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The Batavian Republic was proclaimed on January 19 1795, a day after stadtholder William_V_of_Orange fled to England.

In contrast to events in France, revolutionary changes in the Netherlands occurred comparatively peacefully. The country had been a republic for two centuries and had few nobles. The guillotine was not necessary. The old Republic had been a very archaic and ineffective political construction. Decision-making had proceeded very slowly and sometimes did not happen at all. The Provinces had so much power that they blocked many sensible innovations. The Batavian Republic marked the transition to a more centralised and functional government. Many of its innovations were retained in later times.

The new Republic took its name from the Batavii, a tribe that lived in the Netherlands in Roman times and which was considered to be the ancestor of the Dutch nation.

Again in contrast to France the new Republic did not experience a terror regime or lapse into dictatorship. Changes were imposed from outside after Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power. In 1805Events January 11 Michigan Territory is created. February 15 Harmony Society officially formed March 1 Justice Samuel Chase acquitted of impeachment charges by the U. Senate April 27 United States Marines and Berbers attack the Tripolitan city of Derna (T Napoleon installed the shrewd politician Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck as raadspensionaris (Grand Pensionary) to strengthen the executive branch. Then, in 1806 Napoleon forced Schimmelpennink to resign, renamed the country the Kingdom of HollandThe Kingdom of Holland 1806 1810 Koninkrijk Holland in Dutch, Royaume d'Hollande in French) was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom for his third brother, Louis Bonaparte, in order to better control the Netherlands. Louis did not perform to N and declared his brother Louis BonaparteLouis Napoleon Bonaparte born September 2, 1779, in Ajaccio, Corsica, was one of three younger brothers of the Emperor Napoleon I of France, who made him King of Holland in 1806 and deposed him as King in 1810. Louis was married in 1802 to Hortense de Bea the new king of Holland.

The only sign of political instability were coups. The first coup occurred in 1798Events February- October Irish Rebellion of 1798 April 7 The Mississippi Territory is organized from territory ceded by Georgia and South Carolina and is later twice expanded to include disputed territory claimed by both the U. and Spain April 26 France a, when revolutionary commanders were annoyed by the slow pace of democratic reforms (the National Assembly, convened in 1796Events Edward Jenner develops vaccination, using cowpox to protect against smallpox February 1 The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York March 9 Widow Josephine de Beauharnais marries General Napoleon Bonaparte. March 30 Carl Gauss obtained, was divided by faction struggle). The second coup occurred in 1801Events January 1 Legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland completed under the Act of Union 1800, bringing about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. January 1 Giuseppe Piazzi discovers the first (and largest) asteroid Ceres. January 20 J, when a French commander, backed by Napoleon, staged a conservative coup reversing changes made after the 1798 coup.

See also: BataviaBatavia is a Latin name used for the Netherlands, derived from the Batavii tribe. See also Batavian Republic. Batavia is also the Latin name of the German city Passau. Batavia was the name of the settlement by the Dutch East India Company at Java island.