The Sun of Rocroi TL- A better Grand Condé

[Israel_Dan the Man]

@Basileus_Komnenos This is where the fun begins!

 

[da Racontor]

Well this update was well worth the wait! Glad to see it.

 

[krieger]

Poland though with its noble democracy though is about to likely experience major political destabilization. Hopefully they'll have a King who'll save them from being Partitioned.

Ironically, it could be MC's (Conde's) son. John II Casimir, last Vasa king of Poland wanted Henri d'Enghien to follow him on Polish throne by electing him during his lifetime, which caused major turmoil among nobles, led by Jerzy Lubomirski, one of the most experienced commanders in Poland and former Grand Hetman (biggest ranked-commander). The most decisive battle of this war was this battle (here's the link), and if Conde is smarter and has more influence on Louis XIV he can do two things to secure his son's crown - convince Louis not to make pacts with Brandenburg and thus support Neuburg candidature, but to stick with support for John Casimir and his election plants, telling Louis that his (Conde's) son would be more trustworthy ally of France, that side-changing elector of Brandenburg. Secondly, he can go to Poland himself to command royalist troops and bring a few more hired for his private money (royalists often used foreign mercenaries for fighting), which would vastly improve royalist position vis a vis rebels. Here is Polish timeline about Conde Poland and I'd recommend for @Comte de Dordogne to read it, because it is very sophisticated and well-done, to the point that authors of the thread are even counting goddamn alternate budgets for every single year. Maybe, politically your Poland could be different than theirs - theirs was very influenced by Glorious Revolution, which is not going to happen here (most likely) and since your Europe is a lot more absolutist than it was IOTL, maybe not full absolutism, but Roman-style "comedy of the republic" would be doable in TTL's Poland.

 

[Comte de Dordogne]

Man love this, and the maps!

Thank you so much for appreciating my handwriting as well as my map. For me a good chronology must have good maps, it allows a better visualization and a better immersion in History.

That's kinda sad to hear, but real life does take precedence after all.

I might be able to do it in early July, but it's really not safe. I'm involved as a counsellor for several summer camps which will keep me busy for a while. At the end of July I might be able to, but it depends on where I am and if I've found the time to imagine in detail the rest of my chronology. Maybe in the middle of August between two of my camps if I get motivated enough. But early September you can be sure that there will be a chapter.

Historically though, even after the Stuarts were restored, James II likely could have reasserted his monarchical power had he done what Henri IV de Bourbon did during the French Wars of Religion, and converted to Anglicansim. After all while Paris is worth as Mass, London isn't (its a twist of the phrase that Henri IV said). Most people and even Parliamentarians didn't really have that much of an issue with him reasserting his power, the more serious problem was that his subjects hated his Catholicism. And everyone tolerated that fully expecting that he would be succeeded by a proper Protestant ruler. But when his son was born who would have most certainly been raised as a Catholic by his father was the straw that broke the Camel's back. Though had James abdicated in favor of his son, William III would have had no pretext to sieze the throne on his own. The public would also likely turn away from William if King James' son regency is taken over by Parliament to ensure that he's a proper Protestant King. Though the chaos and instability surrounding this regency could likely inspire this alternate Bonnie Prince Charlie (ttl's Charles III) to lead a Gustav III style self-coup much to popular acclaim. Keep in mind that the King could argue that the acts passed were illegal. Plus Parliament here would not be able get away with stripping the Kings of their Crownlands which grants the monarchy a stream of revenue independent from Parliament.

Alternatively, William III could also reject the Bill of Rights proposed in 1689 and pushing for a more empowered monarchy. He would be well within his rights to do so as that was the power enjoyed by his uncles (Charles II and James II). William also could threaten to leave with his troops leaving Parliament hanging in the wind, and at the mercy of James I who likely would have mounted a new force from Ireland or Scotland marching on London, out for blood.

The Decline of the British/English monarchy was in no way fated to go as it did. Heck France had a Revolution and ended up with a monarchy more absolute than the Kings it overthrew. The British Monarchy's collapse largely had to do with a specific set of circumstances that occurred in very convenient circumstances. The Hanoverians were a very dysfunctional family whose idiocy and public scandal made the monarchy look weak and inept (George I after all refused to learn how to speak English). Had someone other than the Hannoverians taken the throne, Britain likely would have had a far more empowered throne in the 18th Century.

