Download or read book Political History of Belgium written by Els Witte and published by ASP / VUBPRESS / UPA. This book was released on 2009 with total page 517 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The political history of Belgium is a fascinating story that should not be kept from speakers of English in Belgium and abroad. From an international point of view, Belgium has been a trendsetter in many ways. It was the first country on the European continent to experience a quick process of industrialisation, with the development of the first liberal state following closely behind. More than elsewhere, liberalism reigned supreme in the 19th century, and as a result the social question was raised with great vehemence. The World Wars put Belgium in the middle of the fighting twice over; especially after 1945, the country played a prominent international role, first in the foundation of the Atlantic alliance and the European construction, and later in the decolonisation of the Congo. In the meantime, Belgium has developed into one of the countries experiencing the full force of globalisation, and, thanks to Brussels, into one of the preeminent international political centres. Belgium is also a model of pacification democracy. Throughout many conflicts during the 19th and 20th centuries, an enduring compromise grew between Catholics and freethinkers, making Belgium one of the most pluralistic countries in Europe today. The fierce conflict between workers and employers, in its turn, led to a well-functioning model of a consultation and welfare state. Two cultures live together in Belgium. Up until the second half of the past century, the Flemish majority was at an economic, political and cultural disadvantage; during the process of catching up, coinciding with the demise of the Walloon economy, a complex federal model developed, in which cosmopolitan Brussels takes a very special position. This book aims to offer a historical perspective in interpreting the current tensions in Belgian politics based on scientific literature. Political History of Belgium is without doubt the outstanding authoritative reference work about the political history of a country at the centre of the development of Europe. As such, it offers essential background information for politicians, policy makers, civil servants, journalists, researchers, students and anyone with an interest in Belgium and Europe.
Download or read book The Intellectual Origins of the Belgian Revolution written by Stefaan Marteel and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-09-05 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the political ideas of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, which led to the break-up of the Restoration state of the ‘united’ Kingdom of the Netherlands. It uncovers the origins of liberalism and political Catholicism in the Southern Netherlands in the wake of the French Revolution, and traces the development of political language in the context of the tensions between the Northern and Southern part of the united Netherlands. It shows how differences in ‘Dutch’ and ‘Belgian’ political and intellectual history resulted in different understandings of essential political concepts such as ‘sovereignty’ and ‘balance of powers’, as well as of the nature of the constitutional order of 1815. Finally, it traces the emergence of Belgian nationalism within the discourse of opposition against the government. Stefaan Marteel therefore provides a fresh perspective on the intellectual background of the rise of the nation-state in the nineteenth century.
Download or read book A Concise History of Belgium written by Guy Vanthemsche and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-03-31 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The small and densely populated nation of Belgium has played an important role in the history of Europe and other continents, especially Africa. It was a pioneering force in industry, trade, and finance during the Middle Ages, through early modern times and into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It introduced innovative political regimes and played a leading role in the creative arts. Yet this rich past is not widely known. This introductory history offers an accessible and rigorous overview of this small but important West-European country, synthesizing Belgium's main economic, social, political, and cultural developments from pre-Roman times until today. Today, this nation-state, born in 1830, is well-known for the rivalries between its two main language communities, and as a result is often considered a fragile or even an artificial political construct. This systematic chronological analysis of both present-day Belgium and the polities that preceded it throws fresh light on this controversial issue and demonstrates Belgium's enduring importance and influence.
Download or read book Belgium written by Bernard A. Cook and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2002 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although Belgium has only been an independent state since the 1830s, it has a long and complex past. This history is essential for understanding the complexities of issues that led to a devolution of the unitary Belgian state into a federation of linguistically based regions. In addition to the elements that contributed to Belgium's particular political evolution, the history which is traced in this book is a composite of many themes of broad historical interest and importance. Belgium: A History covers the gamut of Belgian history through dramas of religious and cultural conflict, intense localism, state building, uneven development, divergent class interests, war and domination, and finally, integration into a larger European community.
Download or read book History of Belgian Politics written by Nicky Huys and published by Nicky Huys. This book was released on 2023-05-29 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "History of Belgian Politics" is a comprehensive exploration of the fascinating political journey of Belgium. From its early foundations to present-day developments, this book offers a thorough analysis of the key milestones and themes that have shaped the political landscape of Belgium. It delves into the formation of the Belgian state, the Belgian Revolution, and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. The book explores the development of the Belgian political system and its key institutions, examining the influence of neighboring countries and international events on Belgian politics. It also delves into the rise of political movements, the emergence of political parties and ideologies, and the challenges and divisions leading up to World War II. The book further explores post-war reconstruction, Belgium's role in European integration, and the linguistic and regional challenges that have shaped Belgian politics. Additionally, it examines the evolution of political parties, the shifting dynamics in coalition politics, and the contemporary challenges and debates in Belgian politics. Through a comprehensive and insightful analysis, "History of Belgian Politics" provides readers with a deep understanding of the complex political history of Belgium.
