Belgium is a small country located between Netherlands and France, west of Germany. Being in the trade path of Europe, it has become prosperous. The country's extents from the North Sea to the Germany-Luxembourg border, about most 180 miles across.
Belgium is named from the Belgae, the early Celtic tribes who lived there. Julius Caesar leader of the Roman Empire conquered them in 52 BC. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Franks began moving into Belgium. They spoke a different language than the Roman-Belgic, and Belgium still has multiple languages.
The Franks ruled over Belgium in AD 496 when their king, Clovis, became a Christian. Later ruled by Pepin family. Belgium was in the heart of the Holy Roman Empire, headed by Charlemagne, grandson of Charles Martel. Frankish control collapsed after Charlemagne's death in 814.
In 843 it was divided between France and the Germanic kingdom of Lotharingia. By the 10th century Belgium was split into feudal empires.
891 Regnier au Long Col led the Belgians to victory over Vikings at Louvain.
1090,s Godfrey of Bouillon was a leader of the First Crusade.
1204 Baudouin or Baldwin of Flanders was the first Latin emperor of Constantinople also known as Byzantine Empire.
1066 the citizens of the commune of Liege were granted one of the world's first charters of civil liberties.
1288 Belgian forces under Jean de Brabant defeated troops of the archbishop of Cologne.
1302 at Kortrijk Flemish knights crushed an invading French army.
1519 Belgium fell under Spanish when Charles V, descendant of the Burgundian dukes, was crowned Holy Roman emperor and king of Spain.
In the 15th and 16t century Belgium and the Netherlands was in religious conflicts between the Protestant Dutch provinces in the north and the Roman Catholic Belgian provinces in the south.
1579 he two areas were separated by the Treaty of Munster, or 1648 Peace of Westphalia,
During this period, with Spanish rule repeatedly erupted into violence. The Bourbon and Hapsburg royal families fought out many territorial disputes in Belgium.
1713 Belgium was given to the Austrian Hapsburgs by the Treaty of Utrecht.
1790 Confederation of the United States of Belgium was formed in 1790. The Austrians suppressed the Confederation.
1795 French invaded, and Belgium was annexed by France.
1815 The French leader Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo.
After Napoleaon was defeated, William of Orange was became head of the new United Kingdom of The Netherlands.
1830 The Belgians revolted against William of Orange. On October 4 Belgian independence was declared. Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, uncle of Britain's Queen Victoria, became the leader as Leopold I.
July 21, 1831, Lepold I took the thrown now recognized as Independence Day.
1865 Leopold II became king and established a colonial empire in Africa's Congo basin.
1909 Albert I , Leopold II' nephew, succeeded Leopold II. Albert made social progress, and was a major player against Germany in WWI.
1934 Leopold III became king. Accused of failing to resist the Nazis, Leopold III was forced into exile.