Leopold was born into the family of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. His father Franz Friedrich was fond of natural sciences, and tried to give his son the same a good education. The prince's grandmother Sophia Antonia of Brunswick taught him good manners. In addition, Leopold inherited his handsome appearance from his parents.
Leopold was 16 years old when his native duchy was captured by the French and all the family's property was confiscated. The old Duke died from the shock he suffered. Leopold spent some time in Saalfeld prison, and then was forced to live with his mother in the back rooms of his own palace. He decided to seek justice in Paris, and was received by Napoleon, who was charmed by Leopold's appearance and manners. The prince was offered the position of adjutant under Napoleon, but he refused and went to serve in Russia, since from the age of five he was listed as a colonel and then a general of the Izmailovsky regiment. In the Russian army he was known as a brilliant officer and in 1814 he returned to Paris, but as a winner.
After leaving Russian service, Leopold settled in England, where in 1816 he married Charlotte, the only legitimate daughter of King George IV. Leopold received a seat in the House of Lords and the rank of general in the British army. However, a year later, his beloved wife died from an unsuccessful birth. Leopold himself fell seriously ill with typhoid fever and miraculously survived. Having recovered from his illness, he began to travel around Europe, visiting almost all the courts and meeting many monarchs. Everyone had the impression of Leopold as an intelligent, active and energetic person.
In 1828, Leopold was offered the crown of Greece, which had recently gained independence. Leopold gave preliminary consent, limiting it to many conditions. However, he did not like the country itself, and he found a reason to refuse.
In 1830 there was a revolution in Belgium. At first, Leopold was not among the main contenders for the Belgian throne, but his candidacy turned out to be the most acceptable for all the powers involved in the Belgian-Dutch conflict. On June 26, 1831, the Belgian National Congress elected Leopold as king, and on July 21 of the same year he took the oath of allegiance to the constitution. Since then, July 21st has been celebrated in Belgium as a national holiday.
On August 9, 1832, Leopold married the French princess Louise Marie. It was a political marriage. Only on his condition did the king of France agree to give the Belgian throne to Leopold.
The main issue that Leopold had to deal with during his reign was the settlement of relations with the Netherlands. They recognized the independence of Belgium only in 1839, and the final settlement of territorial issues took another three years. Leopold managed to maintain good relations with the rest of the European powers thanks to personal connections. He was especially close to the British royal family, where he arranged the marriage of Queen Victoria to her nephew Albert.
In domestic policy Leopold paid special attention to the development of industry. Leopold's main pride was the opening on May 5, 1835 of the first railway line in continental Europe between Brussels and Mechelen. Under Leopold, two universities were opened in Ghent and Liege, in other cities there were many colleges and primary schools. Leopold did not forget about the security of the country. The size of the army under him grew to 100 thousand people.
Under Leopold, the Belgian parliamentary system developed. The king always relied on the parliamentary majority and managed to channel the fierce struggle between fanatical Catholics and liberals into a peaceful direction. Leopold also managed to keep Belgium from turmoil when Europe was hit by a wave of revolutions in 1848.
Leopold died on December 10, 1865 and was buried in the royal tomb in Brussels' Notre Dame Cathedral. He was succeeded by his son.
From the family of the sovereign Dukes of Saxe-Coburg, the third son of Grand Duke Franz of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Accepted into Russian service as a lieutenant colonel with enrollment in the Life Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment March 28, 1799. February 1, 1801 transferred to the Life Guards. Cavalry regiment colonel, May 16, 1803 received the rank of major general. He took part in the campaign to Austria in 1805 and was in the Suite of Emperor Alexander I at Austerlitz. In 1807 he took part in the battles of Heilsberg and Friedland. In 1808 he accompanied the Emperor on a trip to Erfurt; in 1809, at the insistence of Napoleon, he left Russian service and returned to his homeland.
In 1813 he again entered the Russian army and was appointed commander of the Life Guards. Cuirassier Regiment, with which he distinguished himself near Kulm and was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class, on September 9, 1813. For distinction in battles with the French.
