Kingdom of the Netherlands

Following Napoleon's defeat it was decided by the Great Powers to combine the former Dutch republic and the Austrian Netherlands (which had come to be known as Belgium) in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and to grant South Africa to Great Britian. William (Willem) I, first king of the Netherlands (reigned 1815–40), was the son of the last stadholder. He failed to bring about a harmonious union of Holland and Belgium, and in 1830 Belgium was permitted by the Great Powers to become an independent kingdom. William refused to accept this, and the Dutch were expelled from Belgium by force in 1832.

During the 19th century Holland rebuilt its domestic economy, traditionally based on agriculture, fishing, and commerce, by the development of manufacturing. In 1890 Queen Wilhelmina, great-granddaughter of William I, began her 58-year reign. The nation took no part in World War I. In 1920, because of problems with flooding and the need for more farmland, a project was begun to drain 1,400 square miles (3,600 km2) of the Zuider Zee of salt water and reclaim much of the area for farming, using the remainder for a freshwater lake. A 19-mile (31-km) dam separating the Zuider Zee from the North Sea was completed in 1932, and the freshwater IJsselmeer was created. Much of the land left exposed when the dam was built was later converted into farmland.