Netherlands History: Difference between revisions

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The area that is now known as the Netherlands has a rich history that extends back two millennia. Much of the area (then geographically very different from today) fell to Roman rule.  It was converted to Christianity before 1000 AD. In the 16th Century it firstly embraced Calvinism, then threw off their Spanish rules during the Eighty Years War. Upon independence the Netherlands was prosperous and imperialistic, expanding economically and demographically, and the country was a major power on the global stage.   

Following the defeat of Napoleon, a monarchy under the House of Orange was established. Belgium and then Luxembourg both became independent during the 19th century. The Netherlands remained neutral during WW1, but was invaded by Germany during WW2. The nation now belongs to the EU, and in recent decades has experienced immigration, multiculturalism and secularization.     

== Timeline  ==

'''1805 '''The Batavian Republic was dissolved, and the Kingdom of Holland was established, with Louis Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, as king.  

'''1814''' French troops left the country. Prince Willem VI of Orange–Nassau became Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands.  

Today the Netherlands has a population of about 17 million. Immigration has eroded the former ethnic homogeneity, with a sizable proportion of the population either non-Christian or non-European.  

== Calendar Changes  ==

The last areas adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1700 and 1701. In the province of Gelderland the Gregorian calendar was adopted 30 June 1700 (omitting 1 July through 11 July 1700), in Utrecht and Overijssel on 30 November 1700 (omitting 1 December through 11 December 1700), in Friesland and Groningen on 31 December 1700 (omitting 1 January through 11 January 1701), and in Drenthe on 30 April 1701 (omitting 1 May through 11 May 1701).  

When an area changed from Julian to Gregorian calendars, the first day of the year changed to 1 January. Before the change the first day of the year was 25 March. Pre-change dates may be confusing. For example, before the change, 24 March 1565 was followed by 25 March 1566. Many researchers record dates between 1 January and 24 March with two years, using a technique called double dating. An example of a pre-change date using double dating is 16 February 1573/1574.  

Sometimes you will find these old Dutch names for the months of the year:  

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During 1793 to 1805, when the French Empire under Napoleon controlled parts of the Netherlands, another calendar was introduced. This calendar was based on the founding of the French Republic, and it used a system of months unrelated to the regular calendar. See the [[French Republican Calendar]] for more information.