Netherlands
| Before the start of the era, the Netherlands were a part of the Roman Empire. The northern border was the river Rhine. North of it tribes were independant. After the year 400 A.D, the Romans retreated and the German and Keltic tribes settled down in these regions. After the collaps of the Roman Empire, the southern Netherlands came under the authority of the Franks. The North-Netherlands remained "Fries" until the defeat of Radbod in 690 A.D. In 785 the total territory of the Netherlands were governed by the Franks. During the middle-ages the Netherlands were shaped by a group of autonomous duchies, Gelre, Brabant and counties, Holland, Zeeland and the diocese of Utrecht. Under the Habsburg monarch, Charles 5th (1500-1558), these territories and the nowadays called Belgium and Luxemburg were united to one territory under the name "Lage Landen", Nether Lands and they were added to the big Bourgondian-Habsburg Empire. In 1568 a number of northern provinces revolted against the son of Charles 5th, Filips 2nd. The reason for this uproar was the restriction of freedom of religion and the absolutism of Filips 2nd. The revolt was leaded by Prince William of Orange.  "Willem van Oranje", stadtholder of the counties Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht. It was the beginning of which the Dutch call the "tachtig jarige oorlog", the war, which lasted for eighty years. At the peace-treaty of Munster in 1648, the Republic of Seven United Netherlands, which had been proclaimed in 1588, were recognized as an independant state. During the Golden Century, the 17th century, the Republic came to great prosperity. It was the trading-network, which had been created by the V.O.C , The United Eastindian Company, that brought fore a great trade-traffic between all the countries, situated along the Indian Ocean. The V.O.C , which had been established in 1602 to coordinate trade with Southeast-Asia, has been for long time the biggest trade-company of the world. Next to it the W.I.C, the West Indian Company was trading with Africa and America. The W.I.C. was controling New Amsterdam, nowadays New York, from 1625 until 1664. The need to protect these interests have caused several wars with Great Britain. Yet the close relationships with Great Britain were never in danger. As well Stadtholder William 2nd as his son William 3rd married English princesses. In 1689 William 3rd was even crowned as King of England. The French revolution marked also the end of the Republic of the Seven Netherlands. In 1795 the Republic was occupied by the French, who created a satellite-state called: "The Batavian Republic". In 1806 Napoleon appointed his brother Lodewijk to King of the Republic, which now got the name of Kingdom of Holland. In 1810 Holland was annexated totally to France. After the collaps of the French Empire in 1813, the Netherlands became again independant. The power-vacuum caused a struggle between "Royalists" and "Republicans". The Royalists have won this fight and in 1814 the Kingdom of the Netherlands was a fact. The territory included the present Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. The first king was Willem 1st, Prince of Oranje Nassau, son of the last stadtholder, Willem 5th.  Willem I Besides, the King was also GrandDuke of Luxemburg, to whom the Netherlands until 1890 had a personal union. The constitution of 1814 provided that the King was governing and the secretaries of State were responsible to the King. At the overhauling of the constitution in 1848, the King from now on could do no wrong. From that moment on the secretaries of State were responsible to the elected representatives of the people. The new constitution shaped the basis of the present constitutional monarchy with a parlementary system. In 1830 the Southern Netherlands seperated and established the state of Belgium. In 1839 Willem 1st acquiesced in this seperation and in the same year he abdicated from the throne. With the seperation of Belgium the territory of the Netherlands became it's definite shape. Willem 1st was succeeded by Willem 2nd and Willem 3rd and after his death the the succeeding in male line ended. Under regency of her mother, Queen Emma,Queen Wilhelmina (1880-1962) climbed the throne in 1898.  Queen Wilhelmina During the first Worldwar (1914-1918) the Netherlands could keep, sometimes with great effort, their neutrality. Despite the strict neutrality-policy, the Netherlands were attacked and occupied by the Germans during Worldwar 2 in 1940. Queen Wilhelmina escaped to Great Britain from where she encouraged the resistance-movements. After five years of occupation Queen Wilhelmina and her children returned to Holland. In 1948, after a period of reign of fifty years Queen Wilhelmina abdicated the throne to Queen Juliana.  Queen Juliana In 1980 Queen Juliana was succeeded by Beatrix, the present Queen. Her successor will be her son Willem-Alexander. Until the Worldwar 2 The Netherlands were a great colonial power. Soon after 1945 the colonies became independant. Indonesia broke away totally from the Netherlands. President Soekarno became the first leader of Indonesia. Surinam and the Antilles, situated in the Caribic, became with the acceptance of the "Statute of the Kingdom" in 1954 equal partners with the Netherlands. The Statute provided that the Netherlands would rule over foreign affairs and defence. The 25th of November 1975 Suriname became an independant Republic. Since January 1st 1986 Aruba has obtained a "status aparte" within the Kingdom. It means, that Aruba has become an equal partner of the Dutch Antilles, consisting of the islands of Curacao, Bonaire, St.Eustatius, Saba and St.Maarten. |