For the Battle of Leipzig he received a gold sword with diamonds. In 1814 he fought at Brienne, Laon, Fère-Champenoise and Paris. On October 28, 1814, he was promoted to lieutenant general, and on June 1, 1815, he was appointed commander of the 1st Uhlan Division.
Duke Kendall
On March 31, 1814, the allied armies led by Emperor Alexander I entered Paris. In the retinue of the Russian emperor, a young brilliant officer, standing straight in the saddle and wearing a white robe, attracted attention. It was the Prince of Saxe-Coburg, riding at the head of the Guards cavalry. “I don’t remember a more beautiful moment in my life,” said Leopold, “than when I entered this city as a winner, where I led such a miserable existence.” The Bourbons received Leopold with great courtesy. He appeared at the receptions of Talleyrand and Marshal Ney. Chamberlains and ministers, who had once refused his protection, hovered around him, surprised by the friendly disposition that the Russian emperor showed him.
In mid-June 1815, Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna (sister of Alexander I) introduced the handsome Leopold to Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George III, who was regent for his mentally ill father. Leopold and Charlotte fell in love with each other. In 1816, Leopold settled in England and was formally introduced to the queen, princesses, and his bride. Charlotte kissed her father for the first time, so great was her gratitude. Then real miracles began for the prince. Within two weeks he received 50 thousand pounds, became a member of the House of Lords and a general in the British army. The Regent solemnly informed the Privy Council that his daughter was marrying for love. But in retaliation for her disobedience, the regent made her Duchess of Kendall, after the tiny estate that had once been the property of a former royal mistress. Princess Charlotte died on November 7, 1817 from complications during childbirth.
Another son of King George, the Duke of Kent, married Victoria of Saxe-Coburg, Princess of Leiningen, Leopold's sister. The Duke and Duchess of Kent gave birth to a girl on May 24, 1819 at Kensington Palace, who later became Queen Victoria. Leopold was his niece's guardian for 11 years; she affectionately called him “my second father.”
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King Leopold I of Belgium
In August - September 1830, a revolution took place in Belgium, as a result of which an independent state emerged, separating from Holland. The National Congress on November 22 voted for a constitutional monarchy and on June 4, 1831 elected Leopold of Saxe-Coburg as Belgian king by a majority of 137 votes to 48.
On July 21, 1831, King Leopold I solemnly rode a white horse into the capital of his kingdom, Brussels, and took the oath of allegiance to the Belgian people and the constitution. This day is now considered one of the main national holidays.
At the height of the controversy over the candidacy for the Belgian throne, Leopold was made to understand that he must certainly marry his daughter French king Louis Philippe to Louise Marie, who was 22 years younger than Leopold. The French cabinet saw this union as the only way to neutralize the strong English influence experienced by the future king of Belgium. On April 9, 1835, Crown Prince Leopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor, who later became King Leopold II of Belgium, was born. The Belgian Queen Louise Marie died of pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 38 on October 11, 1850. Leopold survived her by 15 years; Crown Prince Leopold assumed his rights on December 17, 1865.
Family
In May 1816, Leopold married Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817), daughter of the Prince Regent, later King George IV of Great Britain. She died during childbirth along with the child.
In August 1832, the king remarried Louise d'Orléans (1812-1850), daughter of King Louis Philippe I of France. Children:
Louis Philippe (1833-1834);
Leopold (1835-1909), next King Leopold II of Belgium;
Philip (1837-1905), Count of Flanders;
Charlotte (1840-1927), married Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico.
Leopold I(16 December 1790 – 10 December 1865) - first king of Belgium ("King of the Belgians") from 1831 to 1865 of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty.
Childhood
Descended from the family of the sovereign Dukes of Saxe-Coburg, he was the eighth child and third son of Grand Duke Franz of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Augusta Caroline Reuss von Ebersdorff. Emperor Leopold II became his godfather. Until the age of eleven, Leopold was raised by his grandmother Sophia Antonia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Leopold's father, who was fond of botany and astronomy, instilled in his son a love of natural sciences. The prince's teacher was Pastor Hoflender, who taught mathematics, ancient languages, Greek and Latin.
