Once you get to the Enlightenment, the way that powers get to be hyperpowers isn't just by conquest. It's through commerce and innovation. Societies like the Dutch Republic and the United States used tolerance to become a magnet for enterprising immigrants. Amy Chua
Crankshaw, Edward: Maria Theresa, Longman publishers 1969, 56. Austria's allies, Britain, the Dutch Republic, and Russia, were all wary of getting involved in the conflict. Source: Internet
Europe largely ignored Cosimo’s plan, only Great Britain and the Dutch Republic gave any credence to it, and the plan ultimately died with Cosimo III in 1723. Source: Internet
In his turn Groen was very influential on the way John Lothrop Motley depicted the old Dutch Republic for an American audience. Source: Internet
Israel, J.I. The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477–1806 Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1995 During the Republic, any person who wished to hold public office had to conform to the Reformed Church and take an oath to this effect. Source: Internet
It was widely known that the Twelve Years' Truce was set to expire in 1621, and throughout Europe it was recognized that at that time, Spain would attempt to reconquer the Dutch Republic. Source: Internet