German speedbump -- Ha! Beat you to the joke! (New year's channel update below) Anyways, I've noticed I've only posted 11 videos in 2024-- a far cry from the weekly schedule I used to post at-- so something I'm going to try is to post at least 15-20 videos in 2025. I reckon that's a good way for me to pump a bit of life back into the channel without immediately overexerting myself. In fact, this video is a bit of an experiment in making videos that are *less* ambitious than what I have been posting-- alongside the occasional larger video. Either way, enjoy your holidays and I'll see you in the new year!
If you want an idea of what to do I recommend starting as a landless person and after a few generations either go through Byzantine drama (if you want an estate) or colonize another area far from your starting zone (I liked a run as Germans migrating to the birthplace of humanity and trying to make an Eastern HRE)
Die kerel heeft niet eens het Graafschap Vlaanderen en de Guldensporenslag genoemd, die letterlijk de meest cruciale stukken zijn om de Belgische puzzel te begrijpen en waarom het bestaat als een staat.
@@Nordin-f1q sorry, nee, de Guldensporenslag is niet zo belangrijk voor het ontstaan van België als je denkt. Na de Guldensporenslag heeft Vlaanderen nog steeds de oorlog tegen Frankrijk verloren. De Guldensporenslag was vooral belangrijk omdat het toonde dat een leger van voetvolk een ridderleger kon verslaan, wat in de vroege middeleeuwen zo goed als ondenkbaar was. De nationale mythe-vorming rond die slag is pas iets uit de 19de eeuw. Vlaanderen kreeg geen onafhankelijkheid na de Guldensporenslag, anders zou de opstand van Artevelde tijdens de Honderdjarige Oorlog dat niet heel veel later er op volgde nutteloos zijn geweest. En ra ra wie die verloor: Vlaanderen. De Brabantenaren (lees Leuven, Brussel en Antwerpen) hadden zelfs kamp gekozen voor de Franse koning in de Guldensporenslag. Het graafschap Namen had omwille van dynastieke banden van de toenmalige graven van Vlaanderen zich wel aan de kant graafschap Vlaanderen geschaard, ze waren allemaal van de Dampierre familie. De Henegouwers hadden zich ook tegen Vlaanderen aangesloten bij de Fransen omdat de Avesnes familie en Dampierres een vete hadden omdat Margeretha van Konstantinopel (voormalige gravin van Vlaanderen) twee keer getrouwd was en met beide mannen kinderen had. Als je denkt dat de Guldensporenslag symbool staat voor Belgische of Vlaamse samenhorigheid, dan moet ik je teleurstellen. België (of de Zuidelijke Nederlanden) bestond niet als een concept, dat kwam pas vanaf de Bourgondiërs en de naam Belgen is een uitvinding van de late 18e, vroege 19e eeuw. De 80-jarige oorlog tussen Nederland en Spanje (waarvan de Beeldenstorm overigens begonnen was in Frans-Vlaanderen (hedendaags Frankrijk)) is veel belangrijker voor de moderne Belgische en Vlaamse geschiedenis dan de Guldensporenslag.
@@Nordin-f1q De Guldensporenslag is overroepen als een historisch belangrijke gebeurtenis. Het is een bron van trots omdat een Vlaams voetvolk-leger, een Franse Ruiter-leger versloeg. Wat haast ongehoord was omdat ruiters te paard elite waren en voetvolk normaal amper impact hadden op het slagveld. Het is een beeld van trots omdat de 'Franstalige overheersers' verslagen werden. Desondanks die oorlog heeft Vlaanderen niet gewonnen, alhoewel ook niet volledig verloren. De Dampierre-dynastie bleef aan de macht, maar op lange termijn was deze slag niet bijzonder impactvol en heeft het graafschap Vlaanderen zelfs territorium verloren. Daarbij de Vlaamse zijde bestond voornamelijk uit de steden van hedendaags West-, Oost- en Frans-Vlaanderen. Het graafschap Namen sloot zich aan omwille van dynastieke banden, ze werd ook door Dampierres geregeerd. Brabant (Brussel, Antwerpen, Leuven etc.) sloten zich aan bij de Fransen en Henegouwen vocht ook tegen Vlaanderen omwille van rivaliteit tussen de Avesnes en de Dampierres, die dezelfde grootmoeder hadden wat voor vetes heeft gezorgd omwille van de verdeling van de erfenis. Henegouwen werd overigens geregeerd door dezelfde persoon die het graafschap Holland in zijn macht had, dus de Hollanders vochten ook met de Fransen mee. De 80-jarige oorlog, die wel vermeld werd in deze video is veel belangrijker dan deze ene veldslag. België als concept bestond niet en wat de hedendaagse Benelux was, is een nalatenschap van de Bourgondische hertogen, die onze contreien als eerste hadden verenigd. 'België' en moderne 'Belgen' zijn concepten die hun oorsprong kennen uit de late 18e en vroege 19e eeuw. De meerderheid van de Belgische revolutionairen wilden oorspronkelijk: onafhankelijkheid met de zoon van Willem I van Oranje als koning of de zoon van de Franse koning Louis-Philippe als monarch. Er was ook veel sprake van zich aan te sluiten bij Frankrijk (Rattachisme), want de politieke elite was Franstalig en katholiek, maar dat zouden de andere Europese grootmachten niet geduld hebben. Later waren de oorspronkelijke revolutionairen zelfs van mening dat ze beter weer bij Nederland zouden aansluiten of toch iets van politieke unie hadden moeten vormen. Vive la Belgique!!! The Battle of the Golden Spurs is overrated as a historically important event. It is a source of pride because a Flemish foot soldier army defeated a French cavalry army. Which was almost unheard of because horsemen were elite and foot soldiers normally had little impact on the battlefield. It is an image of pride because the 'French-speaking rulers' were defeated. Despite this, Flanders did not win the war, although it did not completely lose either. The Dampierre dynasty remained in power, but in the long term this battle was not particularly impactful and the County of Flanders even lost territory. In addition, the Flemish side consisted mainly of the cities of modern-day West, East and French Flanders. The County of Namur joined because of dynastic ties, it was also ruled by Dampierres. Brabant (Brussels, Antwerp, Leuven etc.) joined the French and Hainaut also fought against Flanders because of the rivalry between the Avesnes and the Dampierres, who had the same grandmother which caused feuds because of the division of the inheritance. Hainaut was also ruled by the same person who had the county of Holland in his power, so the Dutch also fought with the French. The 80-year war, which was mentioned in this video, is much more important than this one battle. Belgium as a concept did not exist and what the modern Benelux was, is a legacy of the Burgundian dukes, who were the first to unite our regions. 'Belgium' and modern 'Belgians' are concepts that have their origins in the late 18th and early 19th century. The majority of the Belgian revolutionaries originally wanted: independence with the son of William I of Orange as king or the son of the French king Louis-Philippe as monarch. There was also much talk of joining France (Rattachism), because the political elite was French-speaking and Catholic, but the other European powers would not have tolerated that. Later, the original revolutionaries were even of the opinion that they would be better off joining the Netherlands again or at least forming some kind of political union. Vive la Belgique!!!