Download or read book The Neutrality of Belgium written by Alexander Fuehr and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Belgian Democracy Its Early History written by Henri Pirenne and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The History of Belgium written by Demetrius Charles Boulger and published by . This book was released on 1925 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Politics Of Belgium written by John Fitzmaurice and published by Westview Press. This book was released on 1996-06-06 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years Belgium's complicated federal system has been threatened by resurgent competition for power between the Flemish and Walloon communities. Calls for a breakup of the state along linguistic lines have been defeated, but separatist--though usually nonviolent--sentiment remains strong in some areas.John Fitzmaurice's balanced study considers the effects of the country's internal divisiveness and presents a definitive introduction to Belgium's history, social and economic development, political system, and foreign policy--especially with regard to the EU.
Download or read book Leopold I of Belgium written by Conte Egon Caesar Corti and published by . This book was released on 1923 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Neutrality of Belgium written by Alexander Fuehr and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Sorrows of Belgium written by Martin Conway and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-01-12 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The liberation of Belgium by Allied troops in September 1944 marked the end of a harsh German Occupation, but also the beginning of a turbulent and decisive period in the history of the country. There would be no easy transition to peace. Instead, the rival political forces of King Leopold III and his supporters, the former government in exile in London, and the Resistance movements which had emerged during the Occupation confronted each other in a bitter struggle for political ascendancy. The subsequent few years were dominated by an almost continual air of political and social crisis as Resistance demonstrations, strikes, and protests for and against the King appeared to threaten civil war and the institutional dissolution of the country. And yet by 1947 a certain stability had been achieved: the Resistance groups had been marginalised, the Communist Party was excluded from government, the King languished in unwilling exile in Switzerland, and, most tangibly, the pre-war political parties and the parliamentary political regime had been restored. In this substantial contribution to the history of the liberation era in Europe, Martin Conway provides the first account, based on substantial new archival material, of this process of political normalisation, which provided the basis for the integration of Belgium into the post-war West European political order. That success, however, came at a cost: the absence of any substantial political reform after the Second World War exacerbated the tensions between the different social classes, linguistic communities, and regions within Belgium, providing the basis for the gradual unravelling of the Belgian nation-state which occurred over the second half of the twentieth century.
Download or read book The United States of Belgium written by Jane Judge and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2018-10-24 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New and comprehensive insights into the seminal events that shaped Belgian identity In 1790, between the birth of America (1776) and the creation of the French National Assembly (1789), nine provinces nestled between the French and Dutch borders declared themselves a new free and independent country: the United States of Belgium. Before then, the provinces had been part of the vast Austrian Habsburg Empire ruled by Joseph II. In 1789 revolutionaries from Brussels to Ghent to Namur recruited a grass-roots army that, to the surprise of many, successfully chased imperial forces from the majority of the territories. The exhilaration of military triumph and political independence quickly faded as revolutionary factions fought each other and the European monarchies became more nervous in the face of French radicalization. Yet, the course of events had fostered the solidification of a new identity among the provinces’ inhabitants: Belgianness. This is the story of the emergence of Belgianness in the crucible of revolution. The United States of Belgium tells the story of the First Belgian Revolution before the creation of a language barrier between French and Dutch. It incorporates over 50 contemporary images of the revolutionary era.
Download or read book BELGIAN DEMOCRACY written by HENRI. PIRENNE and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Belgium and the Holy See from Gregory XVI to Pius IX 1831 1859 written by Vincent Viaene and published by Universitaire Pers Leuven. This book was released on 2001 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Roman orientation was the keystone of the religious revolution of the Catholic revival. New or renewed congregations, priests close to the people & militant laymen gave a decidedly social & activist turn to the faith. At this crossroad of religion & modernity, the papacy could all the more make its weight felt as the Belgian Constitution granted the clergy a unique liberty in relations with Rome. Over time, the Vatican would exert a powerful impact on the shape of modern politics in Belgium. The special relationship between Belgium & Rome was no one-way traffic. From a somewhat curious ecclesiastical court hopelessly entangled in the old spider web of the Papal States, the papacy became the institution we know today, the leader of a "modern" Catholic opinion. Belgium played a role of major importance in this transformation. The central theme of the book can therefore be defined as a process of mutual integration, if not acculturation, across the Alps.
Download or read book Belgium and the Congo 1885 1980 written by Guy Vanthemsche and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-30 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explains how and why Belgium, a small but influential European country, was changed through its colonial activities in the Congo, from the first expeditions in 1880 to the Mobutu regime in the 1980s. Belgian politics, diplomacy, economic activity and culture were influenced by the imperial experience. Belgium and the Congo, 1885-1980 yields a better understanding of the Congo's past and present.
Download or read book History of the Low Countries written by J. C. H. Blom and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 1999 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This well-illustrated volume serves as an introduction to the rich history of the Low Countries for students and the generally interested reader alike."--BOOK JACKET.
