Flanders and Indepedent Belgium

Figure 1.--.
Belgium In the 19th century was governed as a centralized unitarian state with French as the only language of government, education and the administration of justice, even in the Dutch-speaking provinces like Flanders. This mean that Dutch speaking boys had to go to schools that were taught in French. This of course caused consideral resentment. Native French speakers had an advantage in the schools and in competition for many jobs. A movement started around 1860 to obtain equal rights for Dutch speaking Belgians, but was slow to achieve success--especially under the rule of Leopold II. The Council of Flanders during World War I, believing that the German occupation authorities would encourage secession, proclaimed independence from Belgium on December 22, 1917. This was, however, terminated by German occupation authorities July 25, 1918. The Flemish civil rights movement achieved its first real successes after the World War I (1914-18). The NAZIs on July 29, 1940 during their World War II occupation of Belgium annexed Eupen, Malmedy (site of the SS masacre of American prisoners in the Battlke of the Bulge), and Moresnet to the Reich. I am not sure how the local population reacted. The Flemish civil rights movement gained momentum only after World War II. If the greviances had not been addressed--Belgian probably could not have survived as a united country. The Flemish acquired the right to be taught and judged in Dutch. But even then public life leaned heavily on the use of French. In most schools, French was the "first foreign language" which one was supposed to speak fluently after finishing the sixth form. English was "second foreign language" and considered far less important, being taught only 1-2 hours a week. Under these circumstances, Flanders was, well into the 20th century, some kind of a backwater of the French cultural sphere and out of touch with the world at large. Gradually Flemish schools were able to offer more options. One Dutch reader has provided us information about his Antwerp school. Today the Dutch speaking northern half of Belgium comprises five provinces: from West to East: West-Vlaanderen, Oost-Vlaanderen, Antwerpen, Vlaams Brabant and Limburg. However, the historic medieval county of Flanders was bilingual with both French-speaking and Dutch-speaking areas that are now spread over the provinces of Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen and parts of Northern France, Wallonia, and the Dutch province of Zeeland.

Independent Belgium

Belgium became an independent country in 1830 declaring independence from the Netherlands in 1830. The origins of the independence movement lies primarily in the religious differences between the Protestant Dutch and the Catholics in what is now Belgium. The new state for the first time taking on the name of Belgium. This was a new name, coined after Latin "Belgae" which at the beginning of the Christian era indicated tribes living in roughly pesent day Holland, Belgium, Northern France and parts of Germany.

Belgiam Monarchy: Leopold I (1830-65)

Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg (1790-1865) was the first king of modern Belgium. He was the fourth son of of a German prince--Francis Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield. He had fought in the Russian army during the Napoleonic wars. He lived in England from 1816 through 1830. Leopold married the heiress to the British throne, Princess Charlotte. He married Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince Regent (who became George IV) and became a British subject. He planned to serve as the husband of the Queen. His plans were dashed when the Princess died a year later. He was 40 when a Belgian national congress on June 4, 1831, elected him to be the new nation's king, Leopold I. Leopold turned down the offer of the Greek throne in 1830, but accepted the Belgian crown. Leopold strengthened Belgium's position through skillful diplomacy. After the death of Charlotte, he maired Louise d'Orleans, daughter of the French King Louis Philippe. Leopold had a close rlationship with the British royal family. This was intensifiued when he helped bring a nephew, Prince Albert, and Queen Victoria Albert together at about the same time he became King of Belgium. These familiy ties developed into diplomatic links with Britain becoming a guarantor of Belgian independence. His reign was developed by peaceful development of the country, undisturbed by the uprisings that spread throughout Europe in 1848.

New Nation

At the time of indepndence, there had never been a Belgian nation. The new government successfully instilled a national feeling into its subjects, partly by re-interpreting history. One example of this is the way they interpreted Caesar's De Bello Gallico in which he writes, "Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae." (Of all these the Belgians are the most valiant). They narrowed down the territory of the Belgae to within the borders of the new state and never mentioned Caesar's next sentence: "propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt" (because they are farthest away from the civilization and the culture of the Roman province of Southern France). After independence, Belgium was dominated for years by the French speaking majority in Walonia.