It's very interesting everything you say. But it will probably all be butterfly, with a Charles I who has not been executed by his Parliament and a Charles II who can reign as a despot the British Isles will go all the way.
An Unexpected Prince speaks a little about this possibility or James II dies shortly after the birth of his son, the latter not becoming a Catholic).

Do you mean Spain? I know Denmark for example in the aftermath of the 30 Years War (25 Years War ttl), abandoned the elective system and opted for a hereditary one becoming a Constitutionally Absolute monarchy in otl. I think Spain and Portugal were also quite absolutist as well along with other powers such as Sweden.

Poland though with its noble democracy though is about to likely experience major political destabilization. Hopefully they'll have a King who'll save them from being Partitioned.

I won't answer all that, you'll see in the next chapters. 😉

Well this update was well worth the wait! Glad to see it.

Thank you for the compliment! The next chapter will probably be more modest but it will be quite amazing I think.

Ironically, it could be MC's (Conde's) son. John II Casimir, last Vasa king of Poland wanted Henri d'Enghien to follow him on Polish throne by electing him during his lifetime, which caused major turmoil among nobles, led by Jerzy Lubomirski, one of the most experienced commanders in Poland and former Grand Hetman (biggest ranked-commander). The most decisive battle of this war was this battle (here's the link), and if Conde is smarter and has more influence on Louis XIV he can do two things to secure his son's crown - convince Louis not to make pacts with Brandenburg and thus support Neuburg candidature, but to stick with support for John Casimir and his election plants, telling Louis that his (Conde's) son would be more trustworthy ally of France, that side-changing elector of Brandenburg. Secondly, he can go to Poland himself to command royalist troops and bring a few more hired for his private money (royalists often used foreign mercenaries for fighting), which would vastly improve royalist position vis a vis rebels. Here is Polish timeline about Conde Poland and I'd recommend for @Comte de Dordogne to read it, because it is very sophisticated and well-done, to the point that authors of the thread are even counting goddamn alternate budgets for every single year. Maybe, politically your Poland could be different than theirs - theirs was very influenced by Glorious Revolution, which is not going to happen here (most likely) and since your Europe is a lot more absolutist than it was IOTL, maybe not full absolutism, but Roman-style "comedy of the republic" would be doable in TTL's Poland.

Very interesting what you've written. Poland and its monarchical system is a bit of a mystery to me. But Poland will also have its chapters when the time comes.

 

[krieger]

Poland and its monarchical system is a bit of a mystery to me.

If you want some help regarding it, you can always PM me, I do posess considerable knowledge regarding this, so I could help you.

 

[Comte de Dordogne]

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well. I promised you a chapter before the end of June but unfortunately that won't be possible. I have a problem with my midterm results (a zero for failing to turn in a paper when I did it right). Even though I have my academic year, I have to fix this problem quickly and I cannot write my next chapter. Hopefully you can be patient.

 

[Basileus_Komnenos]

I hope you're all well. I promised you a chapter before the end of June but unfortunately that won't be possible. I have a problem with my midterm results (a zero for failing to turn in a paper when I did it right).

@Comte de Dordogne
No problem dude. Real life issues come first before this. I hope you can get this issue resolved quickly. I remember when I had an issue with my transcripts, it took forever to get through all the bureaucratic red tape. But hopefully your experience will be better than mine.

Hopefully you can be patient.

Either way I still love this timeline, and will be patiently awaiting the next update.

 

[Kurd Gossemer]

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well. I promised you a chapter before the end of June but unfortunately that won't be possible. I have a problem with my midterm results (a zero for failing to turn in a paper when I did it right). Even though I have my academic year, I have to fix this problem quickly and I cannot write my next chapter. Hopefully you can be patient.

No worries, your life comes first and you shouldn't feel bad about not having the new chapter, we much prefer you do it in your own time and without worries, keep up the good work man!

