Netherlands

Overview

The Netherlands is a 'big' small monarchy in the Northwest of Europe, between the North Sea, Belgium and Germany , and is known for much more than cheese, windmills, and tulips.

Its recorded history starts with the Roman invasion halfway through the first century A.D. but it had its heyday in the 17th century when it disputed hegemony of the Seven Seas with the English and the Spanish empires. In that period New York, parts of India , a series of forts along the African Coast and the Colonies in Indonesia formed part of the vast Dutch Empire.

Though most historic town centers in the Netherlands date back to the Dark Ages, most building was done in the era of oversea expansion and in the nineteenth century when the industrial revolution started. In Amsterdam , Leiden or Utrecht you can see the big 17th century mansions once owned by the commanders of the Dutch fleet and those of the rich merchants who financed the wars with their overseas gains. They were the Dutch elite. They preferred small items of great value stashed away in their mansions over baroque palaces. Though the Dutch never were really extravagant and did not have a real court like there was in Germany, France and Spain, they were very proud of themselves. This can still be seen in the countless portrait paintings they commissioned. Many of the world's famous painters are Dutch, such as Rembrandt, van Gogh, Frans Hals and Johannes Vermeer.

Apart from the glory days of the 17th century there is much in the...more

History

The Dutch are primarily of Germanic stock with some Gallo-Celtic mixture. Their small homeland frequently has been threatened with destruction by the North Sea and has often been invaded by the great European powers.

Julius Caesar found the region which is now the Netherlands inhabited by Germanic tribes in the first century B.C. The western portion was inhabited by the Batavians and became part of a Roman province; the eastern portion was inhabited by the Frisians. Between the fourth and eighth centuries A.D. most of both portions were conquered by the Franks. The area later passed into the hands of the House of Burgundy and the Austrian Hapsburgs. Falling under harsh Spanish rule in the 16th century the Dutch revolted in 1568 under the leadership of Willem of Orange. By virtue of the Union of Utrecht in 1579 the seven northern Dutch provinces became the Republic of the United Netherlands.

During the 17th century considered its "golden era". The Netherlands became a great sea and colonial power. Among other achievements, this period saw the emergence of some of painting's Old Masters including Rembrandt and Hals, whose works--along with those of later artists such as Mondriaan and Van Gogh--are today on display in museums throughout the Netherlands.

The country's importance declined, however, with the gradual loss of Dutch technological superiority and after wars with Spain, France, and England in the 18th century. The Dutch United Provinces supported the Americans in the Revolutionary War. In 1795, French troops ousted Willem V of Orange, the Stadhouder...more