What were other important dates in Belgium?

Answer 1

Other then what? Anyway...

1384, 1482, 1555, 1609, 1714, 1790, 1793, 1795, 1815, 1830, 1831, 1839, 1880, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1934, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1945, 1960, 1962, 1970, 1980, 1988-'89

1384: the Low Countries (Belgium (+Artois and Picardie), the Netherlands, Luxemburg) are united under one crown for the first time, what we call now Flanders and Wallonia have been in one nation ever since.

1482: Mary of Burgundy falls of her horse without heir, she is however married with Maximillian of Habsburg of Austria.

1555: Charles V units the Low Countries (Belgium (+Artois and Picardie), the Netherlands, Luxemburg, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain and the original Habsburg empire.

1609: End of the 12-years truce, it is also the end of the first de facto Belgian independence.

1714: end of the War or Spanish succession, Belgium becomes part of the Austrian Empire.

1790: Due to, for the Belgian establishment, unacceptable, liberal reforms, Belgium that has been silent for centuries, erupts in revolution and drives the Austrian Army back into Luxembourg, where the Austrians hold the citadel. The United Belgian States are founded. The experiment fails the same year.

1793: start of the Industrial revolution in Belgium, the second nation in the world. Belgium does so by attracting engineers from the UK and by smuggling steam engines out of the UK.

1795: France invades the Austrian-Netherlands, once they are repulsed but the second time Austro-Belgian troops are overwhelmed.

1815 Belgium and the Netherlands form the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In France Napoleon is back and he reasons that if he wants to rise up again he needs the Belgian industry, leading his troops into Belgium. Allied troops and French armies clash at Waterloo.

1830: initially all went well with the United kingdom of the Netherlands (UKN). But in 1820 Belgian industrials want a more liberal government and more freedom to run their businesses. Belgian catholics are discontented by the Protestant King and the Francophone elites are discontented by the advantages Dutch gets over their language: French. In 1830 the bomb bursts and the Dutch are not able to contain the rebellion. The Army and Schutterij only work in parts of the North. In Brussels and Leuven as well as in Namur and Liege the rebels are the boss. the Brabantian Flag, with the same colours as in 1790 becomes the symbol of the revolt. Mass desertion of Belgian soldiers in the Dutch army make that army collapse. At that time both Flanders and Antwerp are the only provinces still in hands of the Dutch. When Dutch soldiers are not able to gain Brussels back the bomb bursts even more and spreads all over Belgium and Luxembourg and the whole of Limburg. Luxembourg was part of the German Confederation and the citadel where the Austrians retreated in was then occupied by Prussian troops.

A Belgian invasion to gain access to the Schelde in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen fails.

In Limburg and Luxembourg the situation is similar the entire territory is in Belgian hands except the capital.

1831: The Belgian Army is laying siege to the Antwerpian citadel and to Maastricht. The Belgian Army is thus devised in two parts, when the Dutch invade, not to capture Belgium but to weaken it's diplomatic situation severely.

The Dutch invade in meet only sporadic Belgian defenses. The Maastricht army leaves and attacks the Dutch routing an important part, but fails to use the advantage. Whether the Belgian general was plain stupid, scared or bribed we don't know, but his actions give the Dutch the possibility to rout the Belgian Army, which they do. When French troops enter Belgium a quick peace is concluded, the Dutch may march in triomf through Leuven and the get the hell out of Belgium.

Also King Leopold II of the Belgians ascend to the throne.

1839: the Dutch accept the protocol: half Limburg and Luxembourg are ceded to the Netherlands and both become part of the German Confederation. For the Limburgians and Luxembourgians this is a serious disappointed.

1880: King Leopold II finally gets his colony, even though the Belgian government, nor the public opinion are in favour, let alone care about having a colony. Until the Rubber Rush the King won't make any profits, spend all his money on borrow money from the Belgian State, and ultimately consider giving the colony to Belgium who readies herself already, but without enthusiasm.

1909, the world and Belgium think it has been enough, some parts of the Congo have suffered severely. Giving large parts of the colony away to companies was not a good idea. Belgium takes the colony over, even though the rubber rush is over.

1914: start of WWI Belgium is the first nation to feel what is coming for the next couple of years, from her best friend and ally: Germany. The decision to fight back according the treaties of 1839 and in the hope France's army is stronger then Germany's, is quickly taken.

1918 The Belgian army has had 4 years to train and re-equip making it one of the more efficient armies on the western front, 1/3 of all Belgian casualties fall during the last offensive which leads the Belgian army to the gates of Ghent before a cease-fire is signed.

1925: Belgium get's it's repayment: Eupen and Malmedy.

1934: death of the Soldier-King Albert I, there are doubts if it was an accident or murder. But an accident is more likely.

1936: Belgium breaks with everybody and re-institutes neutrality. Also 25% of Belgium's national budget is spend on the army.

1940: Hitler has been proven unsure: he is afraid of the Belgian Army (that it will make his plans fail, like it did in 1914). He estimates the German Army will need 1 million soldiers to beat the 600 000 Belgians.

The Allied camp is not so allied. The Belgians want to cooperate, but the British don't want to talk to the Belgians. In the Ardennes small Belgian squads destroy bridges, tunnels and roads. These squads are defended by small contingent of elite troops (varying from 50 to 300 men) that are able to stop the German troops for hours. Many German documents about these events have been burned by the Germans because they were ashamed that so little could stop so many for hours or even a day. Nor could the Germans infiltrate deeply in the Ardennes. But the French and Belgian troops did not know what the other did, so there was no organised defense.

The Fortress Eben-Emael part of the Delaying Line in front of the first line of defense fell after one day, two day to early for the Belgian HQ. Unable to destroy all bridges over the Albert Canal the Belgians had to retreat very quickly. 1944: Belgium is liberated.

1945: the Belgian miracle is completer up and running. The Belgian economy is the first to stand up after the war, without help from the Marchall plan.

1960: Independence of the Congo

1962: Independence of Rwanda-Urundi

1970: The unitary parties fell apart, after that the Unitary State fell apart. (Even though there are some unitary parties left in Belgium)

1980: Federalization of Belgium

1988-'89: More reforms...

Etc...