Belgium's long history has always had close ties with it's neighbouring countries, France, Germany and, across the North Sea, England. It was long favoured as a spot for their battles. Conquered by German tribes, Christianised by the 7th century and carved up during the Frankish Empire in 1100. Under the French Duke of Burgundy during the 14th century Belgium enjoyed a golden age of prosperity and artistry. This was a boom time for the cloth-trading Flemish towns of Ypres, Bruges and Ghent. After the demise of Bruges, largely due to British competition and a silted river, Antwerp soon became the greatest port in Europe.

The Golden age was brought to an end in the mid-15th century when the the Low countries (present-day Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) where inherited by Spain, starting a long battle between Catholic Spanish rule. In 1814, following Napolean's defeat at The Battle of Waterloo, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was created, melding Belgium and Luxembourg into the Netherlands. But the Catholic Belgians revolted winning independence in 1830.

Belgium managed to retain it's neutrality throughout the century and by the end Flemish nationality boomed. However despite Belgium's neutral policy, it was invaded by the Germans in 1914 and in 1940 Germany invaded again and the whole country was taken over within three weeks. King Leopold III's early surrender 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. As Baudouin had no children, his brother King Albert II succeeded him.

Post war Belgium enjoyed an economic boom, which was later accentuated by Brussels' appointment as European Union (EU) Headquarters as well as North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Headquarters. Belgium today is home to a vast array of diplomats, and with them has come a highly bureaucratic form of internationalism.