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History of Belgium
From antiquity to the modern era — the historical eras, key events, and narrative that shaped Belgium.
Overview
Belgium derives its name from the Belgae, a Celtic tribe. The Belgae were forced to yield to Roman legions during the first century B.C. For some 300 years thereafter, what is now Belgium flourished as a province of Rome. But Rome’s power gradually lessened. In about A.D. 300, Attila the Hun invaded what is now Germany and pushed Germanic tribes into northern Belgium. About 100 years later, the Germanic tribe of the Franks invaded and took possession of Belgium.
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Historical Eras
The major periods of {country}’s history at a glance.
Roman & Frankish Period
57 BCE – 987
Julius Caesar conquered the Celtic Belgae tribes around 57 BCE, incorporating the region into the Roman province of Gallia Belgica for roughly three centuries. As Roman power waned, Germanic Franks invaded in the 5th century, establishing dominance under the Merovingian and later Carolingian dynasties. Charlemagne, crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800, made the region a cultural and political heartland of early medieval Europe.
Medieval Principalities
987 – 1384
The collapse of Carolingian authority fragmented the Low Countries into competing feudal states, including the County of Flanders, the Duchy of Brabant, and the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. The great cities of Ghent, Bruges, and Antwerp flourished as major centers of textile trade and commerce, making Flanders one of the wealthiest regions in Europe. The Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 marked a dramatic Flemish communal victory over French knights.
Burgundian & Habsburg Rule
1384 – 1713
The Dukes of Burgundy united the Low Countries under a single court, fostering an extraordinary flowering of Flemish painting from Jan van Eyck to Rubens and Van Dyck. Through dynastic marriage the region passed to the Habsburg Emperor Charles V in 1506, then to Spanish rule under Philip II, whose religious persecution sparked the revolt of the Netherlands. The Treaty of Münster (1648) and the War of the Spanish Succession reshaped the territory, leaving the southern provinces under Austrian Habsburg control from 1713.
French Annexation & Dutch Union
1713 – 1830
Revolutionary France invaded and annexed the Austrian Netherlands in 1795, imposing Napoleonic administration and legal reforms across the region. Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815—fought just south of Brussels—ended French dominance, and the Congress of Vienna merged the territory with the Kingdom of the Netherlands under William I of Orange. Discontent with Dutch economic and linguistic policies culminated in the Belgian Revolution of 1830.
Independent Kingdom
1830 – 1945
Belgium declared independence in 1830 and established a constitutional monarchy in 1831, inviting Leopold of Saxe-Coburg Gotha to serve as its first king. The country became an early industrial powerhouse, particularly in Wallonia's coal and steel sectors, while also building a vast and often brutal colonial empire in the Congo. Germany invaded in both 1914 and 1940, drawing Belgium into the heart of both World Wars and cementing its postwar commitment to collective security.
Modern Federal Belgium
1945 – present
Liberated in 1944, Belgium became a founding member of NATO and a central pillar of European integration, hosting the headquarters of both organizations in Brussels. Economic dominance shifted from the declining industrial south to the rapidly developing Dutch-speaking north, intensifying the Flemish-Walloon linguistic and political divide. A series of constitutional reforms between 1970 and the 1990s transformed Belgium into a federal state, granting significant autonomy to Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels, and the German-speaking community.
Timeline Preview
The first 7 key events. View the full chronology on the timeline page.
100 BCE
Belgae
Celtic tribes, called Belgae, settled in the area of Belgium.
200 – 400
The Franks
The Franks, a Germanic tribe, settled in the region of Belgium.
496
Christianity as the state religion
Clovis, king of the Franks, founded a kingdom which included Belgium. He also established Christianity as the state religion.
768
The Carolingian Family
The Carolingian family began to rule the Frankish kingdom.
800
Charlemagne
Charlemagne helped to make Belgium the center of the Frankish kingdom, after he was made king.
900 – 1100
Feudal States -- Major Families
The Carolingians lost most of their power. Feudal states became important in the area. Several families emerged as strong rulers of their provinces. These families included Flanders, Brabant, Hainaut, Limburg, and Namur.
1302
Feudal States
A French army tried to take control of the Flanders are. The local peasants and workers defeated the French army.