King William I
William Frederic of Orange Nassau was born in 1772 in the Hague as oldest son of Prince William V, the last Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Wilhelmina of Prussia. From 1791 to 1837 he was married to his cousin Wilhelmina of Prussia. From this marriage were born: Willem in 1792 (the later King Willem II), Frederic in 1797 and Marianne in 1810.
Willem I led as captain-general the military operations against the French in the years 1793-1795. King William I fought from Germany against the Bataafse republic and afterwards against the French. When the French won, it became necessary to leave the country with his family. King William I based himself in England but later settles in Germany. The Treaty of Paris (1814) resulted in the unison of Belgium and the Netherlands in one kingdom and William is pronounced king William I of the Netherlands. In 1815 King William I handed over, pressurised by the Vienna Congress, his heirloom in Germany and Prussia and received the duchy Luxemburg in return.
It was his personal goal to make "Big Netherlands" function as a unity.He tried to promote the Dutch language, especially in official use, to create a unity in the kingdom, The French influence in the south halted this process however. His influence in clerical and educational matters led to tensions in the south which will result in the Belgian revolution (1830). Willem had to accept, much against his will, that the south would go independent.
William I was negative towards influence of the Staten-Generaal and rules as much as possible by royal-decree. King William I succeeded in the following years in changing the constitution in such a way that King William I was practically above the law himself, which enabled him to rule the country in an autocratic way. His attention was directed mainly at the trade and economy, which got him the nickname "king-merchant". King William I wanted to make the Netherlands into an economic superpower, in which the north concentrated mainly on trade and the south on industry. These politics was to give the two parts, the kingdom, a place between the other European powers.
He introduced a uniform tax system, to relieve the huge state-debt. King William I chooses a system that was adjusted to the economy of the north, compensating the south with a "industry-fund". This fund subsidised and provided loans for the industry so it was not hindered by the new tax-system. The "Dutch Trade Union" was established in the north, and was directed on the trade with Indonesia. William I also insured that banks gave new impulses to the economy; King William I establishes the "Nederlandse Bank" which ment a modernisation in transaction of funds. King William I was responsible for improvements in the infrastructure, de industry and shipping.
The people insisted however on a more liberal constitution. Disappointed King William I abdicates the throne in 1840. King William I moves to Germany where he I married the Catholic Dutch duchess d'Oultremont. King William I was succeeded by his son Willem II, and it was under his rule that the desired changes in the constitution became fact.