'Wars Overseas' focuses on Dutch military actions outside Europe in the early-modern period. Those actions were rooted in the Eighty Years’ War, the conflict between Spain and the northern Netherlands that led to the creation of the independent Dutch Republic. The Republic was determined to trade in tropical products from Asia, Africa and the Americas, commodities on which the Iberians had had a monopoly for a century or more. To do so, however, it would have to fight. The fledgling State did not itself have the resources for such an undertaking and effectively left it to two monopolistic trading companies, the Dutch East India Company or VOC and the Dutch West India Company or WIC.
In Asia, through an adroit policy of war and diplomacy, the VOC built a powerful trade-based empire that lasted for almost two centuries. The WIC began with a large-scale offensive in the Atlantic area, operating in both Africa and the Americas, albeit with less success than its sister company in Asia. In those conflicts overseas, empire builders like Jan Pietersz Coen and Johan Maurits of Nassau played crucial roles. How did they act? What resources did they have? And how did the military revolution in Europe impact the process of Dutch expansion overseas?
'Wars Overseas', the first comprehensive overview of Dutch military action in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, examines these and many other questions in detail, while thematic chapters focus on the deployment of sailors, soldiers and ships, on weapons and fortification-building, and on the confrontation with non-European allies and adversaries.
- Cover
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Wars Overseas and Military Revolution
- Premiss and Structure
- Chapter One: The First Military Actions Overseas(1590–1602 /1621)
- The Spanish-Portuguese Empire
- Anglo-Dutch Expeditions
- Opening Moves in the Atlantic
- The Voorcompagnieën in Asia
- The States General and the Foundingof the VOC and WIC
- Conclusion
- PART I: Expansion in Asia and South Africa, 1602–1814
- Chapter Two: The Founding of an Asian Empire (1602–1635)
- The Charter and the Admirals’ Instructions
- The Battle of the Admirals
- The Twelve Years’ Truce and the First Governors-General
- Coen’s First Term
- Coen’s Second Term
- Conclusion
- Chapter Three: Consolidating the Empire (1635–1685)
- Van Diemen versus Portugal
- Endgame with Portugal
- At War with the English and French
- The Cloves Secured: Ambon
- The Cloves Secured: the Moluccas
- Decisive Action in the Eastern Archipelago: Makassar
- Punitive Expeditions
- Formosa Won and Lost
- Van Goens versus Kandy
- Leaving Bridgehead Batavia: Intervention in Mataram
- Leaving Bridgehead Batavia: Intervention in Bantam
- Conclusion
- Chapter Four: Expanding the Empire (1685–1780)
- Consolidation versus Intervention
- The First and Second Javanese Wars of Succession
- The Chinese Massacre in Batavia and the Chinese War in Mataram
- The Third Javanese War of Succession and the Partition of Mataram
- Problems Elsewhere in the Archipelago
- Hegemony in Ceylon Secured
- From Strength to Weakness: the VOC in Malabar
- Around the Arabian Sea: Pulling Back from the Periphery
- The Reforms of Van Imhoff and his Successors
- Confrontations with the French and the British
- Conclusion
- Chapter Five: The Empire’s Downfall (1780–1811)
- The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
- Declining Power
- New Initiatives for More Effective Defence
- Revolution in Europe
- The First British Conquest
- The Treaty of Amiens and the Resumption of Fighting
- Daendels on Java
- The Second British Conquest: the End of the Empire
- Conclusion
- Chapter Six: VOC Soldiers and Seamen
- European Recruitment
- To the East and Back
- The Deployability of European Soldiers and Sailors
- Militiamen and Conscripts
- Asian Auxiliaries and Mariners
- The Sum of the Parts
- Incomes of Soldiers and Sailors
- The Quality and Cost of Military and Maritime Personnel
- Conclusion
- Chapter Seven: Naval Forces, Fortifications and Firepower
- Ships Built in the Dutch Republic
- Shipbuilding and Repair in the East
- Naval Strength in the East
- Ships’ Ordnance and Fighting Power
- Fortifications: Anchoring the Empire
- Forts and Fortifications: Construction, Maintenance, Classification
- Artillery
- Bladed Weapons and Firearms
- Powder, Ammunition, and other Essentials
- The Cost of Ships, Fortifications, and Weapons
- Conclusion
- Chapter Eight: Life on Shipboard and in Garrisons
- The Outward and Homeward Voyages
- In Batavia, Capital of the Empire
- In the Regional Garrison Towns
- Desertion
- The Image and Treatment of Enemies
- Conclusion
- PART II: Trading Posts and Colonies in the Atlantic, 1621–1814
- Chapter Nine: Expansion in the Atlantic (1621–1654)
- First Plans of Attack
- The Grand Design
- Expedition to Salvador
- Attacks on Luanda and Elmina
- Privateering
- Caribbean Outposts
- The Fight for Brazil Renewed
- Military Victories and Defeats under Johan Maurits
- The Portuguese Counterattack
- Conclusion
- Chapter Ten: Securing Outposts and Colonial Possessions (1654–1780)
- Escalating Tensions
- Run-up to the Second Anglo-Dutch War
- Michiel de Ruyter’s Secret Orders
- Recapturing Gorée
- Actions on the Gold Coast
- To the West Indies and Newfoundland
- The English Counterattack
- The Conquest of Suriname
- At War with England and France (1672–1678)
- French Attacks on the Wild Coast (1688–1712)
- Defence of Dutch Neutrality (1713–1780)
- Conclusion
- Chapter Eleven: From Company to Government (1780–1816)
- Rising Tensions
- The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War in the West Indies
- Plans for Better Defence
- The Batavian-French Period
- Conclusion
- Chapter Twelve: Non-European Enemies and Allies
- Border Areas
- Indigenous Opponents in New Netherland
- Indigenous Opponents on the Wild Coast
- War with the Maroons
- Slave Uprisings
- Indigenous Allies
- The Komenda War on the Gold Coast
- Conclusion
- Chapter Thirteen: Soldiers and Sailors in the Atlantic
- Crews and Troops
- Recruitment, Quality and Origin of Soldiers and Sailors
- Discipline and Drill
- Citizen Militias
- Black Soldiers
- Insubordination and Punishment
- Battlefield Ethics
- Conclusion
- Chapter Fourteen: Ships, Forts, and Weapons
- Ships
- Forts
- Weapons
- Financial Investment
- Conclusion
- Concluding Observations
- The Dutch Overseas
- East and West Compared
- Dutch Expansion and the Military Revolution
- Notes
- Introduction
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Concluding Observations
- Bibliography
- Archival Sources
- Printed Sources
- List of Tables and Maps
- About the Authors
- Illustration Credits
- Index
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