General of Russian service
Accepted into the Russian service as a lieutenant colonel with enrollment in the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment on March 28, 1799. He was related to the Russian imperial house: his sister Anna Feodorovna was the wife of the heir Constantine, and his sister Antonia was married to the brother of Empress Maria Feodorovna. In Russian service, Leopold learned to speak Russian fluently.
February 1, 1801 transferred to the Life Guards. Cavalry regiment colonel, May 16, 1803 received the rank of major general. He took part in the campaign to Austria in 1805 and was in the retinue of Emperor Alexander I at Austerlitz in 1805. In October 1806, the troops of the French general Jean-Pierre Augereau invaded the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and captured the capital. Leopold, along with his dying father Franz, was placed under arrest. In 1807 he took part in the battles of Heilsberg and Friedland. Together with his brother Ernest, he negotiated in Paris for the return of the dukedom. In 1808 he accompanied Emperor Alexander on a trip to Erfurt; in 1809, at the insistence of Napoleon, he left Russian service and returned to his homeland.
In 1813 he again entered the Russian army and was soon appointed commander of the Life Guards. Cuirassier Regiment, with which he distinguished himself near Kulm and was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class, on September 9, 1813.
For the Battle of Leipzig he received a gold sword with diamonds. In 1814 he fought at Brienne, Laon, Fère-Champenoise and Paris. On October 28, 1814, he was promoted to lieutenant general, and on June 1, 1815, he was appointed commander of the 1st Uhlan Division.
Husband of a British heiress
On March 31, 1814, the allied armies led by Emperor Alexander I entered Paris. “I don’t remember a more beautiful moment in my life,” said Leopold, “than when I entered this city as a winner, where I led such a miserable existence.” The Bourbons received Leopold with great courtesy. He appeared at the receptions of Talleyrand and Marshal Ney. The chamberlains and ministers, who had once refused his protection, now sought his acquaintance, surprised by the friendly disposition that the Russian emperor showed him. Leopold came to the Congress of Vienna. And after the end of the congress, he visited England in the retinue of Alexander I.
In mid-June 1815, Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna (sister of Alexander I) introduced Leopold to Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George III, who was regent for his mentally ill father. Leopold and Charlotte fell in love with each other. In London, Leopold, because of his poverty, was the subject of ridicule from supporters of William of Orange, whose bride was Charlotte. Leopold was supported by Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent. In August 1815, Leopold moved to Paris, maintaining a relationship with Charlotte through correspondence.
In 1816, Leopold, after a written invitation from the regent, the Prince of Wales, settled in England. On 21 February, Leopold arrived in London and was received by George, Prince of Wales, and a few days later was formally introduced to the queen, princesses and his bride. Charlotte kissed her father for the first time, so great was her gratitude. Within two weeks he received 50 thousand pounds, became a member of the House of Lords and a general in the British army. The Regent solemnly informed the Privy Council that his daughter was marrying for love. But in retaliation for disobedience, the regent announced that he was going to confer on her husband the title of Duke of Kendal, after the tiny estate; Previously, this title was borne by the German mistress of George I. However, the assignment of the title did not take place due to the imminent death of Princess Charlotte, who died on November 7, 1817 from complications during childbirth. Her son was stillborn. Leopold was deeply saddened by the loss of his wife and child and subsequently named his daughter from his second marriage, the future Empress of Mexico, Charlotte.
I started work in the Congo for the benefit of
civilization and for the good of Belgium. Leopold II
(words engraved on the monument
Leopold II in Arlem, Belgium)
It all started with a geographical conference held in Brussels in 1876, at which the proposals of King Leopold II of Belgium to introduce the inhabitants of Central Africa to civilization and Western values were voiced. Famous guests from different countries attended the meeting. These were mainly scientists and travelers. Among them are the legendary Gerhard Rolfs, who managed to get into the most closed areas of Morocco under the guise of a Muslim, and Baron von Richthofen, the president of the Berlin Geographical Society and the founder of geomorphology. Baron von Richthofen was the uncle of the legendary "Red Baron" Manfred von Richthofen, the best pilot of the First World War. The famous geographer and traveler Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky arrived from Russia and chaired the conference.
