THE BIG CYCLE RISE AND DECLINE OF THE DUTCH EMPIRE AND THE GUILDER After a series of attempted revolts in the mid-1500s, the Dutch, who were under the control of Habsburg Spain, finally became powerful enough to gain de facto independence in 1581. From 1625 until their collapse in 1795, the Dutch gained enough wealth and power to eclipse both the Habsburgs and China as the world’s richest empire. The Dutch Empire rose for all the classic reasons explained in earlier chapters, peaking around 1650 in what is now remembered as the Dutch Golden Age.
