42 INTRODUCING BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURGTIMELINE1620 1640 1660 1680INVASION OF THE SUN KING
The 17th century was a time of great
religious and political stuggle for
Europe. The Thirty Years’ War divided
the land along Catholic and Protestant
lines. In addition, Spain was engaged
in the Revolt of the Netherlands.
Under the Peace of Münster, which
ended both these wars, Philip IV of
Spain finally recognized the inde-
pendence of the United Provinces.
The Spanish Netherlands now
consisted of a region more-or-less
similar to modern Belgium and
Luxembourg. However, under this
treaty, the United Provinces gained
control of the mouth of the River
Scheldt, and Antwerp lost its access
to the sea – a disaster for the city that
was not rectified until Napoleon over-
turned the ruling 150 years later.More trouble lay ahead. Following his
marriage to Maria Theresa, daughter
of Philip IV of Spain, Louis XIV of
France (the Sun King) felt he had a
claim over the Spanish Netherlands.
After Philip IV died in 1665, Louis
launched the War of Devolution (1667–
68), winning Tournai, Kortrijk and
Charleroi. He took Bouillon in 1678,
Luxembourg in 1684 and Namur in
1692; all were subsequently fortified
by his ingenious military architect, the
Marquis de Vauban. However, when
Namur was retaken in 1695, the piqued
Sun King moved his army to Brussels.
On 13 August 1695, the French bom-
barded Brussels from a hill outside
the city, destroying the Grand Place.AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION
Subsequent decades were further
dogged by war as Austria and
England sought to stave off French
ambitions. When Philip of Anjou,
grandson of Louis XIV, succeeded to
the Spanish throne in 1700, it looked
as if the combined threat of Spain
and France would overwhelm the rest
of Europe. Emperor Leopold I of
Austria, together with England and
many German states, declared war on
France. The resulting War of the
Spanish Succession raged across
Europe for 14 years. Campaigns led
by the Duke of Marlborough scored1660 Work begins
on the Baroque
abbey church of
Grimbergen1667 Louis XIV of
France launches a
war to claim the
Spanish Nertherlands1695 French
bombardment of
Brussels destroys
the Grand Place1648 The Thirty Years’ War ends
and the Peace of Münster
recognizes the independence
of the United Provinces1618 Beginning of
the Thirty Years’ War
in western Europe
1700Louis XIV, the Sun KingThe armies of Louis XIV of France bombarding Brussels’s city centre in 1695Altar at Grimbergen
abbey churchRatification of the Treaty of Münster, which ended
the war between the United Provinces and Spain