As a result of the meeting, the International African Association was established under the leadership of Leopold II. In addition, the king establishes two more organizations: the Committee for the Study of the Upper Congo and the International Society of the Congo. These organizations were used by him to assert his influence in the Congo Basin. The king's emissaries signed hundreds of treaties with local tribal leaders that transferred land rights to the Association. Contracts were concluded in English or French, so the tribal leaders had no idea what rights and to what extent they were transferring. However, colonial empires and were built through this kind of treaties, so Leopold II was not particularly resourceful.
Berlin Conference 1884-1885 Source: africafederation.net
Exploration of Central Africa has always been associated with very high risks. Firstly, due to diseases, many of which European medicine learned to treat only in the second half of the 19th century. Secondly, safety, since not all native tribes accepted travelers peacefully. And thirdly, before the invention of railways and steamships, exploration of the central regions of Africa did not bring any profit, since it was not possible to transport the resources hidden within its borders.
By the beginning of the reign of Leopold II, the necessary tools for exploring and developing the region had already appeared. Isolation of quinine from the bark of the cinchona tree (1820) helped fight malaria, the “curse” of Central Africa. With the help of steamships and railways it was possible to move deeper into the continent, and the invention of the machine gun (for example, the Maxim system, 1883) and the improvement of small arms negated the advantage of the natives in manpower. Thanks to these three components (medicine, steamships, machine guns), the development of Central Africa by developed powers became inevitable.
The reports that came to the king said that the flora and fauna of the region were very rich, especially in wild rubber trees, from which scientists learned how to obtain rubber. Demand for it grew rapidly at the end of the 19th century. Not to mention Ivory, from which artificial teeth, piano keys, candlesticks, billiard balls and much more were then made.
In 1884-1885, the Berlin Conference, attended by representatives of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, the United States, Great Britain, France and Belgium, formalized the colonial division of Africa between world powers. But the efforts of the Belgian king were rewarded - the Free State of the Congo SGK was proclaimed), full control over which passed to Leopold II. An area of more than two million square kilometers, approximately 76 times the size of Belgium, became the property of the king, who was now the world's largest landowner. Belgian Prime Minister Auguste Beernart then stated:
“The state of which our king is proclaimed sovereign will be something like an international colony. There will be no monopolies or privileges. Quite the opposite: absolute freedom of trade, inviolability of private property and freedom of navigation.”
Prisoners in the Congo Free State. Source: claseshistoria.com
The decisions of the Berlin Conference obliged Leopold II to end the trade in slaves, guarantee compliance with the principles of free trade, not impose duties on imports for 20 years, and also encourage charitable and Scientific research in the region.
In one of his first decrees, Leopold II prohibits the open publication of legal acts of the Congo, so in Europe for a long time they will not know what is happening in the distant province. The king creates three ministries (foreign affairs, finance and internal affairs), and due to the fact that he will never visit his state, the post of governor-general is established with a residence in Boma, the capital of the Congo. 15 district commissariats are being created, which will be divided into many districts.
Leopold II issues a series of decrees according to which all land, with the exception of places where natives live, is declared the property of the SGC. That is, forests, fields, rivers, everything that was located outside the native villages and where the indigenous people hunted and obtained food, became the property of the state, and in fact the king.
In 1890, a discovery occurred that became a curse for the Congo: John Boyd Dunlop invents an inflatable bladder for bicycle and automobile wheels. Rubber is becoming necessary in the production of many consumer goods: rubber boots, hoses, pipes, seals, insulation for telegraphs and telephones. The demand for rubber is increasing sharply. Leopold II successively issued decrees turning the indigenous people of the Congo into serfs, who were ordered to hand over all the resources they extracted, especially ivory and rubber, to the state. A production standard was set; for rubber it was approximately four kilograms of dry matter for two weeks - a standard that could only be met by working 14-16 hours a day.
