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The United Provinces (Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden/Provinciën, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands/Provinces — 1581– 1795) was a European republic which is now known as the Netherlands.
Before 1581, the area of the low countries consisted of a number of counties and duchies. Through marriage or sale, these states all ended up in the hands of the Habsburg emperor Charles V and his son, king Philip II of Spain. In 1568, the Netherlands revolted against Philip II because of his efforts to modernize and centralize the devolved medieval government structures of the provinces, high taxes, and persecution of Protestants by the Catholic churchThe Roman Catholic Church (often called simply the Catholic Church, but see Catholicism for other meanings of the term "Catholic Church") is a worldwide body of Christians in full communion with the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, and subscribing to the beliefs. This was the start of the Eighty Years' WarThe Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt from 1568 to 1648 was the secession war in which the proto- Netherlands first became an independent country. During the war, the Dutch Republic became a world power for a short time (mainly through its naval strength).
In 1579Events January 6 The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. January 23 The Union of Utrecht united the northern Netherlands in a confederation called the United Provinces., a number of the northern Netherlands signed the Union of UtrechtThe Union of Utrecht ( Dutch: Unie van Utrecht is a treaty signed on January 23, 1579 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under control of Spain. The Union of Utrecht is regarded as the foundation of, in which they promised to support each other in their defense against the Spanish army. This was followed in 1581 by the Oath of AbjurationThe Oath of Abjuration or Plakkaat van Verlatinghe of July 26 1581, was the formal declaration of independence of the northern Low Countries from the Spanish king, Philip II. This point meant a climax in the Dutch Revolt, a point of no return, in which th, the declaration of independence in which the provinces officially deposed Philip II.
The United Provinces first tried to choose their own lord, and they asked the
Duke of AnjouFrancois Hercule, Duke of Anjou and Alencon ( March 18, 1555 June 19, 1584) was the youngest son of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici. In 1574, following the death of his brother Charles IX of France and the accession of his other brother Henry and later the Earl of Leicester to rule them. This was not a success, and in 1588 the provinces became a Republic.The Republic was officially recognized in the Peace of Westphalia ( 1648), and lasted until French revolutionary forces invaded in 1795 and set up a new republic, called the Batavian Republic and later the Kingdom of Holland.
The Netherlands became independent of France in 1813. In the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 the names "United Provinces of the Netherlands" and "United Netherlands" are used. In 1816 it was joined with Belgium to become the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, in order to create a strong buffer state north of France, and later the Kingdom of the Netherlands after Belgium became independent.