Revolution Liégeoise

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The Saint Lambertus cathedral during its destruction.
The Saint Lambertus cathedral during its destruction.

The Révolution liégeoise is a period of time extending from 1789 to 1795 and eventually led to the extinction of the Bishopric of Liège, after eight centuries of existence as an independent state.

According to some historians, the revolution happened during the time when the Bishop was absent, after his leaving during the night from the 26th to the 27th of August 1789 till his come-back on the 12th of February 1791. Within this interpretation, the revolution of Liège was a counterpart to the Brabant Revolution in the Austrian Netherlands which led to the short-lived United States of Belgium.

According to others, the revolution of Liège was a mirror of the French Revolution or even a part of it. The French Revolution began simultaneously in 1789. Within this approach the revolution in Liège continued after the temporary come-back of the Bishop. Its second phase began with the entry of the French troops in 1792 and a third in 1794 when the French came back for a second time. According to this point of view the revolution finished when the Bishopric disappeared as a secular entity, incorporated within the French Republic. During this last phase the revolution has shown extreme events like the destruction of the Saint Lambertus Cathedral.