Execution of a slave in the Congo Free State. Source: wikimedia.org
An infrastructure of expropriation is being created: cities are emerging at both ends of the Congo River with the help of numerous strongholds for military and commercial purposes, and the flow of resources from the interior of the Congo is being established. The main task of the “trading points” is the forced selection of resources from the indigenous population. Moreover, the king builds railway from the city of Leopoldville (Kinshasa) to the port of Matadi on the Atlantic.
In 1892, Leopold II decided to divide the lands of the SGC into several zones: lands transferred to companies as a concession with the exclusive right to extract and sell resources, lands of the king and lands on which companies were allowed to trade, but the royal administration imposed huge taxes and fees on them and made all sorts of obstacles. Concessions began to be issued because the royal administration did not control the entire territory of the Congo and, accordingly, was not able to benefit from its exploitation. Typically, 50% of the shares of the company receiving the concession were transferred to the state, that is, Leopold II.
The largest concession went to the Anglo-Belgian rubber export company, run by partners of Leopold II, whose value increased 30-fold in 1897. Organizations that received a concession could set production standards themselves. Not to mention the fact that the production of rubber in the SGC was almost free, and its exports increased from 81 tons in 1891 to 6 thousand tons in 1901, while in 1897 alone, the company’s profit amounted to 700%. The king's own income from his possessions grew from 150 thousand francs to 25 million in 1908. The apotheosis of capitalism. Karl Marx said: “Provide capital with 300% profit and there is no crime that he would not risk committing, at least on pain of the gallows.” Leopold II provided capital with profits even greater than 300%. The crimes were not long in coming.
Formally, to combat the slave trade, the king established the Social Forces - OS (Force Publique). Nowadays it would be called a Private Military Company (PMC). The officers were mercenaries from “white” countries, and ordinary soldiers doing the most “dirty work” were recruited throughout Africa (“wild militia”). The colonial authorities did not even disdain recruiting cannibals. Theft of children was also in the order of things, who subsequently, having undergone appropriate training, joined the ranks of OS fighters.
The main task of the OS was to control the provision of production standards. For lack of dry rubber, pickers were flogged, cutting off hands was practiced, and for damaging rubber trees they were killed. OS fighters were also punished for excessive use of ammunition, so severed hands (proof of a completed task) were carefully stored so that the authorities were sure that the cartridges were not wasted. To carry out tasks, OS fighters did not hesitate to take hostages; entire villages were destroyed for refusal to work, men were killed, and women were raped or sold into slavery. In addition to the delivery of rubber, the population of the colony was charged with supplying food to the OS fighters, thus the population of the colony had to support their killers.
Victims of violence in the Congo Free State. Source: mbtimetraveler.com
Leopold II did not consider it necessary to build hospitals or even health centers on the lands under his control. Epidemics raged in many areas, killing tens of thousands of Congolese. From 1885 to 1908, researchers estimate that the Congolese indigenous population decreased by approximately ten million people.
The destruction of so many people could not go unnoticed. The first to announce the critical situation in the Congo was African-American George Williams, who visited the Congo and wrote a letter to King Leopold II in 1891 detailing the suffering of the Congolese under the colonialists. Williams reminded the king that "the crimes committed in the Congo are committed in the name of the king and make him no less guilty than those who commit them." He also addresses the President of the United States, the first country to recognize the SGC. In his letter, in addition to mentioning the crimes of the colonial regime, approximately 50 years before the Nuremberg Tribunal, Williams also uses the following formulation - “crimes against humanity.” In addition, European and American missionaries testify to numerous human rights violations and the critical situation in the Congo Free State.
In 1900, radical pacifist and journalist Edmund Dean Morel began publishing materials about “forced labor camps” in the Congo. Morel maintains connections with writers, journalists, politicians and businessmen; It is known that the chocolate king William Cadbury (the brand famous for Halls lollipops, Picnic and Wispa chocolate) sponsors his projects. It is interesting that Edmund Morel himself learned, or rather, guessed about the genocide in the Congo, while working in a transport company that was engaged in sending goods from the SGC to Belgium and back. Looking through the documents, he discovered that people were coming from the Congo to Belgium Natural resources(ivory, rubber), and only military cargo (rifles, bullets, ammunition) and soldiers are sent back to the Congo. This exchange did not at all resemble free trade, and he began an independent investigation that helped open the world's eyes to the genocide of the indigenous population in the Congo. Edmund Dean Morel would later be nominated for Nobel Prize peace.
