellion in the Netherlands. This upheaval was partly a religious and economic struggle and partly an attempt to preserve local traditions of self-government.
1648
Treaty of Münster
The Thirty Years War -- A succession of Franco-Dutch victories finally forced the Spanish king, Philip IV, to accept a separate peace with the Dutch in 1648. The south, present-day Belgium and Luxembourg, remained a Spanish domain. By the Treaty of Münster, the Dutch gained some territory on their southern border.
1713
The War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession concluded at Utrecht in 1713 and gave France part of Flanders, including Dunkerque and Lille. The bulk of the territory, however, became the Austrian Netherlands, with a stipulation that its fortresses on the French border be garrisoned by the Dutch.
1792 – 1797
Treaty of Campo Formio
Francis II becomes ruler, Austria becomes embroiled in war with the revolutionary government of France. Belgium is twice occupied by the French army, and the country is formally ceded to France by the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797.
1815
The Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo, the last great battle of the Napoleonic Wars, was fought on Belgian soil. The peace settlement adopted at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 again united Belgium and the Netherlands, this time under a Dutch king, William I.
1830
Declaration of independence from Netherlands
The outbreak of a revolution in France in July 1830 inspired a Belgian uprising in August. Dutch troops were driven from Brussel, and on October 4 a unique coalition of Catholics and Liberals proclaimed Belgian independence. The great powers-Austria, France, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia-accepted Belgian independence from the Netherlands.

Premium ContentJoinORSign In

Instant Access $2

Back to Belgium

Timeline of Belgium

Chronology

Belgae

The Franks

Christianity as the state religion

The Carolingian Family

Charlemagne

Feudal States -- Major Families

Feudal States

Joyeuse Entree

Austria Rule

Charles V