This shows that you don't need a govt (pm and cabinet, or executive president) to govern. You just need a good civil service. If you want to change laws, you can use parliament. If you want to make policy within those laws, you could use parliamentary committees (eg defense, banking & trade). Just abolish the post of pm and ministers, and executive presidents.
"Tensions between Flanders and Wallonia often make modern American politics look calm and civil". I would like to remind you that we never had a civil war since independence. And belgian politic looks much better than the US from my perspective.
@@Gwanhk. We don't had any in Belgium. And we likely never have one. We set our problems by talking to each other. And if the country split or not, not a single drop of blood will be dropped.
nice video, probably one of the best on youtube that does not go for 3 hours straight Few notes from a random Belgian guy: 0:12 the difficulties with forming a federal government has more to do with the sheer number of parties with similar number of seats, with a full set both North and South, than Flemish and Walloons frictions 0:12 TH-camrs and foreign media really LOVE talking about the calls for independence, but it is far from the real life experience. Only 1 out of the 11 major parties calls for it (VB) and 1 other (NVA) talks about confederalism (more devolution basically), and their electors (reportedly) don't really vote for them for that but rather because of their other stances on immigration and the economy which nowadays is far more important to electors, like everywhere else in the west 5:03 That describe pretty well why we came to be, but why we exist, that in my opinion has more to do with "our neighbours hate each other enough that no one was allowed to own Belgium, and so if the Netherlands could not force Belgians to be Dutch, then Belgium can just be neutral in the middle" (see the Treaty of London 1839) 5:41 To be technical, the Region of Brussels and the whole bilingual thing came in later, but you could make a 1 hour video on the State Reforms (updating the Belgian Constitution) so who cares. Same thing about the Germans and the Communities 6:00 no no no no, "Walloon" is not commonly spoken in the South. Barely anyone beyond a few old people in the countryside speak "Walloon". 6:00 Walloon is not "a dialect of French", but a umbrella term to traditional dialects (plural) of Wallonia, including Walloon from Liège, but also derivatives of Picard, Champenois and Lorrain, which are all Langue d'Oïl, like most French dialects. And if you want to be really annoying, you could add that today there is no such thing as a dialect of French, only french dialects, which standard French is also part of, but hey who cares, they are practically dead languages anyway
An odd funfact is that dutch children song "hoedje van papier" has its origins from the independence war in 1830, conscripts got paper-alike hats due to the fast draft and low amount of equipment stored up.
Perfect timing for this video! On holiday in Belgium, I'm watching in Brussels having just gotten back from Ghent. Antwerp tomorrow and Bruges on Monday, this will inform the way I'll see everything these days.
This has been one of the most accurate and yet also concise video on the history of my country. The video both mentions the very beginning while others gloss over it and start in 1789 and also glosses over less important facts and simplifies for international audiences. Thank you Emperor Tigerstar for this wonderful Christmas gift
6:03 Walloon used to be commonly spoken in the southern region of Walloni*, it is not anymore. (Belgian) French is the only language natively spoken by the newer generations.
As someone who is a quarter each Waloonian and Flemish, has visited the country, and is in contact with distant cousins there, this was interesting. But, I hope there is no quiz later
flemish is a dialect or variation of dutch but walloon is its own language which derived form latin alongside french, and it’s not even the only minority romance language in wallonia.
Flemish is also kind of a common language from different Flemish dialects just like Dutch is to Dutch dialects. It's more two slightly different versions of general common Dutch than Flemish being a Dutch dialect itself.
Belgium was designed as neutral buffer state between France and Germany, strongly supported by the UK. So it was best to place the UE in the neutral capital Brussels, in order not to upset Germany, France or the UK.
@@tobirates916 the EU choose Belgium as it was quite central with in the first 12 members. But do not forget that there are also Luxembourg and Strasbourg. The last one is very symbolic on the fundamental reason the EU had been found.
little correction, Walloon is not a french dialect, it is the native language of the Walloons that is pretty much extinct now. Walloon is a sepparate langue d'oïl then french, and does not fall under it.
To outsiders Walloon is often mistaken with Belgian French, which is basically standard northern French (langue d'oïl) with some Belgian specificities (belgicismes).
@6:12 at first, I thought it was a Russian parade or something like it. It took me a while to figure out what was going on in this shot. Too much Russian news lately, I guess...
This shows that you don't need a govt (pm and cabinet, or executive president) to govern. You just need a good civil service. If you want to change laws, you can use parliament. If you want to make policy within those laws, you could use parliamentary committees (eg defense, banking & trade). Just abolish the post of pm and ministers, and executive presidents.
Belgian faith is the glue that holds the nation together and belgiums greatest weakness is complentary to the weaknesses of the european community. It is like you said; we stand together or we fall together, "for better or.... for worse". Thank you for your presentation of my beautyfull country. ;)
@@roelantverhoeven371 The solid base of Standard Dutch is in fact the Antwerp variant as it was used in the 16th century. And yes, unfortunately, due to the hegemony of the French language, all local Romance languages in areas where it is widespread dies out. Even Germanic dialects in Alsace-Lorraine are dying
A small note for someone who lives in Belgium, at 00:07 you mention that our tension makes American politics look calm and civil. I'd like to address as it doesn't make sense. There is no open hostility between the Flemish and Walloon people; there is prejudice, not hostility. There have been zero violent or lethal incidents between our two cultures where the main reason was the fact that they live in the same country. Compare that to American politics where the open hostility and violence towards other cultures or even ideologies is rampant. Our country is stable despite of our political turmoil. To say our political landscape makes American politics look civil is to misunderstand our political system.