Edmund Dean Morel. Source: Library of Congress Edmund Dean Morel. Source: Library of Congress
In 1903, under public pressure, Great Britain initiated an investigation into increasing reports of human rights violations in the SGC. British Consul Roger Casement, after visiting the Congo, during which he interviewed dozens of witnesses and victims of the policies of Leopold II, issues a report confirming many facts of extermination of people for the sake of commercial gain.
From Roger Casement's report:
“Testimony of a child: We all ran into the forest - me, mother, grandmother and sister. The soldiers killed a lot of our people. Suddenly they noticed my mother’s head in the bushes and ran up to us, grabbed my mother, grandmother, sister and one stranger’s child, smaller than us. Everyone wanted to marry my mother and argued among themselves, and in the end they decided to kill her. They shot her in the stomach, she fell, and I cried so terribly when I saw it - now I had neither a mother nor a grandmother, I was left alone. They were killed before my eyes.
A native girl reports: On the way, the soldiers noticed a child and headed towards him with the intention of killing him; the child laughed, then the soldier swung and hit him with the butt of his gun, and then cut off his head. The next day they killed my half-sister, cutting off her head, arms and legs, on which she had bracelets. Then they caught my other sister and sold her ooh tribe. Now she has become a slave."
In 1904, Morel and Casement created the Congo Reform Society. Morel visits Largest cities world with speeches and calls for the “world community” to intervene and stop the destruction of the inhabitants of the Congo, and branches of the society are opened in Europe and the USA.
Many famous writers of the era took an active part in resolving the “Congolese problem”, as well as in the activities of the Society itself: Herbert Ward, Arthur Conan Doyle, Anatole France, Joseph Conrad, Mark Twain. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the book Crimes in the Congo, and Mark Twain wrote the pamphlet Monologue of King Leopold II in Defense of His Dominion. However, the greatest effect had adventure story"Heart of Darkness", written by Joseph Conrad back in 1899, is about the sailor Marlow's journey along a lost tropical river in the Congo. During the journey, the main character witnesses the establishment of terrible colonial orders and meets a man named Kurtz, whose very name causes fear in everyone who pronounces it, from the natives to the colonial officials.
Joseph Conrad's story "Heart of Darkness" (Russian translation of "Heart in Darkness") formed the basis of Francis Ford Coppola's famous blockbuster "Apocalypse Now".
As a result, Great Britain demands that the decisions of the Berlin Conference be reconsidered, and the Belgian socialists initiate the emergence of an independent commission to investigate the situation in the Congo. Thus, the Congo Reform Society becomes one of the first international human rights movements of the 20th century.
A snake with the head of Leopold II attacks a slave in the Congo Free State, cartoon from 1906.
This post kicks off a series that was originally an extended version of my . I decided to add to the main text a story about his predecessors - the first and second Belgian kings, who bore the name Leopold. The story was divided into several separate posts and the result was this story about the formation of the Belgian kingdom and its first monarchs.The small European country of Belgium is located on the territory of Flanders, once famous for its riches - one of the citadels of the development of European capitalism. At the end of the Middle Ages, these lands were part of a great power - the Duchy of Burgundy. It was ruled by dukes who came from the French royal house of Valois. To this power located in the center Western Europe included the lands of what is now Benelux, as well as part of the territories of what is now Germany and France. The heyday of this state occurred in the 15th century - during the reign of Dukes Philip the Good and Charles the Bold. After the death of the latter 540 years ago under Nancy, the rights to the Duchy of Burgundy passed to the latter's only daughter, Maria, who was married to Maximilian of Habsburg. All subsequent Habsburgs were descendants of this marriage. We will not talk about all the further vicissitudes that happened on these lands; this is not part of my plans, and there would be too much to tell. Let's just say that by 1830, the territory of present-day Belgium was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, having been taken away from the descendants of the Burgundian dukes - the Austrian Habsburgs (in 1713, as a result of the War of the Spanish Succession, the Spanish Netherlands went to the Holy Roman Empire and became the Austrian Netherlands; in 1795 this the territory was annexed to France, in 1797 it was recognized as such, according to the Campo-Formian Peace; in 1806, these territories were transferred to Holland, which was ruled by Louis Bonaparte, the father of the future Napoleon III; in 1810, Holland became part of France; in 1815 year, according to the decision Congress of Vienna The United Kingdom of the Netherlands was created, which included the territories of modern Belgium). In August, a revolution took place there, during which an independent state, Belgium, separate from the Netherlands, was created. On November 22, the National Congress voted for a constitutional monarchy, and on June 4 of the following year, it elected a king from among 13 applicants - Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (137 votes to 48). Let's talk briefly about what kind of person he was.
