The United Provinces of the Netherlands , commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic , was a confederation that existed from until the Batavian Revolution in It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands and the first independent Dutch nation state.
The republic was established after seven Dutch provinces in the Spanish Netherlands revolted against Spanish rule , forming a mutual alliance against Spain in the Union of Utrecht and declaring their independence in the Act of Abjuration. Although the state was small and had only around 1. The income from this trade allowed the Dutch Republic to compete militarily against much larger countries. It amassed a huge fleet of 2, ships, initially larger than the fleets of England and France combined.
The republic was more tolerant of different religions and ideas than contemporary states, allowing freedom of thought to its residents. Artists flourished under this regime, including painters such as Rembrandt , Johannes Vermeer , and many others.
Dutch trade, science, armed forces, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world during much of the 17th century, a period which became known as the Dutch Golden Age. The republic was a confederation of provinces, each with a high degree of independence from the federal assembly, known as the States General. Each province was led by an official known as the stadtholder Dutch for 'steward' ; this office was nominally open to anyone, but most provinces appointed a member of the House of Orange.
The position gradually became hereditary, with the Prince of Orange simultaneously holding most or all of the stadtholderships, making him effectively the head of state. This created tension between political factions: the Orangists favoured a powerful stadtholder, while the Republicans favoured a strong States General.
