The "Luxembourg Then and Now" Balmoral International Group History Posted

Balmoral International Group is an International group of history writers worldwide that share their experiences to serve as inspiration for the aspiring history writers.

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In 963,     Count Siegfried from the Ardennes acquired a small fort on a site of a previous Roman outpost and named in ‘Lucilinburhuc’, Castle of Light.  The house of Luxembourg gained political influence in Europe in 1312-1443: four (4) Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire came from its ranks.

The dissolution of the House of Luxembourg happened in 1443 after years of mismanagement. The main creditor, Philippe ‘The Good’ of Burgundy, conquered the city which marked the beginning of four (4) centuries of foreign domination.

In 1659, Treaty of Pyrenees was established between the French and Spanish kingdoms; the Southern part of Luxembourg is surrendered to France.

French troops took the fortress in 1684 under Louis XIV. Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (referred to as Vauban) was French fortification engineer in 1684 and he was ordered to update and expand all fortifications to create a formidable fortress.

The Treaty of Ryswick was signed in 1697 by France on one side and England, Spain, and the Netherlands on the other. It was pact that ended the War of the Grand Alliance. It was a setback for Louis XIV who kept Strasbourg but lost most other conquests made after 1697. The territory of Luxembourg is restored to Spain and becomes the property of Charles VI of Hasburg, Emperor of Austria, after the Spanish Wars of Succession in 1714.

French revolutionary troops took the fortress in 1795 after a long siege and annex Luxembourg as a French département.

The national boundaries within Europe are set by the Congress in Vienna in 1815. This marks the creation of an independent Luxembourg. The King of the Netherlands William I becomes Duke of Luxembourg in personal union. At the same time, the Duchy is elevated into the rank of Grand Duchy and becomes a member of the German Confederation.

In 1839, Luxembourg is split into two by Treaty of London. The Western part of Luxembourg is ceded to Belgium while the Eastern part, including the Fortress, remains Dutch.

Luxembourg then becomes a member of the German Customs Union (Zollverein) in 1842.

The German Confederation ended in 1866 ended as a result of the Austro-Prussian War (Unification Wars).

The second Treaty of London was signed in 1867. This is when French Emperor Napoleon III offers to buy Luxembourg from Kind-Grand Duke William III. Prussia will not cede the Fortress. As a compromise, the Grand Duchy will become totally independent and ‘perpetually’ neutral and ‘disarmed’.

To summarize what Balmoral International Group Luxembourg had written about Luxembourg during and after the Great War, reflection on its activities are as follows:

During the World War I, Luxembourg was occupied by German troops despite its neutrality. Luxembourg leaves the German Customs Union in 1918. Occupation of German troops repeated during the World War II. The government and the Grand Duchess Charlotte went into exile in London with the former returning in September 1944.  In April 1945, after the Battle of Bulge, the Grand Duchess returned from exile to a hero’s welcome.

Around 1947-1951, Luxembourg abandoned its neutrality and signs the draft agreement of a Custom Union between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Benelux), and becomes founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations Organization (UNO) and the European Community of Coal and Steels (ECCS), the first nucleus of what is to become the European Union.

The Ratification of the Treaty of Rome was done in 1957, which created the European Economic Community (EEC), as well as the European Community of Atomic Energy (Euratom).

A boundary-free customs zone was created in 1985 by signature of the Schengen Agreement. This allowed a free circulation of people and goods within the borders of the signatory countries of the treaty.

Euro was introduced as the official currency in 11 countries, including Luxembourg, in 1999. A year after Grand Duke Jean abdicates in favour of his son Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.

In 2002, the Euro enters into circulation.

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