What is Southern Netherlands?
The '''Southern Netherlands''',<ref>(Dutch: Zuidelijke Nederlanden, Spanish: Países Bajos del Sur, French: Pays-Bas méridionaux)</ref> also called the Catholic Netherlands, were part of the [[Low Countries]]. They were controlled by [[Spain]] (1556–1714), [[Austria]] (1714–94) and added into [[France]] (1794–1815). This area was most of modern [[Belgium]], the [[Imperial Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy]], the [[County of Bouillon]] and [[Luxembourg]], and in addition some parts of the [[Netherlands]], as well as, until 1678, most of the present [[Nord-Pas-de-Calais]] region in northern France. The Southern Netherlands were part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] until it was added to France. The northern seven provinces, led by [[Holland]] and [[Zeeland (province)|Zeeland]], started their independence as the [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]] after 1581. The southern Netherlands were reconquered by the Spanish general [[Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma]]. The Southern Netherlands passed to the Austrian Habsburgs after the [[War of the Spanish Succession]] in the early 18th century. After the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] they were joined with the northern Netherlands. They were made a single kingdom under the [[House of Orange]] at the 1815 [[Congress of Vienna]]. The south-eastern third of Luxembourg Province was made into [[Luxembourg]]. In 1830 the mostly Roman Catholic southern half became independent as the Kingdom of Belgium. ==References== {{Reflist}} {{hist-stub}} [[Category:History of Belgium]] [[Category:History of the Netherlands]] [[Category:History of Spain]]