Perspectives on Anglo-Dutch Wars: Documents and Views
Documents from English ambassador Sir George Downing and an anonymous pamphlet published in the Dutch Republic offer contrasting perspectives on the financial burdens and priorities during the Anglo-Dutch Wars. Sir Downing highlights the financial strain on the Dutch provinces, specifically Holland, while the pamphlet reflects the concerns of Dutch merchants prioritizing trade, low taxes, and defense expenses. These viewpoints reveal the complexities of war, finance, and economic interests during this historical period.
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Anglo/Dutch Wars DBQ Samples of POV
Document 4 Sir George Downing, English ambassador to the Dutch Republic, letter to the English government, 1664 The government of the Dutch Republic is a shattered and divided thing; the province Holland alone must expect to bear the financial burden in a war because the other provinces are poor.
Document 4 (simple) Sir George Downing is both a member of the nobility and the British government. In that he was born and raised to rule he is familiar with the role of government and with finances as he certainly has estates to manage. Since he is stationed in the Netherlands he has seen first hand the poverty of the other provinces and the riches of Holland and knows that only Holland has the resources to pay for the war.
Document 4 Sir George Downing, as both a member of the peerage and an ambassador to the Dutch Republic, is well aware of the role of government and finance in determining a nation s well being. As he is stationed in the Netherlands, he can see first hand the detrimental effect the war is having on the unity of the Dutch people. As a government official he is aware of the financial burden the war has caused and thus can see how the less financially sound provinces are suffering from the cost of war.
Document 5 Anonymous pamphlet published in the province of Holland, 1669 We must make defensive fortifications on land as well as outfit warships at sea; but we must also try to end the heavy taxes that are most burdensome on our merchants, especially those taxes levied to provide convoys for merchant ships. We who are naturally merchants must have low taxes, peace, and trade as well as protection, and we cannot be turned into soldiers.
Document 5 (simple) The author of this pamphlet identified himself as a merchant. As a merchant, (businessman) his greatest interest is making money. He therefore does not want to pay for defense (too costly) and does not want new taxes (too costly) and certainly does not want to be a soldier as it would take him away from his business.
Document 5 The feelings of most Dutch merchants were clearly demonstrated by the anonymous pamphlet of 1669. This pamphlet was obviously written by a Dutch merchant who was most concerned about his profit margin (as any viable merchant should be). While concerned about the threat the war brings to the Netherlands, he was more concerned about his business. He therefore expected that the government would defend him without interfering with his income or burdening him with expectations of military service.
Document 6 The Treaty of Dover, 1670 The king of France promises to pay to the king of England two million livres. Each of the allied sovereigns will then jointly declare war on the Dutch Republic. the king of France will defray all expenses of the campaign by land. For the war by sea the king of England will arm at least 70 warships.
Document 6 (simple) The Treaty of Dover, since it is a government document, was either written by kings or by their representatives who would write what their monarch told them to write. Kings either want to increase their power, the size of their kingdom or their wealth. Thus the French king would support a war against the Dutch and provide soldiers since his kingdom nearly borders the Dutch. For the same reasons the English king would support a war against the Dutch and provide ships since his kingdom is an island and he already has a navy.
Document 6 The Treaty of Dover, 1670 clearly portrays the financial concerns of the two nations allied against the Dutch. Neither the French nor the English monarch wishes to bear the full brunt of financial responsibility for the war even though a victory would greatly enhance their economic position. Thus the treaty limits the liability faced by each monarch.
Document 7 Resolution of the Amsterdam City Council, 1671 Not only the French monarch but other kings seem more and more to scheme how to ruin what remains of the trade and navigation of the Dutch Republic, and to take over part of it for themselves.
Document 7 (simple) Since the Amsterdam City Council is the actual ruling body of Amsterdam they certainly know about running a government. Therefore they would know the kind of things kings favor, namely that they want to increase their power, the size of their kingdom or their wealth. Since the city council members are well aware of the progress of the war they could certainly understand why other kings would want to scheme against the Dutch.
Document 7 The Treaty of Dover, 1670 clearly portrays the financial concerns of the two nations allied against the Dutch. Neither the French nor the English monarch wishes to bear the full brunt of financial responsibility for the war even though a victory would greatly enhance their economic position. Thus the treaty limits the liability faced by each monarch.
