The new king settled in Spain and really showed no interest in the Netherlands except for purposes of taxation. The reformation had spread and as so often happens, religious differences split the Low Countries in two (the present-day Netherlands and Belgium), and led to war (1588-1648). Holland, in the most remote, northwestern part of the Low Countries, was at the heart of the rebellion, and became a safe haven to refugees of all kinds: merchants in need to evade taxes or religious prosecution, political activists, pirates (including some of our national heroes).
Our country was founded by a bunch of outlaws, which explains its traditional tolerance in religious and political matters, now quickly evaporating. The only reason it could remain independent was its awkward location, far away from Spain, protected from France by Belgium, from Britain by the North Sea, and from Germany by that country's internal lack of political unity.
Here is a timeline of how the Netherlands came into being. It was formed from an amalgamation of states starting with Burgundy in Northern France and slowly moving up to incorporate the more northern states such as Friesland, Drenthe, Overijssel and Groningen.
Philip the Bold m. Margaret of Flanders | | Philip the Good | | Charles the Rash | | Mary of Burgundy m. Maximillian of Hapsburg | ________________|_____________________ | | Philip I m. Joanna the Mad Margaret | | Charles V
By this time the 17 provinces of that became known as the Netherlands were united under one sovereign. The united states officially recognised Charles V as their King and the House of Hapsburg as their royal family.
Whilst the Governor General represented the sovereign's interests in the Netherlands the States General and Stadholders represented the provinces' interests. The States General was the parliament of the Netherlands and it met every three years. Each of the seventeen states sent representatives who voiced their provinces views at the States. Unanimous agreement was required before a decision was reached and each representative was required to communicate with their State before changing their position. This meant that decision making was an extremely lengthy process. In addition there was great particularism between the provinces so disagreements were often based solely on existing rivalries rather than political opposition. The States General was extremely keen on protecting the individual local privileges and rights on the Netherlands as was each province. This meant that they were set against attempts at centralisation which sovereigns often desired to gain greater control.
The Stadholders were the Grandees (high nobles) of the Netherlands and were made by royal appointment. This gave them a position of some power and favoured nobles could be appointed Stadholder to more than one State, as William of Orange was. The Stadholders themselves essentially made up the elite of the Netherlands and were also appointed to important government positions on the Council of State and Council of Finance.
Within each state a States acted as an individual province parliament. Their job was to protect local privileges, collect taxes and raise armies. Each States controlled the different legal systems of their province, there were in fact over 200 different penal codes within the Netherlands.
The towns in the Netherlands, as elsewhere in Europe during the Early Modern Period, were a group unto themselves. They were controlled by the town regents, comprising of prominent lawyers, magistrates and religious leaders. These regents were in constant conflict with the guildsmen of the town, a group growing in power with the powerful trading empire that existed in the Netherlands.
----------------------------------------------------------- | Sovereign | |-----------------------------------------------------------| | Governor General | |-----------------------------------------------------------| | Stadholders | |-----------------------------------------------------------| | States General | Councils of Finance and State | Towns | |-----------------|--------------------------------|--------| | States | | | ----------------------------------------------------------- My own notes made in class "The Netherlands: Revolt and Independence, 1550-1650" - Martyn Rady, Arnold 1987 "Years of Renewal: European History 1470-1600" - Edited by John Lotherington, Hodder and Stoughton, 1991 "The Dutch Revolt, 1559-1648" - Peter Limm, Longman 1989
My own notes made in class "The Netherlands: Revolt and Independence, 1550-1650" - Martyn Rady, Arnold 1987 "Years of Renewal: European History 1470-1600" - Edited by John Lotherington, Hodder and Stoughton, 1991 "The Dutch Revolt, 1559-1648" - Peter Limm, Longman 1989
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