The Republic

With this the Netherlands had chosen the path to becoming a republic. This was a profound event for the country. When the United Provinces, as they were known, entered into this unusual partnership there was actually little evidence of unity between them. Perhaps the most powerful binding factor was that they had shared enemies: the Dutch Republic was at constant war with England and France. A great deal of power came into the hands of the Princes of Orange, who gave a new interpretation to the role of stadtholder. In 1650, following the death of William II, Prince of Orange, the country entered the so-called ‘stadtholderless period’. It didn’t end until his son William III came to power in 1672, a turbulent period known as the ‘disaster year’ (rampjaar). He grew to become one of Europe’s most powerful rulers. France’s invasion of the country in 1795 put an end to the Dutch Republic.