Initially assisted by an English expeditionary force under Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester in 1586, the northern provinces of the Netherlands progressively achieved independence from Spain between 1588 and 1609, thus forming a Protestant bastion in north-western Europe which would eventually become crucial in opposing the expansionist designs of Louis XIV and in providing England with a Protestant king, William of Orange, in 1688. The Dutch Republic also became the dominant centre of capitalist technology and maritime trade until surpassed by London during the eighteenth century.
The Dutch Republic grew out of the Union of Utrecht (1579) which created an alliance between the provinces and cities resisting Spanish rule. The …
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Dutch Republic gains independence from Spain". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 November 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4164, accessed 23 November 2024.]
