The history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg dates back to 1815.
The French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had conquered much of Europe but his disastrous campaign against Russia in 1812 foreshadowed the end of his rule.
It was against this backdrop that in 1814 the great powers of Europe met in Vienna to discuss the political reorganisation of the continent.
The fortress of Luxembourg and its surroundings were to become a province and integrated into a new kingdom, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, covering the area of Benelux today.
