Belgian Revolution August 25, 1830 was the day that I went from being a person under the rule of the William I and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, to one that wanted to see a change for the better. I will always remember this day because it sparked the new beginning of my life and every other Belgian that helped make the dreams of being independent happen. The years leading up to this day there were when better laws were being passed for the northern areas where there was free trade, which led to them getting their grains from other areas of the Baltic instead of the agricultural Southern regions. Along with this, the Belgians felt that they were being under-represented in the government when there was a greater amount of northerners in the Lower Assembly. King William I had wanted several reforms that were going to help out the people in the north but we’re also going to affect Belgium and the other southern regions with wanting to have changes in language and religion. In Brussels, as the hot gloomy day of August came by I had started off my week with going to the streets to find some work when I came across some of my buddies that have been arguing about how they hate William I and how we are suffering because of his actions in government. When it came to me to try and revolt against him and his government to show that we do not want to have anything to do with him anymore. So the week went on and word spread about how the people of Belgium don’t deserve this, so it was set that on August 25, 1830. When that day came the only thing I went to see in the newspaper was how this plan was going to go down. When dusk arrived that day every person of the proletariat stormed the streets and started to overthrow the government buildings and destroying everything that was found inside. To try to calm down the rioters William I sent his sons to try and bring us back, we were able to convince Prince William that it would be better if there was a separation between the north and south. But as William I did not like the idea that his son proposed he sent 8000 soldiers to restore the peace, but they could not take our tough demeanor so they gave up on their lost cause and went back north. On September 26, 1830 the National Congress was there to help us create a constitution and then on October 4, 1830 we declared our independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and then was dissolved. Now 10 years later I have been able to tell my kids about that day and the several months after in which I helped defend Belgium against William and his unjustness and also I don’t have to endure his awful laws that did not help us prosper as a country.
This story really shows the nationalism in Belgium, and how they were able to band together to fend off 8000 men. It reminds me a lot of the American Revolution. Regular citizens couldn’t realistically stand up to trained soldiers, but in the end they had the government giving up. The strength of an army paled in comparison to the strength of a group of people fighting for their independence. I also like how the main character of the story said he would tell his kids about that day, because it showed how proud he was to defend his right for independence. The people of a nation take pride in their country; it’s what allows a country to function. Like that video we watched in class, pride is a major component of nationalism, which is a strong political force that is essential to the well-being of a nation.
After reading this story, I was curious about why the nations of the Holy Alliance didn't try to suppress this revolution as they did to the one in Spain. After doing a little research, I discovered that all of the major powers were either busy with other matters or even wanted Belgium to be independent. Russia was preoccupied with the Polish revolt. Prussia and the other German states were suppressing small insurrections in their own land. The Austrians were busy stomping revolts in Italy. France under Louis Philippe favored an independent Belgium and hoped to take complete control of it. And Britain felt that it could tolerate a liberal Belgium as long as it was not dominated by foreign nations. It just seemed too odd that the major powers would choose not to intervene without good reason while the revolution was breaking their precious boundaries that were established by the Congress of Vienna.
After reading the inspiring story of the Belgian revolution I decided to look into more detail about the new government. The thing that was extremely interesting was that the people of Belgium were independent for some time. There was a meeting that was held that included Russia, Prussia, Great Britain and Austria. For two whole months Belgium was technically independent, but was not considered so. It was interesting how a government is independent, but if it is not acknowledged as so by other countries it is not.
After reading the story, I was able to sense how nationalistic the Belgians were, as Jackie had stated before. They wanted to ban together to fight the bigger enemy, which they did, even when things were not turning out right for them. The thing that I found interesting was the 8000 troops that William’s son was going to send to try and stop the rebellious Belgians. This reminded me a lot of George Washington during the Whisky Rebellion, and how he sent nearly 15,000 militia to stop the rebellion. Though this show of power in Belgium was not as successful as Washington’s, its showed how the King was unable to handle the rising rebels. The more he tried to fight them, the more they would grow in numbers it seemed.
What I also found interesting was how the King actually was considering to separate the North and the South at one point. Apparently, the North was getting all the benefits, such as economical opportunities like free trade, and the South was not so lucky. In an effort to try and stop rebellion, King William wanted to disunite the people of Belgium even further than they were already. I believe that plan would not have been very successful at all.
