Leopold I of Belgium : 3D animated, era specific leaderhead.

City list :
Brussels
Tongeren
Tournai
Namur
Antwerp
Liège
Ghent
Mons
Bruges
Nivelles
Ieper
Arlon
Veurne
Huy
Leuven
Mechelen
Dinant
Eupen
Hasselt
Binche
Aalst
Charleroi
Kortrijk
Verviers
Sint-Niklaas
Mouscron
Ostend
Herstal
Genk
Braine-l'Alleud
Roeselaar
Wavre
Beveren
Otitgnies
Dendermonde
Waterloo
Beringen
Auvelais
Turnhout
Ath
Dilbeek
Soignies
Heist-op-den-Berge
Andenne
Sint-Truiden
Saint-Ghislain
Lokeren
Fleurus
Brasschaat
Manage
Vilvoorde
Tubize
Maasmechelen
Gembloux
Waregem
Quaregnon
Ninove
Spy
Geel
Walcourt
Halle
Marche-en-Famenne
Knokke-Heist
Hannut
Grimbergen
Waremme
Schoten
Couvin
Liere
Esneux
Mol
Leuze
Menen
Beloeil
Tienen
Amay
Evergem
Rochefort
Lommel
Jodoigne
Wevelgem
Mettet
Oudernarde
Malmedy
Deinze
Virton
Aarschot
Seneffe
Herentals
Spa
Ronse
Durbuy
Diest
Chimay
Koksijde
Libramont
Poperinge
Viller-la-Ville
Eeklo
Pépinster
Tielt
Fosses-la-Ville
Torhout
Beauraing
Hoogstraten
Yvoir
Blankenberge
Philippeville
Wervik
Sombreffe
Tessenderlo
Floreffe
Vielsalm
Stavelot
Saint-Hubert
Bouillon
Houffalize
La-Roche-en-Ardenne
Youtsiplou
 
Civilopedia entry
#RACE_BELGIANS
^The Belgians are $LINK<commercial and scientific=GCON_Strengths>. They start the game with
$LINK<the alphabet=TECH_Alphabet> and $LINK<Bronze Working=TECH_Bronze_Working> and build
$LINK<Belgian resistors=PRTO_Belgian_Resistor> instead of $LINK<pikemen=PRTO_Pikeman>.
^
^Belgium's big-gun neighbours France, Germany and England (which faces it across the North Sea) long favoured this little nation as a nice spot to kill each other. Conquered by German tribes, Christianised by the 7th century and carved up during the Frankish Empire in 1100, much of Belgium enjoyed a golden age of prosperity and artistry under the French Duke of Burgundy during the 14th century. This was a boom time for the cloth-trading Flemish towns of Ypres, Bruges and Ghent. With the demise of Bruges due to British competition and a silted river, Antwerp soon became the greatest port in Europe.
^The golden age began to tarnish in the mid-15th century when the Low Countries (present-day Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) were inherited by Spain, igniting a long battle against Catholic Spanish rule. The fanatically Catholic Philip II of Spain sent in the Inquisition to enforce Catholicism. Thousands were imprisoned or executed before full-scale war erupted in 1568. The Revolt of the Netherlands lasted 80 years and in the end Holland and its allied provinces booted out the Spaniards. Belgium and Luxembourg stayed under Spanish rule. Napolean's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo near Brussels led to the creation, in 1814, of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, melding Belgium and Luxembuorg into the Netherlands. But the Catholic Belgians revolted, winning independence in 1830.
^Stuck between a rock and a hard place (aka France and Germany), Belgium managed to retain its neutrality throughout the century, at the end of which Flemish nationalism flowered. Meanwhile, King Leopold II began to amass a fortune for himself (and, indirectly, for his subjects) by his genocidal exploitation of his holdings in the African Congo.
^Despite Belgium's neutral policy, the Germans invaded in 1914. Another German attack in 1940 saw the entire country taken over within three weeks. King Leopold III's questionably early capitulation to the Germans led to his abdication in 1950 in favour of his son, King Baudouin, whose popular reign ended with his death in 1993. Childless, Baudouin was succeeded by his brother, the present King Albert II.
#DESC_RACE_BELGIANS
^Postwar Belgium was characterised by an economic boom, later accentuated by Brussels' appointment as the headquarters of the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The Belgium of today is home to a vast army of diplomats, and with them has come a rampant, highly bureaucratic form of internationalism - followed closely by bland skyscrapers and intimidating restaurants. While the country's number one city is being busily groomed to suit the rest of Europe, the Belgians themselves remain nonchalant - the true spirit of the country will always emanate from its people and its past.
^In December 1999, Prince Philippe, 39-year-old heir to the Belgian throne, married a speech therapist with Flemish and Walloon roots, finishing an eventful century with what many Belgians saw as a promising flourish.
^Belgium was rocked during the nineties by public revelations of incompetence during the investigation of a paedophile case. This prompted 300,000 Belgians to march through the streets of Brussels in 1996 to protest against the country's malfunctioning police and judicial systems. In 2004, Marc Dutroux was finally given a life sentence for the rape and murder of several young girls.
^In 2003, controversial legislation was implemented giving Belgian courts the authority to bring foreigners to trial for war crimes and human rights violations was dropped following intense lobbying by - among others - US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who hinted that Belgium's role as the seat of NATO might be jeopardised by the law.
 