 

[Comte de Dordogne]

Well my teacher seems to have decided to ignore my request, I'm quite disappointed but my academic year is not compromised (having your year with a zero is not bad anyway, isn't it? 😅).
Anyway, the next chapter should arrive soon, hopefully tomorrow or the day after.
Hope you'll like it too.

 

[Kurd Gossemer]

Yay!

 

[Comte de Dordogne]

The Age of Absolutism
Part 3: The Stathouder and its Kingdom (Netherlands)​

If the 17th century saw the birth of modern Absolutism, the Netherlands is the most atypical example. Its quest for independence from Madrid and its metamorphosis into a mercantile republic would eventually lead to one of the most powerful absolute monarchies in Europe.

1) The Seventy-five Years' War (1568-1643)​

The Seventy-five Years' War, also known as the Revolt of the Netherlands (or Revolt of the Gueux), was the conflict led by the revolted, often Calvinistic, people against the Catholic Spanish crown. The Revolt had also been motivated by an increasingly heavy Spanish tax system, crushing the merchant class of the seventeen provinces as well as the peasant class. Finally, the fact that Philip II, son of Charles V, paid less attention than his father to the social evolution of the Netherlands.

Philip II of Spain (1527-1598).

The ever-increasing fiscal pressure and religious division finally drove the disappointed Crown to independence. The States-General of the Netherlands, whose aim was to maintain a stable administration loyal to Philip II, increasingly opposed the levying of new taxes and the Catholic Inquisition. Philip II's refusal to lift the Inquisition, poor harvests that kept the food shortage alive and the increasingly virulent proselytism of the Protestant pastors caused an iconoclastic fury in Flanders that soon spread to Brabant and Zeeland, reaching as far as Antwerp.
The revolt soon spread to the turbulent northern provinces and Philip II at the foot of the wall chose to land an army led by the Duke of Alba the following year to put an end to the uprisings. Some rebellious nobles were captured and sentenced to death in Brussels. In 1568, William of Orange, Stathouder of the provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht decided to march to Alba to depose him, without seeking to rebel against Philip II. At the Battle of Rheindalen, the rebels are defeated and William of Orange has to flee temporarily.

William I of Orange-Nassau, known as the Taciturn (1533-1584).

The conflict resumed in 1572 after an attempt by the Duke of Alba to rationalise taxes to finance his army. Holland and Zeeland again joined the revolts and William of Orange again became Stathouder and leader of the revolt. In 1577, Bréda was recaptured by the Dutch. In 1579, after the failure of the Union of Brussels, which was supposed to allow a reconciliation between rebels and loyalists, the war resumed between the pro-Spanish Union of Aras and the Union of Utrecht, which formed the United Provinces. In 1585, after William of Orange's assault, his son Maurice de Nassau succeeded in protecting the United Provinces with successful offensives, but also in concluding an alliance with England and France in 1596.

2) The Twelve-Year Truce and the Twenty-Five-Year War (1609-1643)​

The death of Philip II in 1598 did not put an end to the war, as it dragged on and on. The victories of Maurice de Nassau at Turnhout in 1597 and at Nieuport in 1600 consolidated the position of the United Provinces. But it was not until the Truce of 1609 that the United Provinces began to develop economically and prosper fully. The Dutch East India Company (VOC in Dutch) succeeded in repelling the English incursions into Southeast Asia and in setting up new trading posts. The Princes of Makassar and Borneo enter into relations with the Dutch and a counter is even opened in Hirado, Japan.
But in 1621, after long negotiations, no Peace was found between the United Provinces and Spain. Moreover, the beginning of the Twenty-five Years' War encouraged the Spaniards to remilitarize to support the Habsburgs of Austria in the Holy Roman Empire. Breda was besieged and taken by the Spaniards in 1624 after a powerful sea blockade, Maurice d'Orange was unable to save the city from the Spaniards. The Stathouder's life will end with a second failure in front of Antwerp. However, his legacy will not be lost by the United Provinces. In 1627 Frederick-Henry of Orange Nassau carried out the siege of Groenlo and the following year the Dutch privateer Piet Hein succeeded in capturing the fleet from the Spanish Treasury. In 1629 it was at Bois-Le-Duc in the north of Brabant that Frederick-Henry fell into his hands.