Language Policy

The Dutch-speaking Flemish people are the majority in Belgium, nevertheless, they remained excluded from political decision making for a long time after Belgium became an independent country. Belgium In the 19th century was governed as a centralized unitarian state with French as the only language of government, education and the administration of justice, even in the Dutch-speaking provinces like Flanders. This mean that Dutch speaking boys had to go to schools that were taught in French. This of course caused consideral resentment. Native French speakers had an advantage in the schools and in competition for many jobs. The Dutch language was until the beginning of the 20th century not an official language and Flemish children had to attend French-language schools. All official functions (courts, government documents, ect.,) were all in French. Some Flemish believed that the Belgian establishment, supported by the French speaking south of Belgium, desired to Frenchify Flanders. Other observers report that the dominance of the French language in the early days of the Belgian state had nothing to do with French desires to Frenchify the Flemish, but was simply that French in this part of the world had traditionally been the language of the educated classes and this applied throughout what eventually became Belgium, even in the areas where the ordinary people spoke Dutch. It thus naturally became the language of administration. It was only with universal suffrage in 1893 that the ruling classes had to start taking account of the reality that the language of daily life in more than half the country had always been Dutch. One reader comments, "I am not aware that the establishment ever actually 'wanted to frenchify Flanders' and I'm even more dubious about the claim that France itself ever took any interest in the matter. Certainly in modern times the French state has always had plenty more important things to worry about than the 4 million French-speakers beyond its northern border." Another Belgian reader agrees and adds a historical persenctive to the development of modern political divisions in Belgium. "The problem of Flanders (vlaanderen) in 1900 was not a north-south problem, but a problem between Dutch speaking farmers and workers and French speaking vlaeminck bourgeoisie. This situation is evolving into a north-south split. The origin of Belgium (1830) was a religious division between Dutch protestants and Belgian catholics. Now, the division is north (right -catholics and economicaly affluent) and south (secular and economicaly less affluent)."

Flemish Movement

A movement started around 1860 to obtain equal rights for Dutch speaking Belgians, but was slow to achieve success--especially under the rule of Leopold II.

German World War I Occupation (1914-18)

Germany began World War I by invading Belgium to outflank the French Army (August 1914). The Germans almost won the War in the first weeks of the fighting. The gallant Belgian Army under King Albert I bolstered by the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) managed to slow the Germans, making possible the Miracle on the Marne (September 1914). As the Western Front harfened inton a series of trench lines, all of Flanders as well as most of the rest of Belgium was in German hands. The Council of Flanders during World War I, believing that the German occupation authorities would encourage secession, proclaimed independence from Belgium on December 22, 1917. This was, however, terminated by German occupation authorities July 25, 1918.

Inter-War Years (1918-40)

The Flemish civil rights movement achieved its first real successes after the World War I (1914-18).

NAZI Workld War II Occupation

The NAZI Western Offensive was launched (may 10, 1940) and quickly overwealmed Belgium. King Leopold III surendered the Belgian Army, imperiling the Dunkirk ievacuation. Flanders and this time all of Belgium was once more in German hands. The NAZIs on July 29, 1940 during their World War II occupation of Belgium annexed Eupen, Malmedy (site of the SS masacre of American prisoners in the Battlke of the Bulge), and Moresnet to the Reich. I am not sure how the local population reacted.

Post-War Civil Rights Effort

The Flemish civil rights movement gained momentum only after World War II. If the greviances had not been addressed--Belgian probably could not have survived as a united country. The Flemish acquired the right to be taught and judged in Dutch.

Language Policy

Even after the many achievements of the Flemish Civil Rights movement, public life leaned heavily on the use of French. In most schools, French was the "first foreign language" which one was supposed to speak fluently after finishing the sixth form. English was "second foreign language" and considered far less important, being taught only 1-2 hours a week. Under these circumstances, Flanders was, well into the 20th century, some kind of a backwater of the French cultural sphere and out of touch with the world at large. Gradually Flemish schools were able to offer more options. One Dutch reader has provided us information about his Antwerp school.

Flanders Today

Today the Dutch speaking northern half of Belgium comprises five provinces: from West to East: West-Vlaanderen, Oost-Vlaanderen, Antwerpen, Vlaams Brabant and Limburg. However, the historic medieval county of Flanders was bilingual with both French-speaking and Dutch-speaking areas that are now spread over the provinces of Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen and parts of Northern France, Wallonia, and the Dutch province of Zeeland.





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Created: 11:38 PM 6/25/2004
Last updated: 11:38 PM 6/25/2004