Spirit Dutch · 4:19am Apr 23rd, 2014
I love history like nothing else. Like, more than any other human being save my close family. It lives and breathes. It speaks to me, whispering of adventure, intrigue, war and chaos, the likes of which make my day to day life seem very boring. It has a beauty all it's own. For my part, I prove my devotion to my mistress with a comprehensive knowledge of all European and Middle Eastern history, and a competent knowledge of American and Asian history.
Which brings me to today's topic: The Dutch. My fascination with the Dutch, and the Low countries in general, starts around the time of the 80 years war, where the Dutch fought against the Spanish for independence. This tiny strip of lowlands, wealthy and culturally distinct, held off the armies of the most powerful state in Europe, scattering their armies and wrecking their fleets (See William I Orange, total badass). For the next several hundred years, the United Provinces exerted a disproportionate amount of power over the world, particularly through the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, VOC, or United East India company. The VOC essentially got rich by messing with the Portuguese, stealing their spice ports and razing their colonies. The VOC even invaded Brasil with a mercenary army, before they withdrew after being payed off.
Gradually, the power of the VOC, and by extension the United Provinces, dwindled. Competition from the English and French had become too strong. The Low Countries have no natural borders, and were open to attack by both the ambitious French and the scheming Germans. The Dutch golden age passed, but not their finest hour. Having suffered a defeat in the first Anglo-Dutch war, the Dutch Republic made a quick turnabout, modernizing their navy and shoring up political dissent. When the restored Stuart monarchy of England sought to press their perceived advantage, the Dutch positively wrecked them, even going so far as to sail up the Medway and Thames and burning the English fleet at anchor.
They followed up several years later with the glorious revolution. Stadeholder William III, who gained enormous popularity in the Franco-Dutch and Third Anglo-Dutch War, cleverly incited the English against the tolerant policies of their king James II. Seven influential English lords invited William to take the throne, and so William landed with 15000 Dutch supporters, promising to protect Protestantism in England. After his coronation he did just that, wrecking the Catholic Jacobites in Ireland and routing the French fleets. His later reign is less magnificent, denied the kind of glorious end as William I.
So, moral of the story is that the Dutch where pretty cool, back in the day. I'm totally basing a city and culture in my upcoming pony epic on the Dutch Republic. Amoral merchants, willing to exploit the world and crush their enemies for fun and profit. Only their factional internal politics keeps them from taking over the world. Or something like that.
I'll post a tidbit of history here every so often, if there's any interest in that kind of thing.
Nou zeg, da's 3 jaar aan geschiedenis les in een klein stukje geschreven. Dit had ik gegarrandeerd als samenvatting gebruikt!
3 years worth of history classes in one small blog. I really would have used this as a summary at the time!