Belgian Troubles

Belgian troubles (1830-1839)

In 1815 todays Netherlands and Belgium were united in a single state. Partly affected by the rising national consciousness, the Belgians revolted against this state of affairs in 1830. This meant that the old army was, in fact, split into. In the north, the revolt led to a revival of nationalist and militarist emotions. Volunteer units mushroomed on both sides of the new border. They generally designed their own uniforms, which led to exaggeratedly colourful clothing.

There was a great deal of fighting at first. There were street fights in Brussels in 1830; in 1831 there were open battles during the ten-day expedition; in 1832 a Dutch garrison was besieged in the Antwerp citadel. However French intervention in favour of the Belgians led to a return to the previous state. King William I kept his army mobilised until 1839 in order to reinforce his negotiating powers.