Unique unit:


Belgian resistor by Kinboat. Armed with a gutentag, these guys replace Pikemen, being stronger in attack (A2, D3, M1), cheaper (cost 20 instead of 30) and no requirement for iron.

Great military leaders:
Jan Breydel
Ambiorix
Godfrey
Dampierre
Albert Guerisse

Great scientific leaders:
Jules Bordet
Albert Claude
Robert Cailliau
Zénobe Gramme
Renkin Sualem
 
So the UU costs as much as a spear and is better than a pike? So upgrading would be free?

Are you sure this isn't a little unbalanced, I doubt the attack bonus makes a difference but the price and no requirement for iron? :eek:
 
Ankka said:
So the UU costs as much as a spear and is better than a pike? So upgrading would be free?

Are you sure this isn't a little unbalanced, I doubt the attack bonus makes a difference but the price and no requirement for iron? :eek:

I'm not sure whether or not the suggestion I made is the best for this UU; what do people think might be better?

I'm getting a civilopedia and corrected city/leaders lists from MaisseArsouye :D . Thanks :goodjob: !!
 
I think the resistor is a little high powered for cost 20, I might make the Attack 1 instead just for balance purposes. But I don't entirely disagree with your suggestion for stats, etc here either EXCEPT :) ...

... even though this is the only Belgian unit to my knowledge, aren't most of the Unique Units connected to a Civ's "Golden Age?" When would Belgium's most successful/prominent era actually have been?

Edit: I guess answering myself there is a WW1 infantry by Winter I forgot about. Or would some form of colonial unit from the conquest of Congo be appropriate?
 
It wasn't that breif. They had one longer then Germany, or Italy. It was also one of the few that actually made more money then it cost to upkeep I think. Belgian Congo was a very weird deal.
 
R8XFT said:
Civilopedia entry still required - can you help?
yes:

Ancient Celts
Julius Caesar extended in the beginning of 57BC
Rome into the region of Europe, that is now Belgium.
Here he met the Belgae,
which were a Celtic tribe of early Gaul.
The Romans named gave their new province the name
"Gallia Belgica".
Rome lost power in the 4th century AD,
and Gaul was given in hands of the Franks,
who were a Germanic tribe.
The Franks flourished and around 431
they built up an independent dynasty,
named the Merovingian,
with Tournai as their capital.
Clovis I (466-511) pummeled
the last Romans in Gaul.
Clovis' region consisted of today's
France and Belgium and
Southwestern Germany.
Clovis gained the support of the Church,
by adopting the Christianity.

