I just read a Dutch newspaper from 24 November 1813, which had the 22nd November Proclamation published in it. That's like the De Facto Dutch declaration of Independence. Everybody forgot about it of course... Pretty Dutch. Sure, we like the fact we are a free nation, but remembering those who actually achieved that for us? Nah. Not really. Even the government just gives all the credit to the King. At the other hand, stuff that happened 200 years ago tends to be rather...uninteresting for the average person. We re-enactors are a strange lot.
The fun part in the same newspaper, just above the proclamation, there's a little paragraph that says that all kids who live in Orphan homes 'are permitted to' join the military forces; and after the enemy is defeated, they are allowed to return to it. Basically, they are calling up poor parent-less kids to defend the country. Cos (hard truth) nobody is going to miss them.
