The rule of William I (1815-1840)
He wanted the kingdom to become a modern industrialised country --> Invested in the infrastructure
Problem → Belgium, because:
- They were forced to speak Dutch
- There were more Dutch representatives and ministers than Belgium
- They had to help pay the Dutch debt
- They were catholic, while the Netherlands was mainly protestant
In 1830 they rebelled and became independent (officially 1830, but William I recognized it in 1839).