Dries Darrow Period 4

1. Dries Darrow Period 4

2. Background • The Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy. • Is consisted of twelve provinces in Western Europe. • Capital city of the Netherlands is Amsterdam. • Is a geographically low lying country. • Was one of the first countries to have an elected parliament and is founding member of EU (economic and political union of Europe). • Is host of five International Courts making The Hague known as the worlds legal capital.

3. Economy • The Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy, ranking 17th out of 117 countries economies because of its economic freedom. • Since 16th century, shipping, fishing, trade and banking have been leading sectors of the Dutch economy. • Many economics regard the Netherlands as the first thoroughly capitalist country in the world. • In early modern Europe, the Netherlands had the wealthiest trading city (Amsterdam) and the first full time stock exchange.

4. InMay 2011, the Netherlands was ranked as the happiest country in the world economically.

5. Hapsburg Netherlands 1519-1581 • Under Charles V (ruler of Holy Roman Empire/ king of Spain) the current Netherlands region was part of the seventeen provinces of the low countries which included Belgium etc. • In 1568 the Eight Years War began between the Provinces and Spain, also known as the Dutch War of Independence (was rebellion against Spanish). • During War in 1579, the Union of Utrecht was forged as a treaty that the seventeen provinces were committed to support each other to fight the Spanish.

6. Hapsburg Netherlands 1519-1581 cont.. • As the Eight Years War raged on, Queen Elizabeth I of England helped and sympathized with the Dutch, sending troops to the Netherlands to fight the Spanish. • In 1581, the then seven provinces of the Netherlands declared and gained their independence from Spain making the land known as the Netherlands.

7. Dutch Republic 1581-1795 • After declaring their independence, the seven provinces formed a confederation. All these provinces were autonomous and had their own government. They did however have a confederal government under the states general, seated in The Hague. • As the Dutch Republic grew, they became one of the major seafaring and economic powers of the 17th century. • In the Dutch Golden Age or GoudenEeuw colonies and trading posts were established throughout the world. Some of the most known colonies were New Amsterdam in present day Manhattan and in South Africa, the Dutch settled Cape colony in 1652.

8. Dutch Republic 1581-1795 cont. • In 17th century, disputes arose between English and Dutch over plantation colonies along many fertile rivers in the fertile Guyana plains. • Resulted in Treaty of Breda which left English with New Amsterdam and the Dutch with the East Indies. • At the end of this time period, the Republic went into a state of general decline due to the economic competition with England and the rivalries between the two main political groups in Dutch Society, the Republicans and the Royalists or Orangists.

10. Batavian Republic 1795-1814 • On January 19th, 1795 one day after the lieutenant (stadtholder) of the Netherlands William V of Orange fled to England, the Batavian Republic (successor of the republic of the United Netherlands) was proclaimed, rendering the Netherlands a unitary state. • From 1795-1806, The Batavian Republic modeled the Netherlands after the French Republic. • From 1806-1814, the Kingdom of Holland was set up as a puppet kingdom of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Netherlands later became part of the French Empire until 1813 when Napoleon was defeated in Battle, causing his troops to withdraw from the Netherlands.

11. Kingdom of the Netherlands 1815-1940 • William Frederick, the son of the last stadtholder, returned to the Netherlands in 1813 at the invitation of the provisional government after the withdrawal of the French. • William was only choice to head government, becoming known as William I. • In 1815, The United Kingdom of The Netherlands was formed by adding the southern and northern parts of the Netherlands. South rebelled and gained independence in 1830, becoming Belgium. • During colonial period, Dutch relied heavily on slaves and did not stop slave trade until 1873. • During 19th century, the Netherlands was slow to industrialize and was neutral throughout world war I using diplomacy and their ability to trade with neighboring nations.

13. Important historical figure • William the Silent: Also know as William of Orange, William the Silent was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish (eight years war) and was the founder of the branch of the House of Orange-Nassua, making him the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands.