Duchy of Cleves

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The Duchy of Cleves (Herzogtum Kleve) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in present Germany (part of North Rhine-Westphalia) and the Netherlands (parts of Limburg, Noord-Brabant and Gelderland). Its territory was situated on both sides of the river Rhine, around its capital Cleves and roughly covering today's districts of Cleves, Wesel and the City of Duisburg.

The county of Cleves (Grafschaft Kleve) was first mentioned in the 11th century. In 1417, the county became a duchy. Its history is closely related to that of its neighbours: the duchies of Jülich, Berg and Guelders and the county of Mark. In 1368, Cleves and Mark were united. In 1521 Jülich, Berg, Cleves and Mark formed the united duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.

When the last duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg died issueless in 1609, a war broke out for the succession. The duchy was divided between Palatinate-Neuburg (Jülich and Berg) and Brandenburg (Cleves and Mark). However, large parts of the duchy of Cleves were occupied by the United Provinces until 1672. After the French occupation in the Seven Years' War (1757-1762), Cleves came to Prussia.

In 1795 the part of the duchy of Cleves left of the Rhine and Wesel were occupied by France, and became part of the French département of the Roer. The rest of the duchy was occupied between 1803 and 1805, and became part of the département Yssel-Supérieur and the napoleonic puppet-state Grand Duchy of Berg (after 1811 the département Lippe). In 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon, the duchy became part of the Prussian province Jülich-Cleves-Berg (after 1822 the Prussian Rhine Province), except for a.o. the cities Gennep, Zevenaar and Huissen which became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.