After Clovis' death the Merovingians split up,
and the Frankish lands stayed fragmented
until Pepin III the Short ruled in 751.
Pepin deposed the last Merovingians
and established the Carolingian dynasty,
named after his son Charlemagne.

In 768 succeeded Charlemagne his father
and he ruled for almost 50 years.
During his reign he extended his power
over nearly all of continental Europe,
with exclusion of Spain and Scandinavia.
In 800 Pope Leo III crowned him
"Emperor of the West".

Besides of conquering many parts of Europe,
Charlemagne also did lots of efforts to improve
arts and commerce.
The organized trade along Belgian rivers
was the result of this.

The empire divided on Charlemagne's death
and the familial arguing finally ended in the
Treaty of Verdun in 843.
This treaty split Charlemagne's empire
under 3 of his grandsons.
West Francia,
which is the basis for France,
came under Charles the Bold.
The Middle Kingdom,
which fragmented soon,
became Lothair's possession.
And East Francia came under Louis the German,
and formed the basis for Germany.
West Francia included the Scheldt River
of today's Belgium.
The remainder of today's Belgium
first belonged to the Middle Kingdom,
but came finally under Lothair's reign
into the German Kings' hands.

Medieval Belgium
The split of Charlemagne's empire
let to the development of the growing cities.
In Northwestern Belgium,
which was nominal part of the young Kingdom of France,
the powerful Counts of Flanders were born.
The first was Baldwin Iron Arm,
who showed his independence from the French
by marrying a daughter of Charles the Bold.
Baldwin also built up great cities in Flanders
to avoid the depredations of the Norsemen.
The first city was Ghent (867).
Baldwin's successor, Baldwin II, continued this,
and so Bruges and Ypres were born.

The Souteastern part of today's Belgium
became part of the Ducky of Lower Lotharingia of Lorraine,
under the German Kings.
In 977 Charles, duke of Lorraine, founded Brussels
by building the fortress on the Senne river.
The Souteastern part of today's Belgium however
split up in small spheres,
from which Liege was one.

With the new millennium, Belgium consisted of the cities
Flander unified under their strong Counts,
and the less unified cities
at the South and the East of the Scheldt.
With the falling off of the Norse raids,
and the stabilization of Europe's major Kingdoms,
trade began to grow step by step.
For Flanders in particular those were golden years.
They imported wool from England
and weaved it into clothes and
sold it on the continent.
This made the Flemish cities become
very wealthy and powerful.
Around 1300 Ghent, Bruges and Ypres
gained virtual autonomy from aristocratic rule,
developing their own pride which still decorates them today.

The aristocracy did not like this situation
and wanted the control over
those resources of wealth and power.
The Counts of Flanders wanted their local authority
and France wanted very much the claim for Flanders back.
In 1302 the cities were able to reject such claims,
and finally conquered the French at the
Battle of the Golden Spurs.
The aristocracy persisted
and finally the cities had to bend.
In 1329 the independance of the cities was broken
and Flanders again came under French control.

England who really did not like this,
stopped the export of wool
and tried to break down the French power
in Flanders and France itself.
This was the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453).
During these years in Flanders
the trials to regain autonomy continued.
Those struggles finally finished
when Philip the Bold of Burgundy,
who had benefited
from Burgundy's long alliance
with the English against the French,
became King of Flanders in 1384.


The Burgundian Period
The Burgundian empire in Belgium
flourished under Philip the Good (1419-1467).
Philip got control over the Southern areas,
namely Brussels, Namur and Liege.
He brought down the independance of the cities
and put them under Brussels' rule.
Philip improved the cultural development
and painters like Robert Campin,
the brothers Van Eyck and
Rogier Van der Weyden
became very famous under his reign.
Philip the Good was succeeded
by Charles V.
Bruges' waterways fell into decay
in the 1490's and this made Antwerp the
most important commercial city in the region.

