Dutch Republic

The Dutch Republic, officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, was a confederation and a great power that existed from 1581 until 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands, formed after seven Dutch provinces revolted against Spanish rule and declared independence. Though small, the republic controlled a worldwide network of seafaring trade routes through companies like the Dutch East India Company, establishing a colonial empire. This trade income allowed it to compete militarily against larger countries, engaging in conflicts such as the Eighty Years' War against Spain and several Anglo-Dutch Wars. The republic was dissolved during the Batavian Revolution.