Raad van Vlaanderen

The Council of Flanders (Dutch: Raad van Vlaanderen, or RVV) was formed by members of the "activist" or "maximalist" faction of the Flemish Movement in German-occupied Belgium on 4 February 1917 with tacit German support.

[1] Its founders, who included Pieter Tack and August Borms, wanted to realize the independence of Flanders from Belgium using German support provided as part of the Flamenpolitik.

[3] On 22 December 1917, without prior consultation with the occupation authorities, the RVV declared Flanders to be independent and dissolved itself to prepare for elections for a new Flemish government.

[2] The Belgian Court of Appeal issued warrants for the arrest of Tack and Borms as the two leading members of the RVV but they were freed by the German authorities which instead deported the judges responsible.

[6] The German surrender in November 1918 led to the end of the council as King Albert I with the Belgian Army and government regained control.