History of the Netherlands The Dutch government subsequently decided on a large-scale programme of public works (the "Delta Works") to protect the country against future floods. The project took more than thirty years to complete. The Oosterscheldedam, an advanced sea storm barrier, became operational in 1986. According to Dutch government engineers, the odds of a major inundation anywhere in the Netherlands are now one in 10,000 years. The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), was founded in 1951 by the six founding members: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (the Benelux countries) and West Germany, France and Italy. Its purpose was to pool the steel
Orangism (Luxembourg) Orangism (Luxembourg) Orangism was a movement in the 19th century Grand Duchy of Luxembourg favouring the personal union of the Netherlands and Luxembourg under the House of Orange-Nassau. Made up of many notable figures, mainly nobles and Roman Catholic clergy, they were moderate liberals or conservative-liberals and slightly anti-clerical. At first they favoured maintaining the Grand Duchy's autonomous status and, especially during the Belgian Revolution, opposed it being merged into Belgium. In the end the western part of the Grand Duchy (the present province of Luxembourg) passed to Belgium, whilst the eastern part and the Orange grand duchy continued as