Habsburg Netherlands (Spanish Netherlands)

History

The Habsburg Netherlands (covering modern-day Belgium and Luxembourg) was the southern portion of the Low Countries ruled directly by the Spanish Habsburgs from the 16th to 18th centuries. Unlike the northern Dutch Republic - A union of seven provinces fighting for independence from Spain — a country led by merchants rather than a king, and among the richest in Europe. which embraced Protestantism and declared independence from Spain, the southern Habsburg Netherlands remained staunchly Catholic and loyal to the Spanish crown.

Consequently, despite sharing the Netherlands name, the two regions fought a bitter 80-year war against each other. During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), the territory served as a vital staging ground and supply hub for Spanish armies, ruled from Brussels by Spanish governors.

Following France's entry into the war, it became one of Europe's bloodiest battlegrounds, witnessing legendary clashes like the Battle of Rocroi. According to popular legend, the famous Manneken Pis statue in Brussels commemorates a little boy who saved the city by urinating on a burning fuse attached to enemy explosives, serving as a humorous symbol of resilience for the people amidst constant warfare.