Belgian War of Independence 1830-1833

Belgium was united with the kingdom of the Netherlands as part of the post-Napoleonic settlement produced by the congress of Vienna in 1815. The relationship between the Dutch in the north and the Belgians in the south was not well balanced and there was substantial resistance to Dutch rule among Belgian Catholics and liberals who, by 1828, demand significant changes to the governance of Belgian territory. Then, news of the successful July Revolution in France inspired Belgian nationalists to seek their own revolution. On August 25, 1830, a crowd rioted in Brussels after the performance of an opera appealing to liberation on the date of ascension of the Dutch king. Violence rapidly spread to other towns but Belgian leaders made efforts to limit it.

Negotiations were held over the following week and a recommendation for an administrative separation of Belgium from Holland was endorsed but the response from The Hague, on September 13th, failed to provide any explicit assurances that this would be done. Moderates in Belgium lost influence as a result. Meanwhile, an army of 14,000 approached Brussels and occupied parts of the city on September 23rd with little opposition only to discover citizens had set up barricades in other parts. After three days of inconclusive fighting, the army withdrew. News of the withdrawal spread quickly and a general uprising soon followed. On October 4th, Belgium declared independence under a provisional government. Near the end of October, Belgian irregulars arrived at Antwerp and the Dutch garrison holding the city retreated to the citadel; a bombardment of the city followed on October 27th for two days. Meanwhile, the great powers met at the Conference of London to discuss the situation and secured a cease-fire on November 4th. After further discussion the conference proclaimed the dissolution of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands on December 20th.

In the months that followed, Belgium proceeded with the formation of an independent state, nominally under the supervision of the great powers. However, the Dutch refused to simply accept losing roughly half of the kingdom without a fight. News of a Dutch army on frontier arrived. On August 2nd, the Dutch army, numbering over 50,000 troops, crossed the border (on what would later be called the ten days campaign). Belgium could muster about 25,000 ill-equipped and untrained soldiers to resist. On August 9th, the two armies met in battle and the Belgians were routed. The great powers authorized a French army to intervene in support of Belgian independence. An army of about 63,000 French troops entered Belgium and confronted the Dutch. An agreement was quickly reached on the withdrawal of the Dutch army but the Antwerp citadel remained under the control of about 5,000 Dutch troops.

By the end of November 1831, the diplomatic negotiations were completed and Belgium was recognized and guaranteed by the great powers as a neutral state but the Netherlands still refused to accept it. In particular, the Antwerp citadel remained under Dutch occupation. After lengthy and fruitless negotiations a combined British and French fleet blockaded the Dutch while a French army once again entered Belgium and laid siege to the citadel at the end of November 1832. The Dutch force held out for twenty-four days. On December 23rd, the Dutch surrendered. A Belgian-Dutch armistice was finally declared on May 21, 1833; Dutch recognition of Belgian independence followed years later on April 19, 1839.

Notes

[1] Correlates of War does not include any battle deaths for the French armies engaged and the fighting in 1831 and 1832 is likely not included. Clodfelter mentions 608 (probably French) KIA for the Antwerp siege and 90 Dutch KIA.

References

Brownstone and Franck, 320, 324; Clodfelter, 286-7; COW515; Dupuy and Dupuy, 843-4; EB1910V3, 675-7.

Category

Intra-State War

Region

Western Europe

Belligerents

Belgians, Netherlands, France, UK

Dispute

Governance, Territory

Initiation Date

March 25, 1830

Termination Date

May 21, 1833

Duration

3 years, 1 month, 27 days
(1154 days)

Outcome

Negotiated Settlement
(Belgian victory)

Fatalities

Total: 1,800
Belgians: 600
France: 600^[1]
Netherlands: 600

Magnitude

3.3