Eben though there are tensions there not as high as in th 60's and 70's. Now it's mainly just about Walloons (Brussels and the Flemish border) not (willing to) speaking Dutch
Walloons are nice people. It’s the originally Flemish people who were steamrolled to speak French over generations who are really dicks They move into (the more prosperous) Flemish areas (including the Flemish city Brussels), and refuse to speak Dutch. And that sums up the conflict in fake state Belgium since its creation. Power was in the hands of French-speaking captains of industry, and they brutally suppressed Dutch. “Belgium will be a French-speaking country, or it will not exist” as (I believe the first) prime minister stated.
As a Flemish Belgian I also ask “Why does Belgium exist?”. As for lately we have ‘t been more divided. Luckily we still have our beer, Chocolate and waffles 😄
"Tensions between Flanders and Wallonia often make modern American politics look calm and civil". So far no Belgian head of government has sent his troops raiding the parliament (national or local) after losing elections. Nor did any king.
No, Flemish is the southern variety of Dutch spoken in Belgium or pertains to specific dialects spoken in East or West Flanders. Only the West Flemish comes close to being it's own language in the same way as Swiss German.
Flemish isn’t a language, it’s a collection of Dutch dialects. Every region of Flanders has its own, Brabantine etc. Walloon however is actually a distinct language, and is in many ways not intelligible with French.
So, at first the people of Belgium were united by religion, but as religion became less important, they started to fight over their linguistic differences.
LOL I used to work for a company whose European headquarters was just outside of Brussels, BTW. While Brussels is legally a bilingual enclave within Flanders people in shops and restaurants always greeted people in French.
Indeed, in everyday life it's hard to get by without knowing a bit of French. Dutch is almost unheard of in practice. And in my experience English is less useful than in other large cities. Official institutions like police and hospitals etc. are supposed to be bilingual, but even there you don't have much chance of getting people to understand you if you don't speak French.
Belgium has exhausting system in place which is very time-resources-and energy demanding just to keep everything together. But I guess that’s also where the fun part lies..
Let's not forget that the Nehterlands used to be the 17 Netherlands as an administrative subdivision. The 7 Northern Netherlands split of to become the Republic of the 7 United Netherlands and have religious freedom. That is roughly what is now called the Netherlanders but not back then. The same whole area including today's Belgium also went by the latinized name Belgica. The settlement of Nova Belgica for example was the same as New Netherland and a Dutch Republic's settlement. So only after the latest split, the Southern Netherlands got the latinized name and the Northern Netherlands the Dutch name exclusively.
This guy didn't even mention the County of Flanders and the Battle of the Golden Spurs, which are literally the most crucial pieces for understanding the Belgian puzzle and why it exists as a state.
That is not really correct. The battle of the golden spurs had not too big of impact on the regions history with the Flemish being soundly defeated soon after and much of modern Belgium having nothing to do with it. The importance of it was mostly popularized after Belgium was already formed by Flemish nationalists to foster a Flemish national sentiment.
Belgium was for NATO HQ and EU "HQ" second choice. NATO HQ left Paris after De Gaulle quit French membership of NATO and went to Brussels. The EU originally would have been seated in The Hague, but the Dutch government lacked the money to build the HQ buildings. Remember WW2 had just ended and the Netherlands fought a Vietnam style colonial war in Indonesia, which was very expensive. Many things were rationed, and (as now) there was a huge shortage of houses. So the Dutch government saw no expedience in funding large scale building for the EU. So the EU went to Brussels. (I know it was not called the EU back then).
You really couldn't go through the effort of actually making sure everything you said was correct, for a video that is only 6 minutes long? Are you joking? This kind of video has been made 20 times already. How about you actually make something informative. Walloon is not a dialect of French, it is its own language and comes from the same language subgroup as French. "And it is here we can begin to see how we ended up with the half-Dutch, half-French mishmash that is modern Belgium. Just no... that's the most stupid generic shit I've ever heard. Honestly perfect for this kind of video though. Just dissappointing. How about you explain it if you can see it so well?
Thank you. 1. When I asked Flemish people when I was in Flaunders, why do they call their language, Flemish, not Dutch? They replied that their history with the Dutch was very rocky. It's like if USA and Canada called their language, American, not English. 2. Not many in Flaunders are fluent in English. This is because they are taught both French and Dutch in school. In restaurants, I just said 'chicken' when ordering. Many Wallooians know some English. Their name sounds like people in Willy Wonka.
Flemish schools also teach mandatory english and I believe official numbers put the Flemish higher on English skills than Walloons (and pretty high up in general for a non-native English region)
It's simply different from what the Dutch speak. It's mutually very intelligable but there is very clear difference in pronunciation and vocabularies don't overlap entirely and the same words can have quite different meanings.
@@MDP1702 Exactly, contrary to what @raydunn is saying, Belgians (mainly Flemish) are known to be very fluent in English and speak/are able to use it well. It's the Walloons (and also the French) who are known to ONLY know their native tongue more often than not.
@JazzualSuspects Thank you. I was there right after 9/11. I understand that Flaunders now has a more stable diverse economy. Some of their Dutch blood must have had some effect. If the two break apart, they just say, "See you, it's been real'. More like Czechslvania broke apart, not like Yugoslavia. The tragedy continues.
More the french really. They helped out Belgium after its revolt. The British only organised the conference to recognize Belgiums independence when it was clear the Netherlands wouldn't be able to retake it.
That's why the Netherlands has a monarchy too, it was the Dutch Republic before Napoleon. Britain wanted a buffer monarchy consisting of Belgium and the Netherlands. When that didn't work out, it had to be two buffer monarchies.
“helped out” more accurate: “invaded” There was never a revolt. It was a scheme by industrialists to rejoin France, after, finally, for the first time since the 15th century, the Netherlands was reunited.
