THE NETHERLANDS HAS A LONGER HISTORY as an independent state than many of its European neighbors. While Germany only came into existence as a united nation-state in 1871, the Netherlands has comprised an independent unity since 1648. Unofficially, Dutch independence even dates back to 1581, the year in which the rebellious provinces of the Netherlands rejected Spanish sovereignty with the publication of the “Plakkaat van Verlatinghe” (Act of Abjuration), a formal declaration of independence. With the exception of a brief period of French domination (1795–1813), its sovereignty was never questioned. The “seniority” of the Netherlands was a common basis for mockery in clandestine literature to counter German imperialistic propaganda. A famous example starts with the following verses:

This anonymous poem, entitled “Duitsche beschaving” (German Civilization), continues with a reference to the heroes of the Dutch colonial expansion, who were conquering the world at a time when the Germans “were still wearing diapers.”