Batavia Illustrata, or a View of the Policy and Commerce of the United Provinces: Containing a Particular Account of Their Government Both Civil and ... the Lives and Actions of the Princes of Oran - Softcover

Onslow Burrish

 
9780282300708: Batavia Illustrata, or a View of the Policy and Commerce of the United Provinces: Containing a Particular Account of Their Government Both Civil and ... the Lives and Actions of the Princes of Oran

Synopsis

This book studies the governance and politics of the United Provinces, an autonomous region now known as the Netherlands, during their 16th and 17th century Golden Age. The author provides a nuanced account of the Dutch struggle for independence from a Spanish monarchy seeking to impose Catholicism, tracing the origins of the Dutch Revolt through the rise of Protestantism and the evolution of the States General, the body which eventually united the seven provinces and became the sovereign authority of their new republic. The author explores the unique federal structure of the Dutch Republic, the political and military innovations necessitated by the ongoing conflict with Spain, the importance of maritime commerce in Dutch affairs, the nature of Dutch religious toleration, and the distinctive role of the stadtholders, or military governors, who emerged as hereditary leaders of the Republic but whose powers were limited by the States General to avoid the emergence of monarchy. Ultimately, the author concludes that the Dutch Revolt and the rise of the Republic was driven not only by religious conflict but also by a powerful drive towards self-determination, economic growth fueled by maritime trade, and the development of distinctive political and military institutions that balanced centralized authority with provincial autonomy

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