@@WouterCloetens If the French wanted to annex Belgium, they would have. There was no other major great power interested in getting militarily involved in that situation at that time. Obviously France didn't do it out of the goodness of their heart (only an idiot would assume that), rather they just tried to weaken a neighbour and gained a much more friendly industrialised smaller neighbour with a lot of French influence instead. That the revolt happened was due to policies of the Dutch king and government, if anyone is mainly to blame for it, it is them.
@@MDP1702 yea the king screwed up. But it's the whole monarchy system AFTER the french revolution that didn't sit right with the modern industrialists and liberals who were in great numbers in Belgium. The whole situation has so many aspects from religion, language, economics and ideology. It's probably best to never re-open that bear pit again, just be glad the EU mostly settled the actual day-to-day problems for border region folks.
Another big reason for Belgium was just to create an artificial buffer state between other great powers. Our neutrality in wars was an important condition for independence. If other countries hadnt threatened to intervene, The Netherlands could have easily taken Belgium back by force after our tiny revolution.
Actually the kingdom of the Netherlands were meant as the bufferstate between Prussia and France. Belgium was mostly given independence with insistence on neutrality because else it most likely would have ended completely in the French sphere of influence, almost as a puppet state. And no major power at the time was willing to go against France in support of the Netherlands reclaiment, thus after a few years the British organized a conference to acknowledge Belgiums independence by all major states and its neutrality stance. Also the Main reasonn why the Dutch could have taken back Belgium without France's help was mostly just time constraint. The Dutch had an army ready while the Belgian didn't. Belgium definitely had the industrial and manpower capacity to fight of the Dutch if given time to mobilize and train up a proper army.
Belgium, as a state, should become Flanders and join the Netherlands, reflecting its true historical and cultural identity. Wallonia’s ancestors were originally Flemish, and reversing the Frenchification imposed after the Napoleonic era would restore what was lost. Before French dominance, much of Wallonia retained Flemish dialects and traditions, which were systematically suppressed. The Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 exemplifies Flemish resistance to French control, and Belgium’s creation in 1830 only deepened the divide by forcing two distinct groups into one artificial state. Reuniting with the Netherlands would correct this injustice, restoring unity to the Low Countries and reaffirming Flemish cultural and linguistic heritage.
Belgium, as a state, should become Flanders and join the Netherlands, reclaiming its historical, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic identity. Wallonia’s ancestors were originally Flemish, and reversing the Frenchification imposed after the Napoleonic era would restore what was lost. Before French dominance, much of Wallonia retained Flemish dialects, traditions, and ethnic ties, which were systematically erased through aggressive policies of assimilation. The Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 symbolizes Flemish resistance to French control, showcasing the region’s determination to preserve its sovereignty. Belgium’s creation in 1830 only deepened the divide, forcing two distinct ethnic and cultural groups into an artificial state dominated by French-speaking elites. Reuniting with the Netherlands would not only correct these historical injustices but also restore unity to the Low Countries, reaffirming the Flemish people's true ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage while strengthening our position in Europe.
How about no. We like our Southern neighbour but we like to have then as a neighbour. We would go bankrupt just trying to ge those Belgium roads to Dutch quality and safety standards.
"His heart was the size of a peppercorn; his lungs corroded; his intestines rotten and gangrenous; he had a single testicle, black as coal, and his head was full of water". Now 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 sounds mid to me
German speedbump -- Ha! Beat you to the joke!
(New year's channel update below)
Anyways, I've noticed I've only posted 11 videos in 2024-- a far cry from the weekly schedule I used to post at-- so something I'm going to try is to post at least 15-20 videos in 2025. I reckon that's a good way for me to pump a bit of life back into the channel without immediately overexerting myself. In fact, this video is a bit of an experiment in making videos that are *less* ambitious than what I have been posting-- alongside the occasional larger video.
Either way, enjoy your holidays and I'll see you in the new year!
A question uttered daily by the Walloons and Flemish themselves.
One video a month is also fine :)
Whatever works best for you- love your videos regardless!
bro, you seen a belgian speed bump? the germans broke their "superpanzers" on our speedbumps XD
Actually, where does the story come from that is was created by the british as Buffer between germany and france?
Belgium exists because its people neither want to become French nor Dutch. A pretty good reason, I say.
you said "play crusader kings" right as i was imagining myself starting a new game in crusader kings 3 and it really freaked me out
Me too
i was just starting up a crusader kings save when he said it lol
synchronicity bro
If you want an idea of what to do I recommend starting as a landless person and after a few generations either go through Byzantine drama (if you want an estate) or colonize another area far from your starting zone (I liked a run as Germans migrating to the birthplace of humanity and trying to make an Eastern HRE)
Him: The Christopher Columbus people
Me: Catherine of Aragon's parents
This is probably the best video I've seen on my country's origin, than most I've found on TH-cam.
Die kerel heeft niet eens het Graafschap Vlaanderen en de Guldensporenslag genoemd, die letterlijk de meest cruciale stukken zijn om de Belgische puzzel te begrijpen en waarom het bestaat als een staat.
@@Nordin-f1q sorry, nee, de Guldensporenslag is niet zo belangrijk voor het ontstaan van België als je denkt. Na de Guldensporenslag heeft Vlaanderen nog steeds de oorlog tegen Frankrijk verloren. De Guldensporenslag was vooral belangrijk omdat het toonde dat een leger van voetvolk een ridderleger kon verslaan, wat in de vroege middeleeuwen zo goed als ondenkbaar was. De nationale mythe-vorming rond die slag is pas iets uit de 19de eeuw. Vlaanderen kreeg geen onafhankelijkheid na de Guldensporenslag, anders zou de opstand van Artevelde tijdens de Honderdjarige Oorlog dat niet heel veel later er op volgde nutteloos zijn geweest. En ra ra wie die verloor: Vlaanderen. De Brabantenaren (lees Leuven, Brussel en Antwerpen) hadden zelfs kamp gekozen voor de Franse koning in de Guldensporenslag. Het graafschap Namen had omwille van dynastieke banden van de toenmalige graven van Vlaanderen zich wel aan de kant graafschap Vlaanderen geschaard, ze waren allemaal van de Dampierre familie. De Henegouwers hadden zich ook tegen Vlaanderen aangesloten bij de Fransen omdat de Avesnes familie en Dampierres een vete hadden omdat Margeretha van Konstantinopel (voormalige gravin van Vlaanderen) twee keer getrouwd was en met beide mannen kinderen had. Als je denkt dat de Guldensporenslag symbool staat voor Belgische of Vlaamse samenhorigheid, dan moet ik je teleurstellen. België (of de Zuidelijke Nederlanden) bestond niet als een concept, dat kwam pas vanaf de Bourgondiërs en de naam Belgen is een uitvinding van de late 18e, vroege 19e eeuw. De 80-jarige oorlog tussen Nederland en Spanje (waarvan de Beeldenstorm overigens begonnen was in Frans-Vlaanderen (hedendaags Frankrijk)) is veel belangrijker voor de moderne Belgische en Vlaamse geschiedenis dan de Guldensporenslag.