He was born in 1790 in Coburg to Duke Franz of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, his eighth child and third son. The boy's godfather was Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, who assumed the imperial crown after the death of his older brother Joseph. In addition, the boy was the great-nephew of the famous commander Prince Friedrich Josiah von Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who commanded the imperial and Austrian troops in the wars with Turkey and revolutionary France (in 1788, together with Saltykov, he took Khotin, and in 1789 he assisted Suvorov in victories at Focsani and Rimnike; for these glorious victories the prince was awarded the rank of Field Marshal). Leopold loved natural Sciences , to which his father attracted him and all his life he was interested in them and patronized them. In 1799, he enlisted in the Russian service (at the age of 8!) as a lieutenant colonel of the L. Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment. He was connected with Russia by the fact that his sister Yulianna (Anna Fedorovna) was the wife of the Grand Duke. Konstantin Pavlovich, and another sister, Antonia (Antoinette) was the wife of the brother of Empress Maria Feodorovna, Duke Alexander of Württemberg, who in 1800 was accepted on the recommendation of Suvorov himself into the Russian service as a lieutenant general and was soon promoted to the rank of cavalry general. In 1801, Leopold became colonel of the Life Guards. Cavalry regiment, and after 2 years he was promoted to the rank of major general. During his Russian service, which lasted, with interruptions, until 1819, he learned to speak Russian fluently. As part of the retinue of Emperor Alexander, he took part in the campaign of 1805 and was with the Emperor during the Battle of Austerlitz. In October 1806, together with his dying father, he was arrested by Augereau's troops who entered the duchy, but was later released. In 1808, he accompanied the Russian emperor on his trip to Erfurt, and in 1809, at the request of Napoleon, he was forced to leave Russian service, to which he returned in 1813 and was made commander of the Life Guards. Cuirassier Regiment, in which capacity he distinguished himself at Kulm, for which on September 9 he was awarded the Order of St. George, IV class. For his distinction at Leipzig he was awarded a sword with diamonds. In 1814 he took part in the battles of Brienne, Laon, Fer-Champenoise and Paris. In October 1814 he was promoted to lieutenant general of the cavalry, and in 1815 he was given command of the 1st Uhlan Division. In 1814, he visited England, where he met the daughter of the regent George, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of the mad King George III, Charlotte Augusta (1796 - 1817) and fell in love with her. The girl was the daughter of the heir to the throne and second on the list of contenders for the throne after her father, in fact, the future queen, which means that the selection of a groom for her was approached with the utmost severity and care. She was chosen to be Prince Willem of Orange, heir to the Dutch king (the future Willem II). But Charlotte refused marriage in defiance of her father and gave her heart to the beggar Leopold, with whom, after many ups and downs, she married on May 2, 1816. However, the happiness with her beloved Leo, as she called him, was short-lived - on October 5, 1817, the princess gave birth to a stillborn boy, and 2 days later she died from complications after childbirth. The death of 21-year-old Charlotte, beloved by the people, unlike her father and grandfather, was perceived as a national tragedy; people mourned as if across the UK they had lost a beloved child in every home. It was a tragedy for the husband (who would later name his only daughter, the future wife of the Mexican Emperor Maximilian, in honor of his beloved late wife), father and for the entire country. There was a threat of interruption of the dynasty, since she was the only legitimate granddaughter of King George, while the other sons did not have legitimate offspring or even wives. Leopold's friend, Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, who then lived in Brussels (the future capital of Belgium), broke up with his mistress and proposed to the young widower's sister, Victoria (1786 - 1861), in whose marriage a daughter, Alexandrina Victoria, was born on May 24, 1819, future British Queen Victoria. That same year, Leopold finally left Russian service, and a year later the Duke of Kent died. Leopold became his niece's guardian, took care of her, corresponded and gave various advice. Victoria called him “my second father.”
