Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland (Dutch: Koningrijk Holland (contemporary), Koninkrijk Holland (modern); French: Royaume de Hollande) was the successor state of the Batavian Republic. It was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in March 1806 in order to strengthen control over the Netherlands by replacing the republican government with a monarchy. Since becoming emperor in 1804, Napoleon sought to extirpate republican tendencies in territories France controlled, and placed his third brother, Louis Bonaparte, on the throne of the puppet kingdom. The name of the leading province, Holland, now designated the whole country. In 1807, East Frisia and Jever were added to the kingdom.
Kingdom of Holland | |||||||||
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| 1806–1810 | |||||||||
| Motto: Eendragt maakt magt (Dutch) "Unity makes strength" | |||||||||
| Status | Client state of the French Empire | ||||||||
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| Common languages | Dutch, French, Low German, Frisian | ||||||||
| Religion | Protestantism, Catholicism | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Hollander | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| King of Holland | |||||||||
• 1806–1810 | Louis I | ||||||||
• 1810 | Louis II | ||||||||
| Establishment | |||||||||
| Historical era | Napoleonic era | ||||||||
• Kingdom proclaimed | 5 June 1806 | ||||||||
| 9 July 1810 | |||||||||
| Currency | Dutch guilder | ||||||||
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| Today part of |
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In 1809, after the Walcheren Campaign, Holland had to surrender all territories south of the River Rhine to France. Also in 1809, Dutch forces fighting on the French side participated in defeating the anti-Bonapartist German rebellion led by Ferdinand von Schill, at the battle of Stralsund.
King Louis did not perform to Napoleon's expectations – he tried to serve Dutch interests instead of his brother's – and the kingdom was dissolved in 1810, after which the Netherlands were annexed by France until 1813. Holland covered the area of the present-day Netherlands, with the exception of Limburg, and parts of Zeeland, which were French territory, and with the addition of East Frisia. It was the first formal monarchy in the Netherlands since 1581.
The long-term result of the country having been a monarchy was to facilitate the House of Orange in assuming the status of full-fledged Monarchs, ending their centuries-long ambiguous status as Stadholders, which had been the source of unending instability and conflict throughout the history of the Dutch Republic.