Frederick-Henry of Orange Nassau (1584-1647).

The Dutch offensives continue in America where in the Spanish Antilles Dutch piracy is wreaking havoc. The weakening of the Portuguese Empire under the rule of Madrid allowed the United Provinces to establish themselves in Brazil from 1624 in Salvador and Pernambuco [1].

But despite the success of the Dutch navy around the globe, the situation of the United Provinces became more complicated on the continent where the Spanish were strengthening. The Dutch failed miserably to take Maastricht from the Spanish in 1632 [2]. The entry of France into the war in 1635 had been the hope for the Dutch that the Spanish would be caught in pincers. However, the setbacks suffered by France quickly made the United Provinces disenchanted. The failure of the Dutch to retake Breda in 1637 and the decisive defeat of Cardinal Infant Ferdinand against the Spanish the following year augured the worst for the United Provinces. Only the victory of the Downs at sea still motivates the Dutch to resist.

Dutch ship during the Battle of the Downs (1639).

But the situation soon became favourable for the Dutch again. The hasty departure of the Cardinal Infant to Madrid in 1641 partly disorganized the Spanish [3]. 3] Moreover the slow but sure arrival of Wallenstein's army from northern Germany to save the United Provinces allowed the Dutch to hope for help in case of a new rout.
But what will turn the war upside down will be the resounding victory of the Duke of Enghien at Rocroi and his lightning thrust into the Spanish Netherlands. The lightning conquest of Brussels and other Spanish cities by France allowed the Dutch to take back Breda from the Spaniards once and for all and to recover Maastricht with the support of Wallenstein's mercenaries.

Dutch soldiers celebrating with Wallenstein's mercenaries the end of the Twenty-five Years War.

3) The ascent of the Stathouderat​

The Peace of Münster in 1643 allowed the United Provinces to finally be recognized as a sovereign nation by Madrid. Moreover, the end of the Seventy-five Years' War also saw the end of the Spanish presence in the region, no longer weighing a sword of Damocles over the United Provinces. But this success also began to create its share of worries. The main one being that the south of the Netherlands is certainly no longer in the hands of the Spanish, but of the French, who have proved to be very ambitious and energetic in the region. The conquest of Antwerp made the United Provinces fear the beginning of a terrible commercial rivalry with France. But French interests soon became accommodating to The Hague, and the French promise not to encourage trade from Antwerp for twenty years in exchange for the opening of the Scheldt by the Dutch appeased the most fearful in Holland. Negotiations with the Duke of Enghien in Antwerp, however, ended with the Great Cabal in Paris.
But the United Provinces also have their share of internal problems. The end of the war with Spain pushed the Dutch merchant class as well as the regents to reduce the troops of its army as well as the country's military fleet. Frederic-Henri refused what the regents and the "bourgeois party" wanted to impose on him. He marched to Amsterdam to impose his will on Andries Bicker and Cornelis de Graeff, the main leaders of the opposition to the Orangists.

Andries Bicker, Regent and Mayor of Amsterdam.

Fear of Frederick Henry's army finally pushed the Dutch regents to accept the maintenance of a permanent army commanded by the Nassaus.
In the rest of the world war continued to rage. The colonial war against Portugal was turning to the advantage of the United Provinces, the Portuguese revolt of 1640 allowed Dutch Brazil to enjoy a truce with Portuguese Brazil and to establish itself more in the region [4]. In Angola the Dutch took Benguela but failed in Luanda [5].

Dutch map of Brazil, a rich colony of sugar cane and coffee plantations.