Document 8 Konrad Van Beuningen, Dutch ambassador to England, letter to the government of the Dutch Republic, 1672 England's interest consists in continuing or encouraging war between the Dutch Republic and France. Either these Dutch lands will become permanently a theater of war or they will be overwhelmed or flooded, in either case ruining our commerce.
Document 8 (simple) Konrad Van Beuningen, the Dutch ambassador to England has certainly been trained in government affairs or he would not hold this position. Since he has been most likely been raised in the Netherlands he also knows how war would impact his homeland. He knows that England has dragged this war on for a long time when they have the military ability to end it at any time they wish. He therefore understands that England must want the Netherlands in complete ruins.
Document 8 (note: this goes well with doc.7) While the City Council of Amsterdam (only a year previously) was aware of the aims of their enemies, the Dutch ambassador to England has come to the same conclusions. Van Beuningen, a man trained in the art of diplomacy, has concluded that the English will not rest until the commerce of the Dutch is in complete ruin and thus that diplomatic overtures on his part are a waste of time and effort.
Document 9 (class writes sample) The Dutch Republic, government report, 1674 Differences arose with regard to the election of a military commander to lead the troops. Toward the end of 1671, the mutual distrust among the Dutch provinces hindered deliberations on how to oppose the violent attacks of Louis XIV.
Document 9 The government of the Dutch Republic was run primarily by the various stadholders who had been elected to serve. In that these men represented the different provinces and their local interests it was no surprise that they would differ on who should lead the armies and what course the war should follow.
Document 10 Political pamphlet published in Amsterdam, 1683 Other Dutch cities and provinces all too easily consent to a recruitment of thousands of men to fight the French. But who, other than wealthy citizens of Amsterdam, much like a rich milk cow, is to furnish the money?
Document 10 By 1683 the war had dragged on for nearly thirty years. With the Dutch economy failing as a result, the wealthy citizens (merchants) of Amsterdam were footing an ever growing portion of the expense of war. In that these merchants were, as always, concerned with profit, they were greatly concerned as well that they should bear an ever growing percentage of the cost of the war. This is clearly shown in the wording of the political pamphlet, written by a merchant in 1683.
Document 11 Marquis de Pomponne, French ambassador to the Dutch Republic, report to the French government, early 1680's The English East India Company has grown larger and causes the Dutch much anxiety. This trade competition was the real cause of the war which broke out in the 1650's between England and the Dutch Republic. It also caused another war between the Dutch and the king of England in the 1660's
Document 11 In the early 1680 s, The Marquis de Pomponne, the French ambassador to the Dutch Republic stationed in the Netherlands had had time and opportunity to consider the causes of the Dutch Wars. This member of both the French royalty and government clearly saw that the cause of the war was English economic greed and really had no basis in politics. If any question concerning this observation existed it was dispelled in view of the tremendous growth of the English East India Company and the corresponding decline of Dutch trade
Document 13 Dutch colonial administrator, letter to the directors of the Dutch East India Company, 1705 The profits of our East Indian trade have turned into losses, the java trade is declining, and the commercial competition from the English, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Muslims in Asia cannot be checked.
Document 13 The year 1705 was the height of both the war and of the mercantilistic age. Thus the letter of the Dutch colonial administrator, who existed for the sole purpose of delivering a profit to his Dutch masters, displayed his awareness of his failure to do so and the events which caused this to occur
Document 14 Englishman resident in the Dutch Republic, letter about the Dutch reaction to losses suffered in the War of the Spanish Succession, 1709 The cries of widows, orphans, and tender virgins, deprived of their husbands, fathers and young men, prevail. Dutch armies, allied with the English in his war against France, have suffered extremely: they have not a hundred men left in each battalion out of a total of thirty battalions that engaged the French at the beginnig of the war.
Document 14 While those participating in a war understandably complain of the scope of their losses it often takes the perspective of an outsider to make it fully understandable to the rest of the world. The letter from an English resident in the Dutch Republic in 1709 does exactly this. Because of his general detachment from the war he makes the ideal sounding board to proclaim the extent of Dutch suffering. Living in the Netherlands, he cannot help but see anguish of the survivors and see the devastation the war has created.