@@Nordin-f1q De Guldensporenslag is overroepen als een historisch belangrijke gebeurtenis. Het is een bron van trots omdat een Vlaams voetvolk-leger, een Franse Ruiter-leger versloeg. Wat haast ongehoord was omdat ruiters te paard elite waren en voetvolk normaal amper impact hadden op het slagveld. Het is een beeld van trots omdat de 'Franstalige overheersers' verslagen werden. Desondanks die oorlog heeft Vlaanderen niet gewonnen, alhoewel ook niet volledig verloren. De Dampierre-dynastie bleef aan de macht, maar op lange termijn was deze slag niet bijzonder impactvol en heeft het graafschap Vlaanderen zelfs territorium verloren. Daarbij de Vlaamse zijde bestond voornamelijk uit de steden van hedendaags West-, Oost- en Frans-Vlaanderen. Het graafschap Namen sloot zich aan omwille van dynastieke banden, ze werd ook door Dampierres geregeerd. Brabant (Brussel, Antwerpen, Leuven etc.) sloten zich aan bij de Fransen en Henegouwen vocht ook tegen Vlaanderen omwille van rivaliteit tussen de Avesnes en de Dampierres, die dezelfde grootmoeder hadden wat voor vetes heeft gezorgd omwille van de verdeling van de erfenis. Henegouwen werd overigens geregeerd door dezelfde persoon die het graafschap Holland in zijn macht had, dus de Hollanders vochten ook met de Fransen mee. De 80-jarige oorlog, die wel vermeld werd in deze video is veel belangrijker dan deze ene veldslag. België als concept bestond niet en wat de hedendaagse Benelux was, is een nalatenschap van de Bourgondische hertogen, die onze contreien als eerste hadden verenigd. 'België' en moderne 'Belgen' zijn concepten die hun oorsprong kennen uit de late 18e en vroege 19e eeuw. De meerderheid van de Belgische revolutionairen wilden oorspronkelijk: onafhankelijkheid met de zoon van Willem I van Oranje als koning of de zoon van de Franse koning Louis-Philippe als monarch. Er was ook veel sprake van zich aan te sluiten bij Frankrijk (Rattachisme), want de politieke elite was Franstalig en katholiek, maar dat zouden de andere Europese grootmachten niet geduld hebben. Later waren de oorspronkelijke revolutionairen zelfs van mening dat ze beter weer bij Nederland zouden aansluiten of toch iets van politieke unie hadden moeten vormen. Vive la Belgique!!!
The Battle of the Golden Spurs is overrated as a historically important event. It is a source of pride because a Flemish foot soldier army defeated a French cavalry army. Which was almost unheard of because horsemen were elite and foot soldiers normally had little impact on the battlefield. It is an image of pride because the 'French-speaking rulers' were defeated. Despite this, Flanders did not win the war, although it did not completely lose either. The Dampierre dynasty remained in power, but in the long term this battle was not particularly impactful and the County of Flanders even lost territory. In addition, the Flemish side consisted mainly of the cities of modern-day West, East and French Flanders. The County of Namur joined because of dynastic ties, it was also ruled by Dampierres. Brabant (Brussels, Antwerp, Leuven etc.) joined the French and Hainaut also fought against Flanders because of the rivalry between the Avesnes and the Dampierres, who had the same grandmother which caused feuds because of the division of the inheritance. Hainaut was also ruled by the same person who had the county of Holland in his power, so the Dutch also fought with the French. The 80-year war, which was mentioned in this video, is much more important than this one battle. Belgium as a concept did not exist and what the modern Benelux was, is a legacy of the Burgundian dukes, who were the first to unite our regions. 'Belgium' and modern 'Belgians' are concepts that have their origins in the late 18th and early 19th century. The majority of the Belgian revolutionaries originally wanted: independence with the son of William I of Orange as king or the son of the French king Louis-Philippe as monarch. There was also much talk of joining France (Rattachism), because the political elite was French-speaking and Catholic, but the other European powers would not have tolerated that. Later, the original revolutionaries were even of the opinion that they would be better off joining the Netherlands again or at least forming some kind of political union. Vive la Belgique!!!
This shows that you don't need a govt (pm and cabinet, or executive president) to govern. You just need a good civil service. If you want to change laws, you can use parliament. If you want to make policy within those laws, you could use parliamentary committees (eg defense, banking & trade). Just abolish the post of pm and ministers, and executive presidents.
Idk about that. It's a very short video so I can't expect him to talk about every subject but there are so many crucial elements missing.