In Asia the Dutch have also managed to strengthen their presence. The capture of Malacca in 1641 from the Portuguese and the Dutch move to Formosa against Lisbon, the latter managing to retain Macau as well as Goa and Ormuz [6]. The takeover of Formosa by the Dutch for lack of Macao allowed the Dutch to capture part of the Chinese trade, reinforced by the Dutch presence in Southeast Asia. In North America, New Holland continued its development, a treaty of agreement being signed with the Iroquois for the fur trade with New Amsterdam experiencing increasingly profitable demographic and economic growth.
In 1646 a marriage is concluded between the son of Frederic-Henri, William Prince of Orange and the daughter of the Duke of Orleans, the Grande Mademoiselle. This marriage, in addition to preparing for a Franco-Dutch agreement, allowed the Prince of Orange to benefit from a huge dowry that would serve him well in the very near future.

La Grande Mademoiselle, symbol of the Franco-Dutch Relation.

In 1647, when Frederic-Henry died, the Orangish opponents were few and far between to dare to oppose the rise of the new Stathouder. In 1650 the Second Northern War between Denmark and Sweden began, and the United Provinces soon went to war on the Swedish side against Denmark, which was hindering its trade in the Baltic. But the English intervention very quickly turned the pre-won war into a near fiasco. Despite a larger and normally more experienced navy, England inflicted several defeats on the Dutch navy.
That was all it took for William II to jump at the opportunity and accuse the regents of having hindered the development of the navy. In 1654 with an army of 15,000 men he marched on Amsterdam and stopped Bicker, Graeff and De Witt brothers. William II merged his title of Stathouder and Grand Pensioner into a single office, that of Stathouder General of the United Provinces.

William II, Prince of Orange and first Stathouder General of the United Provinces.

The country slowly but surely metamorphosed into the Stathouderat of the Netherlands, an absolute monarchy in all but name. William II made Michiel de Ruyter the Vice-Admiral of the Admiralty of Amsterdam, with the task of reorganising the Dutch navy.

The struggle for influence between England and the Netherlands as well as the puritan community living in the Netherlands would push the Stathouder William to intervene in the English Civil War. Although being a failure in the British Isles and William II had to ask for Peace, the war in North America soon became favourable to the Dutch with the Revolt in Virginia and the destruction of New England during King Alexander's War.
But this fight to the death between London and The Hague is still difficult for the Netherlands to win. And soon William turned his eyes in search of a powerful ally who could help him. Soon he found in France the power that could help him defeat their common enemy.

Flag of the Stathouderat of the Netherlands, also called "Flag of the Prince".

[1] OTL the Dutch expedition of 1624 was a failure. ITTL the Dutch established themselves earlier in Brazil.
[2] OTL the fortress was successfully taken by the Dutch.
[3] OTL the Cardinal Infant did not return to Spain and died at the end of 1641 of an illness.
[4] With the control of Salvador and the region of Pernambuco allows the United Provinces to remain in the region. The departure of Johan Maurits and the battles of Guarararapes are butterflies.
[5] OTL the Dutch also succeeded in front of Luanda before losing it again to the Brazilians. ITTL the Dutch concentrated their efforts in Benguela and managed to repel the Portuguese thanks to Dutch Brazil. The capture of the Portuguese Gold Coast is also butterfly.
[6] OTL Ormuz was lost at this time by Portugal.
****
Update that I enjoyed spending time on and that I hope will surprise you. This will probably be the last update for this summer. Maybe in August if I find the time but I'd rather not promise anything.
Many thanks to @alexmilman (again😉) who helped me especially for this chapter.

 

[Kurd Gossemer]

Another excellent chapter! It's a great chapter detailing what the Dutch had to go through after the war showing their evolution into a absolutist monarchy, strengthening of ties with France and a more successfull colonial empire(poor Portugal, something tells me they won't be able to get Brazil back like in OTL), I'm interested to see where they're heading and I'm already salivating for the next chapter! Keep up the good work!

 

[Comte de Dordogne]

Another excellent chapter! It's a great chapter detailing what the Dutch had to go through after the war showing their evolution into a absolutist monarchy, strengthening of ties with France and a more successfull colonial empire(poor Portugal, something tells me they won't be able to get Brazil back like in OTL), I'm interested to see where they're heading and I'm already salivating for the next chapter! Keep up the good work!