I like how Belgium worked its way up to a unified revolt. As was said already, this revolt was similar to the American Revolution, as there is a shared theme of no taxation without representation. The Belgians tried to have some tolerance but it became too much. They knew they were getting cheated and weren't going to stand for it any longer. Eventually the Belgians decided to take action. The citizens were able to withstand the attacks by troops and win their independence after William I troops gave up. This revolution is almost identical to the American Revolution.
This was a clear example of nationalistic group fighting for what they believe in and not backing down until they recieve the lifestyles that they deserve. This nationalistic expression reminds me of the patriots and founding fathers during the American Revolution. Both groups continued to meet and discuss the neccessary changes in order to performa as a unified country, and they did not let go of their passions and beliefs that were inspired by their country's until they recieved independence from Great Britian(the same group that the Americans wanted to gain their freedom from.) Their Nationalistic beliefs allowed for these people to push through many of the challenges that come with declaring the right to be indpendent. This shows natiionalism as a way to bring people togethetr in order to bring down a greater undesired source.
Oh Belgium, the little country that could. David, your narrative did an excellent job at conveying the idea that everyday people, just like you and me, had these tremendous feelings of nationalism and immutable passion to achieve what seems like the impossible.
As you mentioned, the main cause of the Belgian Revolution was the domination of the Dutch over the economic, political, and social institutions of the Kingdom. This seems to be the case in all of the revolutions, to an extent. I know I wouldn’t take orders from or have my life dictated by a person who obviously doesn’t care about my needs and desires. I think that’s an interesting idea in itself. Of course, groups of people wanted to form separate nations because they believed they had a unique cultural identity, but I bet things wouldn’t have been as passionate and violent if the people who ruled over them cared, or pretended like they cared, about them. If King William I had given the Belgians a free market economy and equal representation in government, I bet this whole revolution would have happened much late, if at all.
After unearthing some more information on the topic, I came across something interesting. On August 25, 1830 at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, an uprising followed a special performance (in honor of William I’s birthday), a sentimental and patriotic opera suited to fire national romanticism. This is because it was set against Masaniello’s uprising against the Spanish masters of Naples in the 17th century. It was the duet, specifically, that ignited the blaze. The duet, “Amour Sacre de la Patrie” (Sacred Love of Fatherland) engendered a riot that sparked the entire revolution! How bout that key change? The crowd poured into the streets after the performance, shouting patriotic slogans, and swiftly took possession of government buildings, as David mentioned. The coming days saw an explosion of the proletariat of Brussels.
I also enjoyed Jackie’s idea about it being similar to the American Revolution. I won’t go into logistics because its been covered very well already, but the whole idea of how anyone can do anything if they believe they can. Of course weapons, ammo, and training are necessary to be victorious, yet it is the passion and unquestionable conviction to an ideal or belief that results in victories. Passion for a specific cause can unite individuals and leads them to defy what seems like the impossible.
David, I loved your narrative and I agree with Stephanie on the fact that it did a great job at portraying the power of the average citizen. Even everyday people can change the world that we live in or in this case the country that they live in. It was truly great that Belgium got its independence, but I cannot help to laugh at how the Belgian population was viewed by the other, more powerful countries in Europe.
After doing a little bit or research I found that although the major powers saw the Belgian revolution as upsetting the boundaries established by the Congress of Vienna, they were not inclined to intervene to reverse it. The other countries in Europe basically disregarded Belgian expansion because it could never pose as a threat to them, like for example the expansion of Russia would. Russia was preoccupied with the Polish revolt so they really did not care about Belgian affairs. Prussia and the other German states were suppressing small uprisings in their own domains so they too did not pay much attention into Belgian affairs. The Austrians were busy putting down disturbances in Italy and the French under Louis Philippe favored an independent Belgium and hoped to dominate it.
Belgium was like the long lost forgotten child of Europe. It was either not cared for or partially exploited as in the case of the French. Britain seemed to be the only friend that Britain had and they felt that they could tolerate a liberal Belgium as long as it was free from foreign domination. Thus the British helped Belgium become independent by holding a meeting in London and persuading the major powers in Europe to recognize Belgium as an independent country.
