Page "United Kingdom of the Netherlands" Paragraph 4

During the Congress of Vienna in 1815 France had to give up its rule of the Southern Netherlands.

These negotiations were not made easy, because William tried to get as much out of it as he could.

His ideas of a United Netherlands were based upon the actions of Hendrik van der Noot, a lawyer and politician and one of the main players in the Revolution of the Southern Netherlands against the Austrian Emperor ( 1789 – 1790 ).

In 1789, after the Southern Netherlands declared themselves independent, Hendrik knew this was a fragile state and he tried to be reunited with the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.

Since then William had never forgotten this and after the fall of Napoleon he saw a chance.