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The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was established in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna following the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars. It was given to William I, king of The Netherlands in return for ceding his hereditary properties in Germany to Prussia.

Luxembourg joined Belgium in revolt against William's rule in 1830 and became a part of the new country of Belgium after secession. In 1839 the western portion of Luxembourg was ceded to Belgium and the remainder became a sovereign and independent state, though the Dutch king remained Grand Duke. In 1842 Luxembourg came under the domination of Prussian when the Grand Duchy became a member of the Zollverein -- the Prussian-led German customs union.

In 1866 Grand Duke William III agreed to sell the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to France, Prussian opposition and threat of war led to an international conference in London in May 1867 in which a treaty was signed guaranteeing the independence and perpetual neutrality of the grand duchy. William III died in 1890 and the grand ducal crown passed to Adolf, a member of the German house of Nassau.

Germany occupied Luxembourg at the beginning of World War I in August 1914. The grand duchy became a member of the League of Nations in 1920. Germany again invaded in 1940 during the Second World War and proclaimed Luxembourg part of the Third Reich in August 1942. The country was liberated by the Allies in September 1944.

Luxembourg joined the Benelux Economic Union with Belgium and The Netherlands on January 1, 1948. Later in the year, Luxembuorg abrogated its traditional neutrality with a constitutional amendment.