The Instruction of 12 April 1588 was enacted, which is widely regarded as the formal establishment of the Dutch Republic.

In the history of the Netherlands, the instruction of 12 April 1588 is a decision of the States General of the Netherlands passed on 12 April 1588 during the Eighty Years' War. It transferred the duties of the executive branch of government from the landvoogd to the Council of State. In conjunction…