Netherlands (Holland) Travel Guide - History

Both areas fell to the Franks in the period spanning the 4th to the 8th centuries. The entire region later fell to the House of Burgundy and the Austrian Hapsburgs. By the 16th century, the Dutch were embittered by their disenfranchisement at the hands of the Spanish and launched a revolution under the leadership of Willem of Orange.

The revolution led to the establishment of the Union of Utrecht in 1579 which in turn created the Republic of the United Netherlands from the seven northern Dutch provinces.

A decline hit however in the 18th century following a series of wars with Spain, France and England respectively. The war with France resulted in Willem of Orange being ousted by Napoleonic troops in 1795.

Napoleon’s stronghold of the Netherlands was finally shaken in 1813 with a defeat that led to the country becoming integrated into the Kingdom of the United Netherlands along with Belgian under King Willem I. Belgium eventually pulled out to establish independence and the Netherlands was left under the control of the Orange family with a new period of prosperity beginning under the reign of Willem III.

Queen Juliana remained on the throne until April 1980 when she too abdicated in favour of her daughter who is the present Queen Beatrix.