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The Belgian Gendarmerie (Dutch: Rijkswacht) was a paramilitary gendarmerie-type police force of Belgium until January 1, 2001, when it was merged with the other police forces into the Local police and Federal police.

The Gendarmerie used to be the responsibility of the Minister of Defense, but it lost its military status after January 1, 1992, when a large restructuring of the force was made. It was then put under supervision of the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Justice, obtaining a civilian status. This restructuring occurred after the 'black' 1980s of the Nijvel gang, Heysel Stadium disaster, Cellules Communistes Combattantes (CCC), and other criminal and terrorist activity, against which the Gendarmerie was deemed ineffective.

In 1795, the Belgian provinces were integrated into the French Empire. It is at this time that the Gendarmerie was created. This military force had been created a few times earlier in the remainder of France to replace the Constabulary of the old empire. The legal text which organized this service is a law of April 17, 1798 which remained into force on our premises until 1957.

In 1814, the Belgian provinces again became part of the Netherlands, ruled by Prince William of Orange. The Dutch last referred to the gendarmerie as the “Constabulary” and reorganized it.

In 1830, the Belgian revolution occurred. After obtaining its independence, very young Belgium created its own national gendarmerie on the basis of the already existing constabulary. The gendarmes exercised their mission on the whole of the territory.

The great strikes and the tense social life of the 1930s brought important changes in the organization of the gendarmerie, in particular by the reinforcement of the mobile units created in 1913.

During the Second World War, the gendarmerie was devoted to its role of administrative and legal police force, primarily on the road traffic. The majority of the gendarmes refused to collaborate with the Nazis, being restricted to the honor and respect the Belgian. It was even thought that it helped the resistance. These actions were not tolerated by the Nazis and from 1942 much of the gendarmerie were deprived of their function.

After the war, the service was completely reorganized. New units were born, and at the end of 1957 the fundamental law on the gendarmeriewas passed, envisaged in the constitution of 1830. This law confirmed the role of the gendarmerie and it confirmed its independence with respect to the administrative authorities. The gendarmerie also acquired its independence with respect to the Belgian Army Territorial Defense Force. It received also the authorization to create its own schools.

In the 1960s, the standard of living improved considerably, but also saw a major increase in serious crimes (holdups, drugs, terrorism, etc). The Central Office of Research (BCR) was created, plus a centralized radio network and the use of the tracking dogs.

In the 1980s, the gendarmerie had serious problems. Much of its equipment was old and outdated or missing, it was significantly understrength, and there were serious financial issues. It is also the period of fighting Communist cells (CCC), the Nijvel gang and hooliganism (Heysel drama). The gendarmerie threatened to be disbanded and of drastic measurements are taken as the reorganization of several units and the improvement of the public relations.

In the beginning of the 1992, the gendarmerie was demilitarized, which caused great changes in policies, procedures, and the staff regulations, the abscission of the body in an operational framework which will deal with police work and an administrative body and logistics which will deal with the non-police tasks, etc. Moreover demilitarization allowed it to concentrate all of the forces with the missions of police force.

At the end of the 1990s, and following the dysfunctions noted at the time of Dutroux affair, the government decided to dissolve all the existing police forces to create a two level police organization. Thus the gendarmerie was dissolved in 2001 to be integrated into this new police force.

The ranks of the Gendarmerie were:

Officer Ranks

• Luitenant-generaal/Lieutenant-général - Lieutenant General
• Generaal-majoor/Général-major - Major General
• Kolonel/Colonel - Colonel
• Luitenant-kolonel/Lieutenant-colonel - Lieutenant Colonel
• Majoor/Major - Major
• Kapitein-kommandant/Capitaine-commandant - Captain-Commandant
• Kapitein/Capitaine - Captain
• Luitenant/Lieutenant - Lieutenant
• Onderluitenant/Sous-lieutenant - Sub-Lieutenant

Lower Ranks

• Adjudant-chef - Chief Warrant Officer
• Adjudant - Warrant Officer
• 1ste Opperwachtmeester/1é Maréchal des logis-chef - 1st Chief Quartermaster
• Opperwachtmeester/Maréchal des logis-chef - Chief Quartermaster
• 1ste Wachtmeester/1é Maréchal des logis - 1st Quartermaster
• Wachtmeester/Maréchal des logis - Quartermaster
• Brigadier/Brigadeer - Sergeant
• Rijkswachter/Gendarme - Gendarme

• Belgium Police portal
• Belgian Federal Police portal
• Belgian Local Police Portal
• History of the Gendarmerie on the site of Belgian Federal Police
• Belgian Federal Police Historical Service site