History of the Netherlands

Antiquity

Several tribes lived the territory current of the Netherlands and the Belgium. In addition to Belgae and the Clippings, the Frank and the Saxon , there were the Bataves.

Burgundian Netherlands

Spanish Netherlands

The Republic of the United Provinces

It is into 1579 that the independence of the United Provinces is devoted by the Union of Utrecht. The Republic thus created comprises a whole of seven provinces (more their dependences) comprising each one a Parliament as well as a governor. These provinces are independent from/to each other, and can raise the taxes as well as armies separately. The young Republic of the United Provinces will be recognized only in 1596 by France and 1648 by Spain. In the South of the United Provinces, country of the General information (includes/understands current Zealand, the Brabant of North) form then a strategic glacis between the Spanish Netherlands in the south (future Belgium) and Netherlands Protestant and calvinists in North led by Amsterdam.

The case of the United Provinces at the end of the 16th century is completely particular, since it is young king Guillaume de Nassau (of the name of its stronghold in the Germanic Empire) who will carry out a true revolution, known under the name of " War of Thirty Ans" from 1555 to 1584, leading the United Provinces to independence. Consequently, the Netherlands will enter during the time of the " Gouden Eeuw" , Century of Gold characterized by economic prosperity and cultural like by the pride of the Dutchman defying close monarchies (France and England in particular).

The Company of the Indies

At the 16th century Portugal and l´Espagne become thanks to their respective colonialism the first European powers and of the world powers. From the 1580 the Netherlanders will launch raids on Brazil, and will seize Nordeste of 1630 to 1661, which will enable them to d´acquérir d´immense plantations of sugar. The Dutchmen will be frightening pirates of the seas and will manage many times to divert goods of ships d´autre European nations. In 1608 the Batavians form joint stock companies (of which the company of the Eastern Indies and that of the Western Indies) which launch out in the trade of spices with l´Inulinde and l´Inde but also in the draft négrière. The Batavians will seize the Portuguese counters in Angola and thus they will be the Netherlanders who will bring the first African slaves in Virginia. As of 1619 the Netherlanders found in java the counter of Batavia and supplant Portuguese in the trade of spices with l´Insulinde and s´assurent a monopoly.

About 1625, the navigator Pierre Minuit buys the island of Manhattan to Indians for a value of 50 guilders. Following 2 wars against the English, the colony of the New Amsterdam built opposite the island will be taken again by England and will be re-elected New York. The Netherlanders recovered number of knowledge in geography, cartography and in naval construction and other Dutch navigators will leave their names in the history and the geography: Abel Tasman who explored the south of Australia, Willem Schouten which discovered Cape Horn, Hudson, Baffin, Abel Dirrecksen, etc

Dutch navigators

In 1652 in South Africa, the Dutch explorers found convenient to install a permanent counter to make there stopover at the time of the returns coming from the Indies Orientales, and thus the Cape was founded. The South-African coast was renamed thereafter: Windhoek (" the corner venteux") in Namibia, Franshoek (" the corner of Français") or Vereniging (" réunion") in, major pole South Africa of the future State of Transvaal where Boers (" fermiers") and the racial bases of the Apartheid establish will remain.

The trade of spices in the Empire of the Indies appears lucrative, so much so that the Company Dutchwoman of the Eastern Indies becomes a threat for the kingdom, of which it repurchases briskly the colonies (Aruba) in order to extend her scope. With the head of this company, " Sirs Douze" , true governors whose political power is immense. In 1625 is founded the Company Dutchwoman of the Indies Occidentales, specialized in the trade of the furs come from North America in particular. Colonial L´essor supports the creation of manufactures, refineries of sugar. One manufactures fabric, weapons, glass for l´échanger against slaves. L´action of the Netherlanders will have ruined Portugal, which to be protected will have called upon l´Angleterre. In against part English will obtain commercial monopolies with Portugal and Brazil. Brazil will be part from now on of l´empire invisible British .

The Empire of the Indies also evolves/moves him: the town of Batavia (currently Jakarta) is built with the image of Amsterdam, (channels, pinions of Dutch style), in the same way for Bandoeng (whose pronunciation explains the French orthography, Bandung). At the 17th century, the Dutch ships are best armed with the world, partly thanks to the success of the Company from the Indies.

