Belgium and the February Revolution

Adding to the growing body of literature on 1848, this study amplifies the politieal and diplomatie posture of Belgium both before and after the February Revolution. The narrative is based on diplomatie and administrative correspondence, most of it unpublished, and also on the papers of Charles Rogier and Sylvain Van de Weyer, now part of the holdings of Belgium’s Archives Generales du Royaume. These materials make possible a more complete account of the Liberal Ministry’s first year in offiee, a fuller treatment of the impact of the February Revolution on the Belgian domestie scene, and, for the first time, a detailed tracing of Belgian negotiations with the new Provision­ al Government and other European powers during the few months just after the fall of Louis Philippe. To my knowledge this is also the first monographie work in English to discuss Belgian problems in 1847 and 1848. * * * * I should like here to record my indebtedness. My greatest obligation is to the Belgian Ameriean Educational Foundation whose support was not only contributory to this study but also led to a major step in my personal intellectual growth. Transportation to Be1gium was once provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and typing of the manuscript was the work of Miss Carolyn Embach of the Uni­ versity of Oklahoma Faculty Research Committee. Among many archivists and librarians who have readily assisted my efforts, par­ tieular mention must be made of P. -H.