With Philip II coming on the Spanish throne in 1555,
Belgium came in the next crisis.
Philip's Spanish Catholicism bumped up
against the rising Protestantism in Northern Europe.
In the Flemish cities especially,
Protestantism had a great political meaning,
namely the long tradition of
resistance to aristocratic domination.
Philip II suppressed the Protestantism
in the North and introduced
a massive Spanish military presence
in the North.
He also executed thousands of Protestantists.
In 1565 William of Orange and
Count Egmont (governor of Flanders)
started the opposition to Spain.
Philip II sent out the Duke of Alva,
accompanied by a 10,000 troops army.
Alva outlawed William,
executed Egmont and other leaders
at the Brussels's Grand'Place.
He began to terrorize the country.
Opposition grew and over a few years
Alva only exercised control over
the Southern cities which had remained
much more closer to Catholisism.

Around 1576 William's power in the North
was virtually unchallenged,
and he discussed with the Spanish.
As result, the Northern region became the
United Provinces.
But they had to struggle 75 years
to maintain their independance.
The Catholic regions to the South,
faithful to Spain,
became the Spanish Netherlands.
In 1648, with the Treaty of Munster,
the Spanish agreed with the independance
of the United Provinces and furtherthemore
agreed to close the Scheldt.
This made Antwerp loose
its status as center of trade.
This role went to Amsterdam,
for the next several centuries.

The Battleground
The next centuries France became
the most powerful state in Europe.
Under Louis XIV (1659-1715)
the French tried to gain control over
the Spanish Netherlands.
This did not fall on fertile ground of
the Spanish and Dutch.
But also the English opposed
the French expansion,
under William III.
This made today's Belgium
the battleground
for Louis XIV and his opponents.

The climax of this struggles was during the
War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713),
in which the childless King Charles II of Spain died.
Charles II had before his death
named Philip of Anjou as his successor.
Philip was Louis's grandson and this last
informed the young Philip
that it would be best for all
if Philip would immediately cede
the Spanish Netherlands to France.
This was a very difficult situation for Philip,
who could not refuse this,
but in the mean time could not accept this,
because no one else in Europe would agree.
Over the next years France tried several times
to gain control over Spain,
but Dutch, English and Austrian armies
rejected each attempt.
By 1713 Louis XIV gave up
and with the
Treaty of Utrecht,
France ceeded its claims
over the Spanish Netherlands
to the Habsburg rulers of Austria.

The region continued feeling virtual independant,
paying as much attention to the Habsburg claims
as to the Spanish claims in the previous century.
By the end of the 18th century
Belgium was ready to have its own identity.
With the French Revolution in 1789,
the country revolted the Austrians
and in 1790 independance was declared
in the form of United States of Belgium.
The Austrians re-established rapidly the control,
because the leaders of this new country
were deeply divided amongst themselves.
This only until 1795,
because the French liberated
Belgium from Austria.
The French did far-reaching reforms,
which were the basis for
the modern Belgian governement.
The French were however
far more interested in Belgium as
a source of revenues and troops.
At that time churches
were seized and despoiled,
conscription was introduced
and the protest was suppressed
in such a rough way,
that it reminded of
the Spanish Occupation.

The New Kingdom
Under Napoleon power,
French rule over Belgium became more constructive,
including the revitalization of industry and
(with the opening of the Scheldt)
the partial recovery of Antwerp.
With Napoleon's fall,
the great Allied powers decreed
that Belgium would become
a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
ruled by the pro-Dutch William of Orange.
This was absolutely not what the Belgians wanted,
and by 1830 their patience had run out.
Revolution erupted in Brussels
and quickly all over the country.
William tried to regain control,
but within a few months he gave up.
On 20 January, 1831, after centuries of external rule,
Belgium was recognized as an independent nation.