"Tensions between Flanders and Wallonia often make modern American politics look calm and civil". I would like to remind you that we never had a civil war since independence. And belgian politic looks much better than the US from my perspective.
dude THE civil war what are you talking about
@@Gwanhk. We don't had any in Belgium. And we likely never have one. We set our problems by talking to each other. And if the country split or not, not a single drop of blood will be dropped.
nice video, probably one of the best on youtube that does not go for 3 hours straight
Few notes from a random Belgian guy:
0:12 the difficulties with forming a federal government has more to do with the sheer number of parties with similar number of seats, with a full set both North and South, than Flemish and Walloons frictions
0:12 TH-camrs and foreign media really LOVE talking about the calls for independence, but it is far from the real life experience. Only 1 out of the 11 major parties calls for it (VB) and 1 other (NVA) talks about confederalism (more devolution basically), and their electors (reportedly) don't really vote for them for that but rather because of their other stances on immigration and the economy which nowadays is far more important to electors, like everywhere else in the west
5:03 That describe pretty well why we came to be, but why we exist, that in my opinion has more to do with "our neighbours hate each other enough that no one was allowed to own Belgium, and so if the Netherlands could not force Belgians to be Dutch, then Belgium can just be neutral in the middle" (see the Treaty of London 1839)
5:41 To be technical, the Region of Brussels and the whole bilingual thing came in later, but you could make a 1 hour video on the State Reforms (updating the Belgian Constitution) so who cares. Same thing about the Germans and the Communities
6:00 no no no no, "Walloon" is not commonly spoken in the South. Barely anyone beyond a few old people in the countryside speak "Walloon".
6:00 Walloon is not "a dialect of French", but a umbrella term to traditional dialects (plural) of Wallonia, including Walloon from Liège, but also derivatives of Picard, Champenois and Lorrain, which are all Langue d'Oïl, like most French dialects. And if you want to be really annoying, you could add that today there is no such thing as a dialect of French, only french dialects, which standard French is also part of, but hey who cares, they are practically dead languages anyway
An odd funfact is that dutch children song "hoedje van papier" has its origins from the independence war in 1830, conscripts got paper-alike hats due to the fast draft and low amount of equipment stored up.
Oh, a video about us! Didn't expect that! :D
Google autocomplete be like:
Perfect timing for this video! On holiday in Belgium, I'm watching in Brussels having just gotten back from Ghent. Antwerp tomorrow and Bruges on Monday, this will inform the way I'll see everything these days.
This has been one of the most accurate and yet also concise video on the history of my country. The video both mentions the very beginning while others gloss over it and start in 1789 and also glosses over less important facts and simplifies for international audiences.
Thank you Emperor Tigerstar for this wonderful Christmas gift
Why you’re welcome- wait, hang on…
6:03 Walloon used to be commonly spoken in the southern region of Walloni*, it is not anymore. (Belgian) French is the only language natively spoken by the newer generations.
As someone who is a quarter each Waloonian and Flemish, has visited the country, and is in contact with distant cousins there, this was interesting. But, I hope there is no quiz later
flemish is a dialect or variation of dutch but walloon is its own language which derived form latin alongside french, and it’s not even the only minority romance language in wallonia.
Flemish is also kind of a common language from different Flemish dialects just like Dutch is to Dutch dialects. It's more two slightly different versions of general common Dutch than Flemish being a Dutch dialect itself.
Great video.
Happy holidays and healthy new year, KhAnubis & entourage! :)
Banger video
us belgians and the dutch just banter to eachother. there's no 'not liking' eachother. we are just chill guys having a laugh sometimes
I love synchronicity i was literally looking up the belgium revolution after french loss at waterloo
New question: why did Brussels get picked as the seat of the EU? Was it a compromise location, like Washington, DC? (Loved the video btw!)
Belgium was designed as neutral buffer state between France and Germany, strongly supported by the UK. So it was best to place the UE in the neutral capital Brussels, in order not to upset Germany, France or the UK.
@@tobirates916 the EU choose Belgium as it was quite central with in the first 12 members. But do not forget that there are also Luxembourg and Strasbourg. The last one is very symbolic on the fundamental reason the EU had been found.
Basically a small but not too small nation pretty centrally located early on.
Great food and drinks, low on national identity and tolerant to corruption.
BELGEN ZIJN GEEN RAS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
moerasmoffen hebben na 10 jaar "gekoloniseerd" eindelijk een nieuwe grap uitgevonden, proficiat makkers
little correction, Walloon is not a french dialect, it is the native language of the Walloons that is pretty much extinct now. Walloon is a sepparate langue d'oïl then french, and does not fall under it.
To outsiders Walloon is often mistaken with Belgian French, which is basically standard northern French (langue d'oïl) with some Belgian specificities (belgicismes).
A question I ask myself every day
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 🎄🎁
Suggestion: Please improve the sound quality.
0:33 Brussels was founded in 979, it is quite a new city in Europe.
@6:12 at first, I thought it was a Russian parade or something like it. It took me a while to figure out what was going on in this shot. Too much Russian news lately, I guess...
1:02 Limburgs mentioned!!!
This shows that you don't need a govt (pm and cabinet, or executive president) to govern. You just need a good civil service. If you want to change laws, you can use parliament. If you want to make policy within those laws, you could use parliamentary committees (eg defense, banking & trade). Just abolish the post of pm and ministers, and executive presidents.
Anyone else think that Philip the Handsome looks a little like Khanubis when he squints?
Hey now!
Belgian faith is the glue that holds the nation together and belgiums greatest weakness is complentary to the weaknesses of the european community. It is like you said; we stand together or we fall together, "for better or.... for worse". Thank you for your presentation of my beautyfull country. ;)
Vlaams is a Dutch dialect but Walloon is French's sister langue d'oil tongue
dutch originated in flanders tho ;p the cultural center of gravity moved northwards gradually
also, wallon is a nearly extinct language nowadays, sadly
@@roelantverhoeven371 The solid base of Standard Dutch is in fact the Antwerp variant as it was used in the 16th century. And yes, unfortunately, due to the hegemony of the French language, all local Romance languages in areas where it is widespread dies out. Even Germanic dialects in Alsace-Lorraine are dying
It's funny cause over here we're like "American politics make our language barrier look reasonable"
The Walloon dialect is nearly extinct, with only (very) old people speaking it, however flemish is indeed widely spoken with its different dialects
A small note for someone who lives in Belgium, at 00:07 you mention that our tension makes American politics look calm and civil. I'd like to address as it doesn't make sense. There is no open hostility between the Flemish and Walloon people; there is prejudice, not hostility. There have been zero violent or lethal incidents between our two cultures where the main reason was the fact that they live in the same country. Compare that to American politics where the open hostility and violence towards other cultures or even ideologies is rampant. Our country is stable despite of our political turmoil. To say our political landscape makes American politics look civil is to misunderstand our political system.
