William the Conqueror to William of Orange

A Medieval History of the Netherlands. The history of the Netherlands is intimately tied to the histories of Britain, Spain and France. Water, in the form of the North Sea and the three major rivers, the Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt - whose combined delta forms the majority of the country - has played a dominant role in shaping the history of the region. This is the story of many of the major figures of European History - of Louis De Male, William the Conqueror, Philip the Bold, Philip the Fair, John the Fearless, Emperor Charles V., Philip II. and William of Orange, to name but a few, and of how one small nation played a central role on the world stage while wrestling to establish its own independent identity.