INTRODUCTION
History of The Netherlands The land that now forms the Netherlands has been inhabited for about 100.000 years. However, the country’s recorded history really began around 57 BC with the Roman conquest, led by Julius Caesar. During that time, the Romans built the first military forts and cities, and introduced writing. Following the decline of the Roman Empire, the Netherlands became part of the Holy Roman Empire.
1000 BC - Local farmers began to drain and cultivate the land. Higher productivity allowed workers to become tradesmen. Markets developed, towns and cities grew rapidly, and a new mercantile middle class arose.
16th Century - The Netherlands became a possession of the Habsburg dynasty. 1548 - The Hapsburg ruler, Charles V, granted the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands nominal independent status. 1568 - Charles’ son Philip II of Spain, a devout Catholic, was appalled by the success of the Reformation in the region and the rise of Calvinism. He passed a sentence condemning all 3 million inhabitants of the Netherlands to death as heretics, which prompted a revolt. 1579 - Led by William of Orange, the Dutch declared full independence from Spain and formed the ‘United Provinces’. The Spanish lost control of the Netherlands after 20 years, but the war lasted another 60 years.
1000 BC 1400 1500 1430-1433 - Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy reunited the republics, which is considered the moment when the Dutch became a nation. The region’s trade developed rapidly, especially in the areas of shipping and transport.
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