NationStates Jolt Archive

The Kingdom of Belgium is an independant state in Northern Europe, it borders France to the South, Luxembourg to the South East, the German Empire to the East and the Netherlands to the North.

Belgium has a population of 7 and a quarter million, being bordered by Germanic and Romantic nations Belgium is linguistically divided, Dutch spoken by those in Flanders in the North and French by the Waloons in the South.

Belgiums name comes from the Latin name for the area, Gallia Belgica named for the group of mostly Celtic tribes, Belgium was long part of the Low Countries and once a part of the Netherlands.

Factbook Information

King: Leopold II of Belgium
Prime Minister: Paul de Smet de Naeyer (verification needed)
Capitol: The City of Brussels
Colonial Territory: Belgian Congo
Goverment Style: Constitutional Monarchy

Economical Information

Kingdom of Belgium
Population: 7.25 million, tech level 4.5, production centers: 2 (Brussels 1, Liege 1) food production: 6
Colonial Empire: Belgian Congo resources 6, food production 5, population 4.5 million
Commerce: 1 shipping unit

Military Information

Military Service Troops

Total Frontline Strength: 105,000

Total Reserve Strength: 640,000

Organisation

Regulars:

HQ

3 Infantry Divisions

1 Cavalry Division

1 Artillery Division

1 Marine Brigade

Reserves:

HQ

6 Infantry Divisions

10 Substandard Infantry Divisions

10 Militia Divisions

3 Substandard Cavalry Divisions

3 Artillery Divisions

Colonial Army

Force Publique (King Leopold’s brutal paramilitary forces and slave drivers, Belgian, mercenary Officers, native soldiery)

Military Service Troops

Total Frontline Strength: 20,000

Organisation

Regulars:

1 Substandard Light Infantry Division (Reflects poor motivation, leadership, training and actual combat experience in most units)

History of Belgium (Post 1830)

Belgium gained its independence in a war with the Netherlands, the revolution was started by a performance at an opera house, the rebellion was aided by the French armed forces and French intellectuals, despite this the real cause behind the revolution was the Catholic Clergymen who were opposed to the then Protestant King of the Netherlands, William I, other major contributors may be from Liberals and the unrepresented national assemblies, the initial objective of the rebellion was to gain more autonomy in Belgium but due to the clumsy nature of the Dutch King the revolution quickly became a full fight for independence.

There was an idea to join France which was put down by the international community and Belgium became an independent state under a Constitutional Monarchy in 1831, on June the 26th of the same year King Leopold I was crowned King after having turned down the Greek Throne, the war for independence continued with the Netherlands for another 8 years until a treaty was signed in 1839, Belgium was now a fully independent state with a highly liberal constitution but a sufferage limited to the Haute Bourgeoisie and the Clergy (around 1% of the population, all spoke French in a nation with a small French speaking minority)

King Leopold left a legacy of great advancements in independent Belgium, in 1832 he married Louise-Marie Thérèse Charlotte Isabelle d'Orléans, the daughter of the King of France, and had four children with her, Louis-Philippe Léopold Victor Ernst who died at aged 1 year old, Leopold II Louis-Philippe Marie Victor who would later succeed the throne of Belgium, Philippe Eugène Ferdinand Marie Clément Baudouin Léopold George, fathered Prince Albert of Belgium, Charlotte of Belgium, Marie Charlotte Amélie Augustine Victoire Clémentine Léopoldine, who married Emporer Maximillian of Mexico.

He also had two bastard sons with his mistress, Baron Georg von Eppinghoven and Baron Arthur von Eppinghoven, Leopold reached his ambition of creating the first Railway in continental Europe on the 5th of May 1835, in 1840 Leopold arranged the marriage of his Niece Queen Victoria of Britain and his Nephew Prince Albert, in 1942 he attempted to pass laws regulating child and female labour but these attempts failed, Belgium took a neutral stance over the wave of revolutions sweeping Europe after the deposition of Loius Phillipe, King Leopold I died in Laeken on December 10th 1865 leaving Belgium to King Leopold II.

Leopold II was 30 when he took the throne, he was already married to Marie Henriette Anne von Habsburg-Lothringen, Archduchess of Austria, they had four children, one male who passed away when he was just 10 after having fallen into a pond and dying of pnuemonia, in 1902 there was an attempted assassination of Leopold II by Italian Anarchist Gennaro Rubino, Leopold was travelling in a carriage from a ceremony cememorating the death of his wife Marie Henriette, Leopold takes a stance of military defense based neutrality, so far unable to secure a forced conscription law.

Leopold II has always strongly believed that a nation relies on overseas colonies and took a stance on seeking an overseas colony, neither the Belgian people nor the Goverment took much of an interest in overseas expansion, instead Leopold II took this interest in colonialism in his capacity as a civilian not as a King, there were a number of unsuccessful attempts to gain colonies in Africa and Asia followed by the creation of a private holding company disguised as an international scientific and philanthropic association, called the International African Society, under this society Leopold hired famed explorer Henry Morton Stanley who established colonies in the Congo, after much diplomatic working Leopold was called to the Berlin Confrence at which 13 European nations and the United States of America recognised Leopold as the sovreign of the territory which resulted in the Congo Free State, there have been reports of outrageous exploitation and widespread human rights abuses especially in the lucrative Rubber industry which led to an international protest in 1900, estimated death tolls have been calculated as being between 5 and 15million dead.

Reserved for Geographical and Economical info.

The newly formed Republic of Albania approaces the government of Belgium in hoes of establishing stable relations between our nation.

In addition, the Republic approaches Belgian Bankers in hopes of securing a loan to the Republic.