Duration
60h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course on Belgian political history offers a chronological overview of the major political transformations that have shaped the territories that today make up Belgium. The course begins in prehistory and traces the various political regimes that succeeded one another leading up to the formation and evolution of the Belgian state. This long-term perspective allows us to situate Belgium's political development within a broader historical context, highlighting the continuities, ruptures, and legacies that have helped shape its political organization.
The goal is not to present a simple sequence of events, but to provide key insights for understanding the main political dynamics at work: institutional transformations, power relations, ideological conflicts, and changes in political structures. The course thus aims to develop a solid historical and political foundation that you can draw upon throughout your studies and in your future professional practice.
To learn more: How to get there?
To this end, in addition to studying the historical facts themselves, you will explore a series of key texts (writings, statements, legal documents, reports, and more) in order to develop your critical thinking skills. By combining historical knowledge with the analysis of key texts in this way, you will come to understand the deeper significance of Belgian political history, while developing your own perspective on the subject (and, more broadly, your critical thinking skills)-an important professional competency in the 21st century.
The course is structured around a process comprising three closely interrelated components: 1. political history prior to the founding of Belgium, 2. Belgian political history (from 1830 to the present), and 3. theories of political system development.
First, you will study the succession of different political regimes on the territory of present-day Belgium dating back to antiquity. Next, you will examine the various stages of Belgian political history, focusing on the role played by political actors and their interactions. Finally, the course incorporates various theoretical frameworks that enable an analysis of the development of the Belgian political system (systemism, multilevel governance, consociationalism, among others).
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
As part of the Belgian Political History course, we have several learning objectives. These objectives are listed in order of priority for the sake of clarity and for pedagogical reasons. You will thus be able to:
- identify the main historical factors underlying Belgian political history;
- place key dates and major events in Belgian political history in chronological order;
- to associate each major event with its period and key chronological landmarks;
- to explain the different stages of Belgian political history, incorporating the roles of key figures;
- to contextualize the fundamental texts covered in the course by identifying their authors, dates, and historical significance;
- to summarize the content of the documents studied in order to draw their main conclusion.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
As the course is aimed at different audiences, there are no prerequisites in terms of subject matter.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is based primarily on lectures, which provide you with the factual and historical knowledge essential to understanding Belgian political history. They enable you to place various events and transformations in their proper context, identify the main issues at stake, and distinguish between essential and less essential elements. Attendance at these lectures is therefore essential for exam preparation, as they help you identify the key aspects of the material that you need to master first.
These lectures draw on a variety of course materials and also provide an opportunity for critical analysis of certain bibliographic sources, which are examined collectively to develop your ability to contextualize them, compare them, and assess their significance.
Further information: How does the ex cathedra course work in practice?
As this is a key module in your degree programme, the aim of the lecture is to take the time to explain in detail the various events in Belgian political history.
During the lectures, I will ask you to regularly test your understanding (using the digital tool Wooclap). This regular assessment, which is for formative purposes (the assessments do not 'count towards marks'), will enable me to structure my lessons around what you have learnt and, where necessary, revisit any points that have not been fully understood. To make the most of these formative assessments, I will ask you to engage fully in these sessions and to adapt your level of engagement to enhance your learning.
To this end, you are encouraged to work through the course material on a weekly basis and to attend the revision sessions offered throughout the term.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
The course is taught exclusively in person. No podcasts are available.
Further information:
Attendance at the course is compulsory. It is important, both for your own sake and out of respect for your fellow students, to arrive on time, despite any difficulties you may encounter with traffic or public transport. Late arrivals disrupt the smooth running of the course and reduce the time available for the various learning activities.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Other site(s) used for course materials
- Orbi (http://hdl.handle.net/2268/262818)
Further information:
Compulsory readings :
Grandjean Geoffrey, Histoire politique belge. Tome 1 Manuel, Liège, 2026.
Grandjean Geoffrey, Histoire politique belge. Tome 2 Recueil de textes, Liège, 2026.
I also invite you to consult the following page: http://hdl.handle.net/2268/262818.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire )
Further information:
The assessment consists of a written examination in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire. Each question has six possible answers. An incorrect answer results in the deduction of 0.2 marks, whilst leaving a question unanswered incurs no penalty.
During the examination, you may use the following text: Grandjean, Geoffrey, Histoire politique belge. Volume 2. Collection of Texts, Liège, 2026.
The text may be consulted during the examination, but must be completely free of any annotations. No writing, highlighting, colouring, notes or post-it notes are permitted. The document must be presented in its original condition, without any alterations or additions. Any annotated collection will be confiscated from the student at the start of or during the examination.
The rules are the same for both the first and second examination sessions.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
This course is organised every year.
Contacts
As the course is taught to a very large number of students, please write to my assistant, copying me in. She manages enquiries and, where necessary, will refer certain questions to me.
Please be aware, however, that I am at the University every day and am very available to assist you.
Where I feel a question warrants a collective response, I will address it during the next lecture.
Contact details:
Lecturer: Dr Archibald Gustin
Faculty of Law, Political Science and Criminology
Place des Orateurs, 3
4000 Liège
P.O. Box 11
Email: Archibald.Gustin@uliege.be
Assistant: Manon Creeten
Email: Manon.Creeten@uliege.be
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Course coordinator: Geoffrey Grandjean, full professor.
Association of one or more MOOCs
There is no MOOC associated with this course.
Further information:
You are invited to register on the FUN-MOOC platform to access the 60 video clips for the course Belgian Political Figures.
These video clips are a useful supplement to the course and will enable you to deepen your knowledge of the key figures who have shaped Belgian political history.
Available at the following address: https://www.fun-mooc.fr/fr/cours/les-personnalites-politiques-belges/