Why is Belgium so Divided?

Belgium's history of linguistic division is as old as the country itself, the northern half being Dutch or Flemish speaking while the southern half is French or Walloon speaking. And we haven't even got into the German speakers living on Belgium's eastern fringes! The two larger language groups each attempt to rule their own independently having essentially segregated governments for Flanders and Wallonia, however the crisis of 2007 - 2011 showed that while the northern Flemings wanted more decentralisation and autonomy, the southern Walloons were dead set against it. Since then a split of Belgium along these lines has seemed inevitable, but this led me to question: how on earth did Belgium become so divided? The story will take us back to the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France, William of Orange and the Eighty Years War, Napoleon, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Belgian Revolution and two World Wars so strap in because this is going to be a good one!

Raid the Merch Market:
https://teespring.com/en-GB/stores/hi...

Music Used:
Sneaky Snitch - Kevin MacLeod
Suonatore Di Liutto - Kevin MacLeod
Constancy Part 3 - Kevin MacLeod
Lightless Dawn - Kevin MacLeod
Alternate History - Holfix
   • [Free Music] HolFix - Alternate History  
Mystery - Holfix
   • [Free Music] HolFix - Mystery  
Heroes - Co.AG
   • Peaceful Ambient Background Music  - ...  
To the Ends - Kevin MacLeod
Impact Alegratto - Kevin MacLeod
"Impact Alegratto" - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Up and Away - Holfix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YmM_...

Special Entrances (in order):
België - Het Goede Doel:
   • Het Goede Doel - België  
Fijn Uitgedoste Barbaar - Stille Willem:
   • Stille Willem - Fijn Uitgedoste Barbaar  
Het Wilhelmus:
   • Dutch National Anthem - "Het Wilhelmu...  

All images are from the Public Domain of Wikimedia Commons and Pixabay with the following exceptions:

Flag of Rattachist Movement by Cedric de Launois:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

Related Videos of Mine:

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Let's Learn Some Basic Dutch:
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The Netherlands, Holland, and the Low Countries:
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   • Why did the Dutch Flag Change Twice -...  

Related Videos by Other Channels:

Belgium - Geography Now:
   • Geography Now! Belgium  

Belgium for Dummies - Koen Van Roy:
   • Belgium for Dummies  

Languages of Belgium - Langfocus:
   • Languages of Belgium  

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