The Great Dutch Republic

Throughout my essay I plan on drawing on many examples or reasons for the great Dutch success in economy, politics, warfare and trade during the years 1584-1672. In their time the Dutch republic were said to have been the ‘envy of some, fear of others, and the wonder of all their neighbours.’ It is widely known that the Dutch Republic was one of Europe’s great powers in the 17th century, its rise to power reflected a powerful shift of political and economic power in Europe. Before the Dutch republic became Europe’s economic capital, the cities of Italy such as Milan, Venice and Rome were the main sources of trade and economic growth in Europe because of its access to the Mediterranean. ‘Except for Britain after around 1780, not one power

Van Der Kooy’s explanation as to why it was the Dutch maritime zone rather than some other region was that ‘the location of the Dutch provinces was peculiarly suited for this role.’ The Dutch managed to connect the Baltic, Atlantic, and Rhine, which proved to be very beneficial in that it created better access routes and made it easier for European powers situated around these areas to trade. An example of this was that France couldn’t ship its wines to Russia because of the time of the year when the grapes were ripe wasn’t suited for the coldness of the Baltic sea, ‘only by storing Frances wine exports at a convenient, intermediate point, such as Holland…., could a steady distribution of French wine’ be

After many years of political, military, and economic especially in the late 1580’s, The Dutch had finally emerged. ‘The deadening pressure of the 1580’s suddenly lifted with Philip II’s decision of 1590 to switch his priorities,’ by attempting to intervene with the civil war that was currently taking place in France. In the same year Spain began to worry about France becoming united under Huguenot Henri of Navarre more than their recapture of the North Netherlands. It wasn’t long till Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt, who was currently the Dutch leader, noticed their good fortune and the opportunities that Philip II's decision of concentrating on France offered. For the first time, preparations for an offensive in the Dutch Republic began. At the same time this was occurring Philip UU, annoyed at his failed attempts to create close maritime links with the Hansa towns, and desperately in need of Baltic grain and naval stores for his war fleets and trading convoys, decided to lift his embargo against the Dutch Republic but left his embargo on his other maritime enemy, England. This created a new means of Dutch trading with the Iberian Peninsula and also created a diversion of much of England’s flourishing trade with Spain and Portugal to the