The Brabant Revolution

On January 24, 1789, representatives from Brabant met in secret. They declared themselves the rightful government, upholding their traditional rights and rejecting Emperor Joseph II’s reforms. This led to the creation of the States of Brabant, which infuriated the Austrian Emperor and sparked conflict.

On October 27, 1789, the revolutionaries, under Jan Andries van der Mersch’s leadership, won a major victory over the Austrian forces at the Battle of TurnhoutThe Battle of TurnhoutOn October 27, 1789, the revolutionaries, under Jan Andries van der Mersch’s leadership, won a major victory over the Austrian forces at the Battle of Turnhout. This triumph lifted spirits…. This triumph lifted spirits and bolstered the revolution’s credibility, as well as the push for Belgian independence.

After the revolutionaries won, the United Belgian States (États-Belgiques-Unis) was established on January 11, 1790. Most notably, this stateincluded Brabant, Flanders, Hainaut, Namur, and Limburg. However, despite their early success in gaining independence, tensions between radical democrats and conservative aristocrats soon weakened the new government.

While the Democrats and Aristocrats argued over their plans for the new state, Emperor Leopold II of Austria, successor to Joseph II, aimed to reclaim control. He made use of their internal divisions and swiftly restored Austrian rule, thus ending the independence of the United States of Brabant.