Belgium is not identified as a setting in the supplied passage. The passage connects Victor Hugo’s political opposition to his exile but does not name where he went, so it does not establish a specific Belgian episode.

Political Context

Victor Hugo’s commitment to republicanism developed gradually. He initially supported Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, whom he regarded as continuing Napoleonic grandeur, but turned against him as the prince-president adopted authoritarian government. Hugo opposed the future Napoleon III and attempted to mobilize the people of Paris during the coup of December 2; the attempt led to his exile.

What the Passage Establishes

The exile is the passage’s only stated circumstance that might prompt a geographical association with Belgium. No Belgian city, residence, or action is specified, and the passage does not say that Belgium was Hugo’s destination. Its focus is Hugo’s political evolution and the consequences of his resistance to the coup.