Culture and inheritance: the heritage of the century of gold

It is at the Century of Gold that all the talents are expressed: in the maritime field, the United Provinces are pionnières as regards technologies. The Sextant (invented at the 17th century by Pasteur calvinist of Amsterdam), the yacht (wrongly pronounced with English) as well as many nautical terms (Jib, etc) are as many testimonys of the creativity of the United Provinces at the Century of Gold. Moreover, the Dutchmen are at the 17th century to only control the armament of ships in a so fast way, which makes them frightening enemies in addition to experienced sailors (admirals Tromp and of Ruyter in particular).

Amsterdam becomes a high place of culture and scientific research, which is allowed in particular by the great freedom of morals specific to the Dutchmen and their heritage calvinist. There the European scientists come to Amsterdam to be able to study sciences of the anatomy (cf the Lesson of anatomy of Rembrandt), that Descartes will come to study in 1625 inter alia. Descartes, which lived in several places in the Netherlands, tried to make accept its philosophy at the universities of the Netherlands, but it met a savage resistance on the side of the Dutch theologists. Philosophy is also represented by the famous Spinoza, which, it, lived quietly in Rijnsburg without openly seeking the conflicts, but of which they was rather the members and friends who succeeded in diffusing his pantheist philosophy (or atheist, according to some) starting from this country. Many religions are tolerated in Amsterdam which gathers as well Protestant (the French in particular come to take refuge there in 1685 after the revocation of the edict of Nantes by Louis XIV) that catholics, sects (marranes, Juifs of the secrecy). It is a question of creating a powerful Republic, based on the gathering of all the communities.

The United Provinces become also the seat of the artists: Rubens, Rembrandt of Leiden, Vermeer of Delft which will be essential like the large schoolmasters Dutch of the 17th century, Van Goyen, Van Ostade, Willem Claeszoon Heda (natural dead), Van Eyck (portraits of which the famous Époux Arnolfini ), the Van de Velde father and wire (scene of marine battles), Frans Hals, Gerrit Berckheyde, Jan Steen, Van Ruysdael, Meindert Hobbema…

the century of Gold of the Netherlands was essential like the period turning point of the Netherlands: century of prosperity as well economic and cultural as military. The Dutch social model which does not have however any claim to be exported in Europe however will cause the jealousy of the Neighboring states, in particular France of Louis XIV which will declare the war in the United Provinces at the end of the 17th century (head office of Maastricht where will perish D' Artagnan, captain of the musketeers of the King), sealing by there the end of the period of glory and prosperity of the United Provinces.

The period free-Batavian

In 1793, the national Convention French declares the war in England and the United Provinces. After a first attempt at Dumouriez, the French Armies ordered by Pichegru invade in 1795 the Brabant, Utrecht and Holland with the favor of the winter which freezes the channels. The stathouder Guillaume V of Orange flees on January 19th. The Batavian patriots raise themselves in the big cities and purify the municipal administrations. They found the Batavian République. Allied in France in the war against England, the Batavian Republic quickly becomes one of its satellites. The French influence on the country will be felt until 1813.

The first National Assembly meets on May 1st, 1796 and works with the development of a constitution. A first project is rejected by referendum in August 1797. January 22nd, 1798, a coup d'etat purifies the Parliament which writes a new project inspired by the French constitution of year III which is adopted in April. June 12th, a new coup d'etat drives out capacity the writers of the constitution, inspiration jacobine, and places at the government of the moderate ones. In 1801, a third coup d'etat takes place to impose a new constitution, less jacobine and federal. Tired by the oppositions met by its ambassador Sémonville with the Batavian government, Napoleon Bonaparte entrusts to Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck the task to write a new constitution, which is promulgated in April 1805. Schimmelpenninck becomes the Head of the State, the Large-boarder.

One year later, Napoleon forces the disappearance of the Batavian Republic by replaçant the large boarder by his brother Louis Bonaparte, who becomes King de Hollande. Until 1810, the new king tries to resist the requirements of his brother but it ends up abdicating in July. Holland is then annexed by France and is divided into French departments.

In 1813, the French Armies are driven out Dutch departments and the son of the last stathouder unloads with Scheveningue. He becomes king of the Netherlands in 1815 under the name of Guillaume {{Ier}}.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands

Netherlands since the Second world war

History of the Netherlands since the German attack.

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