Eben though there are tensions there not as high as in th 60's and 70's. Now it's mainly just about Walloons (Brussels and the Flemish border) not (willing to) speaking Dutch
Walloons are nice people. It’s the originally Flemish people who were steamrolled to speak French over generations who are really dicks They move into (the more prosperous) Flemish areas (including the Flemish city Brussels), and refuse to speak Dutch.
And that sums up the conflict in fake state Belgium since its creation. Power was in the hands of French-speaking captains of industry, and they brutally suppressed Dutch. “Belgium will be a French-speaking country, or it will not exist” as (I believe the first) prime minister stated.
Where else would those sprouts come from? Minsk?
@1:10 - AH! My eyes! My poor, innocent eyes!
As a Flemish Belgian I also ask “Why does Belgium exist?”. As for lately we have ‘t been more divided. Luckily we still have our beer, Chocolate and waffles 😄
"Tensions between Flanders and Wallonia often make modern American politics look calm and civil". So far no Belgian head of government has sent his troops raiding the parliament (national or local) after losing elections. Nor did any king.
Flemish and waloon are not dialects. flemish is as much a dialect of dutch as Sicilian is a dialect of italian. Same goes for waloon and french.
No, Flemish is the southern variety of Dutch spoken in Belgium or pertains to specific dialects spoken in East or West Flanders. Only the West Flemish comes close to being it's own language in the same way as Swiss German.
Flemish isn’t a language, it’s a collection of Dutch dialects. Every region of Flanders has its own, Brabantine etc. Walloon however is actually a distinct language, and is in many ways not intelligible with French.
it depends on what type of Flemish you mean there are a lot
#BelgianLivesMatter
So, at first the people of Belgium were united by religion, but as religion became less important, they started to fight over their linguistic differences.
4:31 EU4 revolt soundbyte 😭😭😭
LOL
I used to work for a company whose European headquarters was just outside of Brussels, BTW. While Brussels is legally a bilingual enclave within Flanders people in shops and restaurants always greeted people in French.
Indeed, in everyday life it's hard to get by without knowing a bit of French. Dutch is almost unheard of in practice. And in my experience English is less useful than in other large cities.
Official institutions like police and hospitals etc. are supposed to be bilingual, but even there you don't have much chance of getting people to understand you if you don't speak French.
You could say that Belgium waffles with its identity.
as of this video, we're 200 days without Federal govt (again). gives good sources for Comedians tho
Someone tag bittersteel
Belgium has exhausting system in place which is very time-resources-and energy demanding just to keep everything together. But I guess that’s also where the fun part lies..
Let's not forget that the Nehterlands used to be the 17 Netherlands as an administrative subdivision. The 7 Northern Netherlands split of to become the Republic of the 7 United Netherlands and have religious freedom. That is roughly what is now called the Netherlanders but not back then. The same whole area including today's Belgium also went by the latinized name Belgica. The settlement of Nova Belgica for example was the same as New Netherland and a Dutch Republic's settlement.
So only after the latest split, the Southern Netherlands got the latinized name and the Northern Netherlands the Dutch name exclusively.
why does Switzerland exist tho?
There is a four-part, several-thousand word answer on r/AskHistorians about that one line description of Philip's autopsy
But do they speak english like the Dutch?
Dutch nationalists ask themselves the same question all the time.
If only Middle Francia/Lotharingia still existed we wouldn't have this mess!
This guy didn't even mention the County of Flanders and the Battle of the Golden Spurs, which are literally the most crucial pieces for understanding the Belgian puzzle and why it exists as a state.
Nou ik zou dat niet willen zeggen, hoewel het een uitstekende gebeurtenis is om je nationale mythe op te gronden.
So, tell us about it then
That is not really correct. The battle of the golden spurs had not too big of impact on the regions history with the Flemish being soundly defeated soon after and much of modern Belgium having nothing to do with it. The importance of it was mostly popularized after Belgium was already formed by Flemish nationalists to foster a Flemish national sentiment.
I think it is important to understanding Belgium and even Netherlands society, but little to the nation state of Belgium.
Oh my God KhAnubis, you can’t just ask countries why they exist!!!
Now I want some waffles
Bisse drie joar kense un verke in de vot kieke.
Maya Schoppenboer will like this video
Why does Belgium exist? A question asked for nearly 200 years. 🤣🤣🤣
The maps in this video are.... not the greatest. Hopefully this is just a product of it being the holidays and that they will be better next video
Bro Belgium have right to exist
Nigel Firage is that you?
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
And the country that gave the world lots of good music genres.
What if belgium where a Germán country?
Belgium was for NATO HQ and EU "HQ" second choice. NATO HQ left Paris after De Gaulle quit French membership of NATO and went to Brussels. The EU originally would have been seated in The Hague, but the Dutch government lacked the money to build the HQ buildings. Remember WW2 had just ended and the Netherlands fought a Vietnam style colonial war in Indonesia, which was very expensive. Many things were rationed, and (as now) there was a huge shortage of houses. So the Dutch government saw no expedience in funding large scale building for the EU. So the EU went to Brussels. (I know it was not called the EU back then).
Lol at this alternative history. Dutch still mad they're irrelevant and aren't capital of the eu. Atleast you have the kangaroo court in den haag.
Why Does Belgium Exist? It doesn't 🤣🤣 Neither does New Zealand.
Simple answer: “France cant have nice things” 😀😀
Edit: and also a bunch of cousins marrying each other ☺️☺️
You really couldn't go through the effort of actually making sure everything you said was correct, for a video that is only 6 minutes long? Are you joking? This kind of video has been made 20 times already. How about you actually make something informative. Walloon is not a dialect of French, it is its own language and comes from the same language subgroup as French. "And it is here we can begin to see how we ended up with the half-Dutch, half-French mishmash that is modern Belgium. Just no... that's the most stupid generic shit I've ever heard. Honestly perfect for this kind of video though. Just dissappointing. How about you explain it if you can see it so well?
It was created as a buffer state under British patronage. That's why it exists.
Thank you.
