Provinces of the Netherlands declared their independence on July 26, 1581
Today marks the 438th anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Netherlands, a measure that was made effective through the Act of Abjuration to the crown of Felipe II. The provinces were in rebellion for many years before, in fact the war broke out in 1564 with the rebellion of all these provinces.
Many documentaries and films review this moment that remained for posterity as a courageous action by a people who decided to be free, the Dutch rebels used legal resources and argued that if the king did not respect the traditions of his subjects, they did not have obligation to respect or obey him.
The Netherlands elected a ruling Prince
As part of the plan to get rid of obedience to Philip II, the same day that the Netherlands signed the Abjuration Act they made the decision to appoint a Prince and Lord of the Netherlands, under the figure of defender. It highlights the clear intention to avoid making any mention of the figure of the king, who at that time was completely banished from their system.
However, such a measure did not mean the cessation of the confrontation, many decades passed, a lot of blood flowed and the people of the Netherlands had to show a lot of courage and dignity so that after a long war, they finally won peace within the framework of its independence already declared long before. Some areas returned to being territories under the command of Felipe II, as in any war, some battles led to adding ground and others lost it, but in the end, the Netherlands won their right to independence and self-determination.
