Summary 3.1 Republic of Regenten
Way of ruling
Provincial states States general
Small group of rich men (Regenten)
Task: they formed the daily government from Task: they talk about the problems in the
their province republic for example a war.
They send one or more Regenten to the States After they talk about the problems the
general Regenten went back to their own province to
advise the provincial states.
All the decisions had to be taken unanimously
Money equals power!
- In theory, all the provinces were equal but in reality, Holland had the most power because it
paid the most taxes.
- Grand pensionary: he would advise the states generals about finances and laws.
- Johan van Oldebarnevelt was a grand pensionary from Holland (province) after 1586 and
that’s why he has the most power.
Grand pensionary versus stadtholder
The son of William of Orange: Maurice of Orange looked after the army and led many successful
battles against Spain. Maurice was a stadtholder and he worked together with van Oldebarnevelt.
Twelve years’ truce: a period of twelve years where the republic and Spain didn’t fight. (1609-1621)
Grand pensionary: van Oldebarnevelt wanted to end the war because trade could improve more
during peacetime. Besides a war costs a lot of money.
Stadtholder: Maurice of orange wants war because if there was peace the army wasn’t that
important anymore and peace would cost him his power.
Maurice becomes more powerful
Van Oldebarnevelt and Maurice had a conflict about two different topics.
1. Van Oldebarnevelt wanted to stop the war when Maurice wanted to continue the war.
2. They had a religious conflict: van Oldebarnevelt supported the liberal Calvinists while
Maurice supported the strict Calvinists. The States general decides that the liberal Calvinists
were false. Maurice arrests van Oldebarnevelt and in 1619 van Oldebarnevelt was sentenced
to death. The Stadtholder wins.
, To war again!
In 1621 they continued fighting again. Spain embargoes the Netherlands. This means that the Dutch
republic was not allowed to trade with all of Spain and Portugal (so also not with the trading posts in
the east indies). The Dutch West India Company (WIC) was ordered to destroy Spanish ships, this
meant a huge loss of income for Spain. Maurice died in 1625, his half-brother Fredrick Henry now
becomes a stadtholder.
Peace at last!
Spain was in a lot of wars (with France, and a religious war) à Spain lost a lot of trade ships and went
bankrupt à Spain was forced to start new peace negotiations with the Dutch republic.
Spain and the republic came to an agreement and in 1648 they signed an agreement called: The
peace of Münster. After the Eighty years’ war ended, Spain officially recognized the Dutch Republic
as a sovereign state (onafhandelijke staat): a state with borders, where a government makes laws
and where people abide by those laws.
Way of ruling
Provincial states States general
Small group of rich men (Regenten)
Task: they formed the daily government from Task: they talk about the problems in the
their province republic for example a war.
They send one or more Regenten to the States After they talk about the problems the
general Regenten went back to their own province to
advise the provincial states.
All the decisions had to be taken unanimously
Money equals power!
- In theory, all the provinces were equal but in reality, Holland had the most power because it
paid the most taxes.
- Grand pensionary: he would advise the states generals about finances and laws.
- Johan van Oldebarnevelt was a grand pensionary from Holland (province) after 1586 and
that’s why he has the most power.
Grand pensionary versus stadtholder
The son of William of Orange: Maurice of Orange looked after the army and led many successful
battles against Spain. Maurice was a stadtholder and he worked together with van Oldebarnevelt.
Twelve years’ truce: a period of twelve years where the republic and Spain didn’t fight. (1609-1621)
Grand pensionary: van Oldebarnevelt wanted to end the war because trade could improve more
during peacetime. Besides a war costs a lot of money.
Stadtholder: Maurice of orange wants war because if there was peace the army wasn’t that
important anymore and peace would cost him his power.
Maurice becomes more powerful
Van Oldebarnevelt and Maurice had a conflict about two different topics.
1. Van Oldebarnevelt wanted to stop the war when Maurice wanted to continue the war.
2. They had a religious conflict: van Oldebarnevelt supported the liberal Calvinists while
Maurice supported the strict Calvinists. The States general decides that the liberal Calvinists
were false. Maurice arrests van Oldebarnevelt and in 1619 van Oldebarnevelt was sentenced
to death. The Stadtholder wins.
, To war again!
In 1621 they continued fighting again. Spain embargoes the Netherlands. This means that the Dutch
republic was not allowed to trade with all of Spain and Portugal (so also not with the trading posts in
the east indies). The Dutch West India Company (WIC) was ordered to destroy Spanish ships, this
meant a huge loss of income for Spain. Maurice died in 1625, his half-brother Fredrick Henry now
becomes a stadtholder.
Peace at last!
Spain was in a lot of wars (with France, and a religious war) à Spain lost a lot of trade ships and went
bankrupt à Spain was forced to start new peace negotiations with the Dutch republic.
Spain and the republic came to an agreement and in 1648 they signed an agreement called: The
peace of Münster. After the Eighty years’ war ended, Spain officially recognized the Dutch Republic
as a sovereign state (onafhandelijke staat): a state with borders, where a government makes laws
and where people abide by those laws.
