The ENTIRE History of the Netherlands: The Country That Stole Its Land From the Sea

The Netherlands should not exist. About a quarter of the country lies below sea level, yet 18 million people live there in one of the richest nations on Earth. So how did the Dutch build a country on the bottom of the sea? In this video, we travel from the muddy terps of Roman times to the storm barriers of today. You'll see how drained peat trapped the Dutch below the sea, how they broke their own dikes to defeat the Spanish at Leiden, how windmills and a water bond from 1648 helped create the Golden Age, and how one river ship may have saved the heart of Holland on the night of the 1953 flood. And finally, why the biggest threat today is not the sea itself, but sinking land and running out of fresh water. ⏱ Chapters 0:00 The country that shouldn't exist 1:20 A swamp at the edge of Europe 5:15 Water as a weapon 7:09 Windmills and money 8:44 The night of 1953 12:20 A wall against the sea 14:11 The threat today 16:20 Living with water If you enjoyed this story, like and subscribe for more deep dives into how nations were built and how they survived. Which country should we cover next? Tell us in the comments. #Netherlands #History #Documentary