Austrian Netherlands

The Austrian Netherlands (German:Österreichische Niederlande; Dutch:Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; Latin:Belgium Austriacum) was the Southern Netherlands between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition of the territory by the Habsburg Monarchy under the Treaty of Rastatt in 1714 and lasted until its annexation during the aftermath of the Battle of Sprimont in 1794 and the Peace of Basel in 1795. Austria, however, did not relinquish its claim over the province until 1797 in the Treaty of Campo Formio. The Austrian Netherlands was a noncontiguous territory that consisted of what is now western Belgium as well as greater Luxembourg, bisected by the Prince-Bishopric of Liège. The dominant languages were German (including Luxembourgish), Dutch (Flemish), and French, along with Picard and Walloon.