In 1828, Leopold was offered to take the Greek throne, but, having initially agreed, in May 1830 he responded with an official refusal (interestingly, a few decades later, already in the 20th century, his descendant, the young Prince Charles, would also be offered to take the throne of this country) . Fate prepared another crown for him - in the summer of 1831 he became king of the newly formed kingdom of Belgium. It must be said that at first the Catholics in the country were unhappy that a Protestant would become their king, but after some time they accepted him as their legitimate monarch. On July 21, 1831, Leopold I solemnly entered Brussels and took the oath of allegiance to the Belgian people and the Belgian constitution. Since then, July 21 is the main national holiday in Belgium. In 1832, he got married (for which he broke up with the actress Caroline Bauer, with whom he had been cohabiting all this time), and he was forced to choose as his wife the daughter of the French king Louis Philippe (the famous “bourgeois king”) in order to neutralize the strong English influence on him. However, an important issue was the birth of an heir to the throne and an indispensable person brought up in the Catholic faith. And so. On April 9, 1835, Prince Leopold was born, who was a descendant of the original rulers of these lands - the Habsburgs, who were descendants of Mary, daughter of Charles the Bold. On his mother's side he was a descendant of the Habsburgs through the Orleans branch of the Bourbons and through the Bourbons of Naples. And now the distant descendant of Charles the Bold and Philip the Good was to take the Belgian throne, but for now he received the title of Duke of Brabant. On March 24, 1837, Prince Philip, Count of Flanders, was born, who will be discussed below, since he will play important role in the future of the country. On June 7, 1840, Princess Charlotte was born, named after the King's late first wife. A rather difficult and tragic fate, which we will talk about another time. On August 22, 1853, the Duke of Brabant married a representative of the Habsburg dynasty - Archduchess Maria Henrietta (1836 - 1902), daughter of Archduke Joseph (1776 - 1847), Palatine of Hungary (1796 - 1847) and son of Emperor Leopold II. The French Emperor Napoleon III was against this marriage, who was afraid of the strengthening of Austria. However, relations between the countries were quite calm - in February 1854 Napoleon visited Belgium, and in September Leopold made a return visit to France.
Belgium was recognized as independent on the terms of its eternal neutrality, the guarantor of which was England (recall the family ties of the newly-crowned king), which, it should be noted, had long had interests in this region - since the Middle Ages. Moreover, the coast of this newly formed kingdom came very close to the shores of Albion. In 1839, the independence of Belgium was recognized by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which for a very long time did not want to come to terms with the loss of a fairly large part of its own territory.
On October 11, 1850, the Queen died. On February 18, 1858, the heir's daughter Louise was born, and on June 12, 1859, the long-awaited son, Leopold Ferdinand Elias Victor Albert Maria. In 1857, Princess Charlotte married Archduke Maximilian (who will be discussed another time). And only the Count of Flanders remained unmarried. On May 21, 1864, Princess Stephanie was born. And on December 10, 1865, King Leopold I died and his son and heir Leopold II ascended the throne.
For our region, this man was noted for the fact that, as the head of the main department of communications, he was involved in the reconstruction of water systems, as part of which a canal was built that connected the Sukhona River with the Sheksnaya River (which was part of the Mariinsky system). This canal in 1828 received the name of Duke Alexander of Württemberg. Nowadays it is called Severo-Dvinsky.