The Belgians chose
Leopold of Saxe-Coburg
to be their first King,
under a constitution that significantly
limited the power of the monarchy .
Under Leopold I and then his son Leopold II,
Belgium grew economically and culturally.
It was Leopold II who acquired the Congo,
which remained a part of Belgium until its independence in 1960.

Leopold II was succeeded in 1909 by Albert I, his nephew.
Albert's reign was dominated by World War I,
during which most of the country fell
under extremely rough German influence
despite determined resistance.
The Belgian army survived the invasion,
and it played a central role
in retaking the country at the end of the war.
Albert lived until 1934,
when he died in a tragic climbing accident.
His wife Elisabeth is remembered as a great patron of the arts.

Albert was succeeded by his son Leopold III,
who like his father was soon confronted by war.
In 1940, Germany invaded Belgium and Holland.
As the blitzkrieg swept across the country,
the Belgian government evacuated to London.
Leopold, however,
surrendered to the German forces
when the Belgian lines at Kortrijk were broken.
The territories of Eupen, Malmedy and St. Vith
were annexed to the German Reich and the rest of Belgium occupied.
Leopold was held prisoner in the palace of Laeken
before being taken to Germany.
When the Allied Forces liberated Belgium
at the beginning of 1944,
popular feeling against Leopold was substantial,
and his brother Prince Charles assumed regency.
Leopold III returned to Belgium in 1950,
but popular opposition to his rule remained substantial.
In 1951, he abdicated in favour of his son Baudoin.

In the post-war period,
Brussels has gradually taken on
its role as the 'capital' of Europe.
It is the headquarters
of the European Community and
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
as well as gaining a reputation
as the foremost
European center of international business.
In 1957, Belgium formed, with the
Netherlands and Luxembourg, the Benelux Union.

Perhaps the most significant of the postwar developments
has been the increasing local autonomy of various regions of the country.
In 1977 the country was divided into three administrative regions:
Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels.
In 1980,
the Belgian constitution was changed
to recognize this separation,
shifting the structure of the nation to a federation.

King Baudoin died in Spain on July 31st 1993.
The whole of the Belgian Nation
was in mourning for days and weeks.
And lots of people came to the Royal Palace
to say a last goodbye to our king.

On August 8th 1993,
King Albert II succeeded his brother.
During the take of his outh,
Jean-Pierre Van Rossum
misplaced his opinion,
when shouting
"Vive la République".

In 1995,
the provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant
were created from the old province of Brabant,
leaving Belgium with a total of 10 provinces.

Today is Belgium political very complicated.
We have a constitutional monarchy like in UK, but we are a federal republic to.
Because Belgium devided in 3 parts:
-Flanders: Dutch speaking part in the north with the cities Antwerp, Ghent, Brughes,...
-Brussels: Dutch and French speaking part in the center
-Walloon: French speaking part in the south with the cities Charleroi, Liège,...

Those 3 parts have there own parlement and goverment.
Plus the Federal parlement and goverment.

Today there are organisations and political parties who want an independent Flanders.
The biggest party is the "Vlaams Blok" with 27% of the votes and they are still growing but the other parties exclude it because the party is not "democratic".

Enough? :crazyeye:

And it's "goeiendag" and not gutentag and this was a pike and no club like in the image.
 
Vlaams Blok is not only independentist and undemocratic, but also a racist and 'call-to-violence' party. They've got 24% in Flandres and 15% in Bruxelles. Nothing in Wallonie, of course.

Sigh, stupid belgians. :-/
 
The "belgian" history of Count_of_Fland looks like the history of Flanders ;)

Today there are organisations and political parties who want an independent Flanders.
The biggest party is the "Vlaams Blok" with 27% of the votes and they are still growing but the other parties exclude it because the party is not "democratic".

VB is clearmy not democratic. There are democratic separatist parties in Flanders ( Spirit, NVA ) and in Wallonia ( RWF, MS-CW, FRANCE, WALLON ) but VB is an extreme-right party.
 
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