The Rise of a Maritime Empire: The Dutch Eighty Years' War, 1568–1648

At the 1555 ceremony marking the transfer of the throne, several figures who would shape history over the next hundred years gathered together: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor; Philip II, the future king of Spain; and William, Prince of Orange, founding father of the Dutch Republic. Around them were England’s Queen Mary I, known as Bloody Mary, and Elizabeth I; Mary Stuart, the beheaded queen of Scotland; and numerous princes and lords from Germany and France...

“Netherlands” means “low lands” and roughly encompasses present-day Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and northeastern France. From the 11th to the 14th centuries, numerous scattered duchies, counties, and bishoprics gradually took shape in the region. It was later gradually unified under the House of Burgundy and the House of Habsburg. In 1568, the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands rebelled against Spanish rule. In 1581, the seven northern provinces deposed Philip II, and in 1588 they formally established the Dutch Republic. Finally, in 1648, taking advantage of the Thirty Years’ War, they won complete independence from Spain. The world’s first capitalist nation was born.

The newly established Dutch Republic then rose rapidly in just fifty years to become Europe’s economic center. Prosperous Amsterdam established the first modern bank and stock exchange, built a modern financial system, and became the world’s financial hub. At the same time, its advanced shipbuilding industry supported vigorous overseas trade. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Dutch made a “tulip legend” across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, becoming the foremost maritime power of their age. From a small, peripheral country oppressed by Spain to the “carriers of the sea” who ranged across the oceans, the Netherlands’ rise as a maritime empire was driven by the growth of commercial capital and the rapid expansion of its naval power. The rise and fall of this history is worth reflecting on.

This book offers an accessible account of the Eighty Years’ War in the Netherlands. It vividly recounts the major figures of the time, decisive battles, key turning points in the war, and the international situation surrounding the Netherlands. Untangling the story piece by piece, it shows readers the origins, evolution, and outcome of the Eighty Years’ War.