Dutch Republic

Kingdom of the Netherlands, 1581–1795. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, also known as the United Provinces, was a confederation and great power that existed from 1588 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. Although the state was small and had only around 1.5 million inhabitants, it controlled a worldwide network of seafaring trade routes. It was a confederation of provinces, each with a high degree of independence from the federal assembly, the States General. Following military defeat by France, the stadtholder was expelled in the Batavian Revolution of 1795, ending the Dutch Republic.

Seat of power: The Hague

No rulers documented for this era yet.

Culture

• The republic was more tolerant of different religions and ideas than contemporary states, allowing freedom of thought to its residents.
• The best-known painters of the Dutch Golden Age are Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Jacob van Ruisdael and Frans Hals.
• Hugo Grotius played a leading part in the foundation of international law.
• Christiaan Huygens was a famous astronomer, physicist, and mathematician.

Picture

During the Dutch Golden Age, the Dutch Republic became one of the leading commercial and maritime powers in Europe.

Image: Claes Janszoon Visscher II / Joannes van Doetecum I, Public domain, file

Sources

• Dutch Republic (Wikipedia)
• Dutch Republic (Wikidata)
• About the picture (Wikipedia)

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.