The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has a long history of occupation and domination by its larger European neighbors. Luxembourg was once inhabited by Belgic tribes and controlled by Romans. In the early Middle Ages, the territory was annexed by the Franks, then claimed by Charlemagne. It became an independent region in AD 963 under the control of Siegfried, Count d’Ardennes. The region became a duchy in 1354 by edict of Emperor Charles IV, but in 1443, the Duchess of Luxembourg was forced to abdicate when the Dukes of Burgundy asserted control over most of the Low Countries. Luxembourg passed into the hands of the Habsburgs in the early 16th century, only to be conquered by France after the devastating Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). After the fall of Napoleon at Waterloo, the Congress of Vienna of 1815 made Luxembourg a grand duchy and gave it to William I of the Netherlands. After Belgium’s 1830 revolt against William, part of Luxembourg was ceded to the Belgians and the remainder became a sovereign and independent state. The 1867 Treaty of London reaffirmed Luxembourg’s autonomy and asserted its neutrality, although 20th-century Luxembourg was occupied by Germany during both WWI and WWII. After liberation by the Allied Powers in 1944, Luxembourg became a member of the Benelux Economic Union, along with Belgium and the Netherlands. It relinquished its neutral status in 1948 in order to join various international economic, military, and political institutions, including NATO and the United Nations. It was also one of the six founding members of the European Economic Community, which later became the European Union.
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