Thus, like Stephanie said, Belgium was the little country that could, despite the “big meanies” that existed in the rest of Europe. Belgium, the exploited small country finally gained independence through the righteous country of Britain and I truly found it interesting and funny how the other countries did not care about Belgium due to their own affairs.
The pride displayed here in his nation is awesome. The way he talks about how someday he will be able to tell his children of what he did warms my heart. He has so much pride in what he was a part of when they fended off a massive 8,000 troops. That’s when you find out who the real men are in a situation and the pretenders. Everyone stepped up to the plate to take on the challenge and fight for what they thought was right. I see Belgium as the little Dunellen to Europe. There is so much pride in this town and everyone loves who we are. For football game you have hundreds come out every week when most of the people have better things to do or have no affiliation to anyone on the team. They are just proud of their town. Belgium had to defy all odds and beat the overwhelming odds of that time. They could only do it with dedicated and proud people.
Good story, David! :) I also made a connection to the American Revolution. The majority of the people who fought against Britain during the American Revolution were primarily the everyday, average male colonists. They all had a common goal, and that was to become an independent nation. The American Revolution and Belgian Revolution show how much of an impact nationalism can have. As long as a large population is fighting for a common purpose, they will have the upper hand.
I also did some research on the topic to find out some of the specific events during the Belgian Revolution. The king was basically ignorant to what was brewing within the people. In late August there was an exhibition of national industry. On August 23rd, the exhibition was supposed to close with a firework display, and a celebration of the king's birthday on the 24th. The king went back to his palace to celebrate his birthday, though, and in the next few days, signs signaling a revolution started to show. People wrote on walls threatening the Dutch. On the 25th, an opera showed called La Muette de Portici, portraying patriotism and nationalism. This reminded me of the art during the French Revolution, especially Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People. Art like this and like the opera were used to gather the people and intensify feelings of nationalism and unity.
Belgian Revolution
ReplyDeleteAugust 25, 1830 was the day that I went from being a person under the rule of the William I and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, to one that wanted to see a change for the better. I will always remember this day because it sparked the new beginning of my life and every other Belgian that helped make the dreams of being independent happen. The years leading up to this day there were when better laws were being passed for the northern areas where there was free trade, which led to them getting their grains from other areas of the Baltic instead of the agricultural Southern regions. Along with this, the Belgians felt that they were being under-represented in the government when there was a greater amount of northerners in the Lower Assembly. King William I had wanted several reforms that were going to help out the people in the north but we’re also going to affect Belgium and the other southern regions with wanting to have changes in language and religion.
In Brussels, as the hot gloomy day of August came by I had started off my week with going to the streets to find some work when I came across some of my buddies that have been arguing about how they hate William I and how we are suffering because of his actions in government. When it came to me to try and revolt against him and his government to show that we do not want to have anything to do with him anymore. So the week went on and word spread about how the people of Belgium don’t deserve this, so it was set that on August 25, 1830. When that day came the only thing I went to see in the newspaper was how this plan was going to go down. When dusk arrived that day every person of the proletariat stormed the streets and started to overthrow the government buildings and destroying everything that was found inside.
To try to calm down the rioters William I sent his sons to try and bring us back, we were able to convince Prince William that it would be better if there was a separation between the north and south. But as William I did not like the idea that his son proposed he sent 8000 soldiers to restore the peace, but they could not take our tough demeanor so they gave up on their lost cause and went back north. On September 26, 1830 the National Congress was there to help us create a constitution and then on October 4, 1830 we declared our independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and then was dissolved. Now 10 years later I have been able to tell my kids about that day and the several months after in which I helped defend Belgium against William and his unjustness and also I don’t have to endure his awful laws that did not help us prosper as a country.