1. When I asked Flemish people when I was in Flaunders, why do they call their language, Flemish, not Dutch? They replied that their history with the Dutch was very rocky.
It's like if USA and Canada called their language, American, not English.
2. Not many in Flaunders are fluent in English. This is because they are taught both French and Dutch in school. In restaurants, I just said 'chicken' when ordering.
Many Wallooians know some English. Their name sounds like people in Willy Wonka.
Flemish schools also teach mandatory english and I believe official numbers put the Flemish higher on English skills than Walloons (and pretty high up in general for a non-native English region)
It's simply different from what the Dutch speak. It's mutually very intelligable but there is very clear difference in pronunciation and vocabularies don't overlap entirely and the same words can have quite different meanings.
@@MDP1702 Exactly, contrary to what @raydunn is saying, Belgians (mainly Flemish) are known to be very fluent in English and speak/are able to use it well.
It's the Walloons (and also the French) who are known to ONLY know their native tongue more often than not.
@JazzualSuspects
Thank you. I was there right after 9/11.
I understand that Flaunders now has a more stable diverse economy. Some of their Dutch blood must have had some effect.
If the two break apart, they just say, "See you, it's been real'. More like Czechslvania broke apart, not like Yugoslavia. The tragedy continues.
@@raydunn8262 20 years is ofcourse a big change, the older generation might not have had english as a mandatory subject in school.
Why Does Belgium Exist?
Because of the Britsh...
More the french really. They helped out Belgium after its revolt. The British only organised the conference to recognize Belgiums independence when it was clear the Netherlands wouldn't be able to retake it.
That's why the Netherlands has a monarchy too, it was the Dutch Republic before Napoleon. Britain wanted a buffer monarchy consisting of Belgium and the Netherlands. When that didn't work out, it had to be two buffer monarchies.
“helped out”
more accurate: “invaded”
There was never a revolt. It was a scheme by industrialists to rejoin France, after, finally, for the first time since the 15th century, the Netherlands was reunited.
@@WouterCloetens If the French wanted to annex Belgium, they would have. There was no other major great power interested in getting militarily involved in that situation at that time.
Obviously France didn't do it out of the goodness of their heart (only an idiot would assume that), rather they just tried to weaken a neighbour and gained a much more friendly industrialised smaller neighbour with a lot of French influence instead.
That the revolt happened was due to policies of the Dutch king and government, if anyone is mainly to blame for it, it is them.
@@MDP1702 yea the king screwed up. But it's the whole monarchy system AFTER the french revolution that didn't sit right with the modern industrialists and liberals who were in great numbers in Belgium. The whole situation has so many aspects from religion, language, economics and ideology. It's probably best to never re-open that bear pit again, just be glad the EU mostly settled the actual day-to-day problems for border region folks.
It’s the same question people from the Belgian Congo have asked themselves.
200 years ago people in the region thought religion was more important than language. Now they don't and Belgium no longer has a reason to exist.
Literally.
I don't know, but please make it stop.
Another big reason for Belgium was just to create an artificial buffer state between other great powers. Our neutrality in wars was an important condition for independence. If other countries hadnt threatened to intervene, The Netherlands could have easily taken Belgium back by force after our tiny revolution.
Actually the kingdom of the Netherlands were meant as the bufferstate between Prussia and France. Belgium was mostly given independence with insistence on neutrality because else it most likely would have ended completely in the French sphere of influence, almost as a puppet state. And no major power at the time was willing to go against France in support of the Netherlands reclaiment, thus after a few years the British organized a conference to acknowledge Belgiums independence by all major states and its neutrality stance.
Also the Main reasonn why the Dutch could have taken back Belgium without France's help was mostly just time constraint. The Dutch had an army ready while the Belgian didn't. Belgium definitely had the industrial and manpower capacity to fight of the Dutch if given time to mobilize and train up a proper army.
Nah they wouldn't have. The Dutch state was broke and the state of their army was abysmal at the time
my friend from belgium says this state shouldnt exist
Belgium, as a state, should become Flanders and join the Netherlands, reflecting its true historical and cultural identity. Wallonia’s ancestors were originally Flemish, and reversing the Frenchification imposed after the Napoleonic era would restore what was lost. Before French dominance, much of Wallonia retained Flemish dialects and traditions, which were systematically suppressed.
The Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 exemplifies Flemish resistance to French control, and Belgium’s creation in 1830 only deepened the divide by forcing two distinct groups into one artificial state. Reuniting with the Netherlands would correct this injustice, restoring unity to the Low Countries and reaffirming Flemish cultural and linguistic heritage.
@@Nordin-f1q Klopt helemaal.
@@Koleshanope. Wallonia must either be French or entirely independent
@@ezrafriesner8370 Nee, gewoon niet.
they just hate themselves for no reason
Belgium, as a state, should become Flanders and join the Netherlands, reclaiming its historical, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic identity. Wallonia’s ancestors were originally Flemish, and reversing the Frenchification imposed after the Napoleonic era would restore what was lost. Before French dominance, much of Wallonia retained Flemish dialects, traditions, and ethnic ties, which were systematically erased through aggressive policies of assimilation.
The Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 symbolizes Flemish resistance to French control, showcasing the region’s determination to preserve its sovereignty. Belgium’s creation in 1830 only deepened the divide, forcing two distinct ethnic and cultural groups into an artificial state dominated by French-speaking elites. Reuniting with the Netherlands would not only correct these historical injustices but also restore unity to the Low Countries, reaffirming the Flemish people's true ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage while strengthening our position in Europe.
How about no. We like our Southern neighbour but we like to have then as a neighbour.
We would go bankrupt just trying to ge those Belgium roads to Dutch quality and safety standards.
Yeah no. As a Walloon we do not want to be Dutch, your silly view of history is not one we want to have anything to do with
Belgian isn't a race
Who says it is?
@mahakalabhairava9950 mymy
Ok
"His heart was the size of a peppercorn; his lungs corroded; his intestines rotten and gangrenous; he had a single testicle, black as coal, and his head was full of water". Now 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 sounds mid to me
As a Belgian i can only tell this was a historic wrong and the northern part can be better off alone or back with the Netherlands.
You only say that to express your (lack of) identity.