▁develop ▁econom ically ▁and ▁polit ically . ▁However , ▁the ▁sense ▁of ▁a ▁shared ▁“ n ational ity ” ▁was ▁still ▁non - ex istent . ▁This ▁sense ▁of ▁national ity ▁was ▁for ged ▁through ▁conflict ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁opposition ▁to ▁a ▁desp otic ▁gover ning ▁body . ▁This ▁opposition ▁grew ▁stronger ▁with ▁im posed ▁tax ation ▁and ▁central ization ▁by ▁the ▁foreign ▁r uler . ▁The ▁Dutch ▁Revol t ▁that ▁occurred ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁opposition ▁changed ▁forever ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁the ▁E ight y ▁Years ▁War , ▁the ▁revol t ▁last ed ▁between ▁ 1 5 6 8 ▁and ▁ 1 6 4 8 ▁and ▁allowed ▁for ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁national ity ▁and ▁at ▁about ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁people ▁no ▁longer ▁described ▁themselves ▁as ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Provin ces , ▁but ▁simply ▁as ▁Bel ga ▁or ▁Fl am eng us ▁both ▁sign ifying ▁Nether land er . ▁An ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁a ▁common ▁national ity ▁started ▁to ▁emer ge ▁as ▁people ▁began ▁to ▁identify ▁themselves ▁with ▁a ▁national ▁group ▁rather ▁than ▁with ▁local ▁interests . ▁ ▁Political ▁rights ▁The ▁States - General ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 ▁states ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁conven ed ▁ann ually ▁to ▁discuss ▁matters ▁of ▁econom ics , ▁religion ▁and ▁politics . ▁Polit ically , ▁the ▁sevent een ▁states ▁grew ▁closer ▁to ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁by ▁solving ▁common ▁problems ▁began ▁to ▁develop