This story really shows the nationalism in Belgium, and how they were able to band together to fend off 8000 men. It reminds me a lot of the American Revolution. Regular citizens couldn’t realistically stand up to trained soldiers, but in the end they had the government giving up. The strength of an army paled in comparison to the strength of a group of people fighting for their independence. I also like how the main character of the story said he would tell his kids about that day, because it showed how proud he was to defend his right for independence. The people of a nation take pride in their country; it’s what allows a country to function. Like that video we watched in class, pride is a major component of nationalism, which is a strong political force that is essential to the well-being of a nation.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this story, I was curious about why the nations of the Holy Alliance didn't try to suppress this revolution as they did to the one in Spain. After doing a little research, I discovered that all of the major powers were either busy with other matters or even wanted Belgium to be independent. Russia was preoccupied with the Polish revolt. Prussia and the other German states were suppressing small insurrections in their own land. The Austrians were busy stomping revolts in Italy. France under Louis Philippe favored an independent Belgium and hoped to take complete control of it. And Britain felt that it could tolerate a liberal Belgium as long as it was not dominated by foreign nations. It just seemed too odd that the major powers would choose not to intervene without good reason while the revolution was breaking their precious boundaries that were established by the Congress of Vienna.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the inspiring story of the Belgian revolution I decided to look into more detail about the new government. The thing that was extremely interesting was that the people of Belgium were independent for some time. There was a meeting that was held that included Russia, Prussia, Great Britain and Austria. For two whole months Belgium was technically independent, but was not considered so. It was interesting how a government is independent, but if it is not acknowledged as so by other countries it is not.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the story, I was able to sense how nationalistic the Belgians were, as Jackie had stated before. They wanted to ban together to fight the bigger enemy, which they did, even when things were not turning out right for them. The thing that I found interesting was the 8000 troops that William’s son was going to send to try and stop the rebellious Belgians. This reminded me a lot of George Washington during the Whisky Rebellion, and how he sent nearly 15,000 militia to stop the rebellion. Though this show of power in Belgium was not as successful as Washington’s, its showed how the King was unable to handle the rising rebels. The more he tried to fight them, the more they would grow in numbers it seemed.
ReplyDeleteWhat I also found interesting was how the King actually was considering to separate the North and the South at one point. Apparently, the North was getting all the benefits, such as economical opportunities like free trade, and the South was not so lucky. In an effort to try and stop rebellion, King William wanted to disunite the people of Belgium even further than they were already. I believe that plan would not have been very successful at all.
I like how Belgium worked its way up to a unified revolt. As was said already, this revolt was similar to the American Revolution, as there is a shared theme of no taxation without representation. The Belgians tried to have some tolerance but it became too much. They knew they were getting cheated and weren't going to stand for it any longer. Eventually the Belgians decided to take action. The citizens were able to withstand the attacks by troops and win their independence after William I troops gave up. This revolution is almost identical to the American Revolution.
ReplyDeleteThis was a clear example of nationalistic group fighting for what they believe in and not backing down until they recieve the lifestyles that they deserve. This nationalistic expression reminds me of the patriots and founding fathers during the American Revolution. Both groups continued to meet and discuss the neccessary changes in order to performa as a unified country, and they did not let go of their passions and beliefs that were inspired by their country's until they recieved independence from Great Britian(the same group that the Americans wanted to gain their freedom from.) Their Nationalistic beliefs allowed for these people to push through many of the challenges that come with declaring the right to be indpendent. This shows natiionalism as a way to bring people togethetr in order to bring down a greater undesired source.
ReplyDeleteOh Belgium, the little country that could. David, your narrative did an excellent job at conveying the idea that everyday people, just like you and me, had these tremendous feelings of nationalism and immutable passion to achieve what seems like the impossible.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned, the main cause of the Belgian Revolution was the domination of the Dutch over the economic, political, and social institutions of the Kingdom. This seems to be the case in all of the revolutions, to an extent. I know I wouldn’t take orders from or have my life dictated by a person who obviously doesn’t care about my needs and desires. I think that’s an interesting idea in itself. Of course, groups of people wanted to form separate nations because they believed they had a unique cultural identity, but I bet things wouldn’t have been as passionate and violent if the people who ruled over them cared, or pretended like they cared, about them. If King William I had given the Belgians a free market economy and equal representation in government, I bet this whole revolution would have happened much late, if at all.
After unearthing some more information on the topic, I came across something interesting. On August 25, 1830 at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, an uprising followed a special performance (in honor of William I’s birthday), a sentimental and patriotic opera suited to fire national romanticism. This is because it was set against Masaniello’s uprising against the Spanish masters of Naples in the 17th century. It was the duet, specifically, that ignited the blaze. The duet, “Amour Sacre de la Patrie” (Sacred Love of Fatherland) engendered a riot that sparked the entire revolution! How bout that key change? The crowd poured into the streets after the performance, shouting patriotic slogans, and swiftly took possession of government buildings, as David mentioned. The coming days saw an explosion of the proletariat of Brussels.
I also enjoyed Jackie’s idea about it being similar to the American Revolution. I won’t go into logistics because its been covered very well already, but the whole idea of how anyone can do anything if they believe they can. Of course weapons, ammo, and training are necessary to be victorious, yet it is the passion and unquestionable conviction to an ideal or belief that results in victories. Passion for a specific cause can unite individuals and leads them to defy what seems like the impossible.
David, I loved your narrative and I agree with Stephanie on the fact that it did a great job at portraying the power of the average citizen. Even everyday people can change the world that we live in or in this case the country that they live in. It was truly great that Belgium got its independence, but I cannot help to laugh at how the Belgian population was viewed by the other, more powerful countries in Europe.
ReplyDeleteAfter doing a little bit or research I found that although the major powers saw the Belgian revolution as upsetting the boundaries established by the Congress of Vienna, they were not inclined to intervene to reverse it. The other countries in Europe basically disregarded Belgian expansion because it could never pose as a threat to them, like for example the expansion of Russia would. Russia was preoccupied with the Polish revolt so they really did not care about Belgian affairs. Prussia and the other German states were suppressing small uprisings in their own domains so they too did not pay much attention into Belgian affairs. The Austrians were busy putting down disturbances in Italy and the French under Louis Philippe favored an independent Belgium and hoped to dominate it.
Belgium was like the long lost forgotten child of Europe. It was either not cared for or partially exploited as in the case of the French. Britain seemed to be the only friend that Britain had and they felt that they could tolerate a liberal Belgium as long as it was free from foreign domination. Thus the British helped Belgium become independent by holding a meeting in London and persuading the major powers in Europe to recognize Belgium as an independent country.
Thus, like Stephanie said, Belgium was the little country that could, despite the “big meanies” that existed in the rest of Europe. Belgium, the exploited small country finally gained independence through the righteous country of Britain and I truly found it interesting and funny how the other countries did not care about Belgium due to their own affairs.
The pride displayed here in his nation is awesome. The way he talks about how someday he will be able to tell his children of what he did warms my heart. He has so much pride in what he was a part of when they fended off a massive 8,000 troops. That’s when you find out who the real men are in a situation and the pretenders. Everyone stepped up to the plate to take on the challenge and fight for what they thought was right. I see Belgium as the little Dunellen to Europe. There is so much pride in this town and everyone loves who we are. For football game you have hundreds come out every week when most of the people have better things to do or have no affiliation to anyone on the team. They are just proud of their town. Belgium had to defy all odds and beat the overwhelming odds of that time. They could only do it with dedicated and proud people.
ReplyDeleteGood story, David! :) I also made a connection to the American Revolution. The majority of the people who fought against Britain during the American Revolution were primarily the everyday, average male colonists. They all had a common goal, and that was to become an independent nation. The American Revolution and Belgian Revolution show how much of an impact nationalism can have. As long as a large population is fighting for a common purpose, they will have the upper hand.
ReplyDeleteI also did some research on the topic to find out some of the specific events during the Belgian Revolution. The king was basically ignorant to what was brewing within the people. In late August there was an exhibition of national industry. On August 23rd, the exhibition was supposed to close with a firework display, and a celebration of the king's birthday on the 24th. The king went back to his palace to celebrate his birthday, though, and in the next few days, signs signaling a revolution started to show. People wrote on walls threatening the Dutch. On the 25th, an opera showed called La Muette de Portici, portraying patriotism and nationalism. This reminded me of the art during the French Revolution, especially Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People. Art like this and like the opera were used to gather the people and intensify feelings of nationalism and unity.
ReplyDelete