Thank you very much for your comment. With this chapter on the Netherlands we start to see the impact of butterflies worldwide. Making the Netherlands of the 17th century a more or less absolute monarchy was a surprise that I had been keeping for some time.
As far as Brazil is concerned, Portugal still controls the south (Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo) as well as the Amazon. But the much stronger Dutch presence, extending as far as El Salvador, is quite a challenge for Lisbon. But nothing is yet won for the Netherlands, a large part of the population of their Brazil is Catholic and Portuguese. They could, as in OTL, rise up and put an end to Dutch domination.
When I look at South America I will talk about it again.

 

[alexmilman]

The Age of Absolutism
Part 3: The Stathouder and its Kingdom (Netherlands)​

If the 17th century saw the birth of modern Absolutism, the Netherlands is the most atypical example. Its quest for independence from Madrid and its metamorphosis into a mercantile republic would eventually lead to one of the most powerful absolute monarchies in Europe.

1) The Seventy-five Years' War (1568-1643)​

The Seventy-five Years' War, also known as the Revolt of the Netherlands (or Revolt of the Gueux), was the conflict led by the revolted, often Calvinistic, people against the Catholic Spanish crown. The Revolt had also been motivated by an increasingly heavy Spanish tax system, crushing the merchant class of the seventeen provinces as well as the peasant class. Finally, the fact that Philip II, son of Charles V, paid less attention than his father to the social evolution of the Netherlands.
View attachment 563631
Philip II of Spain (1527-1598).

The ever-increasing fiscal pressure and religious division finally drove the disappointed Crown to independence. The States-General of the Netherlands, whose aim was to maintain a stable administration loyal to Philip II, increasingly opposed the levying of new taxes and the Catholic Inquisition. Philip II's refusal to lift the Inquisition, poor harvests that kept the food shortage alive and the increasingly virulent proselytism of the Protestant pastors caused an iconoclastic fury in Flanders that soon spread to Brabant and Zeeland, reaching as far as Antwerp.
The revolt soon spread to the turbulent northern provinces and Philip II at the foot of the wall chose to land an army led by the Duke of Alba the following year to put an end to the uprisings. Some rebellious nobles were captured and sentenced to death in Brussels. In 1568, William of Orange, Stathouder of the provinces of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht decided to march to Alba to depose him, without seeking to rebel against Philip II. At the Battle of Rheindalen, the rebels are defeated and William of Orange has to flee temporarily.

View attachment 563633
William I of Orange-Nassau, known as the Taciturn (1533-1584).

The conflict resumed in 1572 after an attempt by the Duke of Alba to rationalise taxes to finance his army. Holland and Zeeland again joined the revolts and William of Orange again became Stathouder and leader of the revolt. In 1577, Bréda was recaptured by the Dutch. In 1579, after the failure of the Union of Brussels, which was supposed to allow a reconciliation between rebels and loyalists, the war resumed between the pro-Spanish Union of Aras and the Union of Utrecht, which formed the United Provinces. In 1585, after William of Orange's assault, his son Maurice de Nassau succeeded in protecting the United Provinces with successful offensives, but also in concluding an alliance with England and France in 1596.

2) The Twelve-Year Truce and the Twenty-Five-Year War (1609-1643)​

The death of Philip II in 1598 did not put an end to the war, as it dragged on and on. The victories of Maurice de Nassau at Turnhout in 1597 and at Nieuport in 1600 consolidated the position of the United Provinces. But it was not until the Truce of 1609 that the United Provinces began to develop economically and prosper fully. The Dutch East India Company (VOC in Dutch) succeeded in repelling the English incursions into Southeast Asia and in setting up new trading posts. The Princes of Makassar and Borneo enter into relations with the Dutch and a counter is even opened in Hirado, Japan.
But in 1621, after long negotiations, no Peace was found between the United Provinces and Spain. Moreover, the beginning of the Twenty-five Years' War encouraged the Spaniards to remilitarize to support the Habsburgs of Austria in the Holy Roman Empire. Breda was besieged and taken by the Spaniards in 1624 after a powerful sea blockade, Maurice d'Orange was unable to save the city from the Spaniards. The Stathouder's life will end with a second failure in front of Antwerp. However, his legacy will not be lost by the United Provinces. In 1627 Frederick-Henry of Orange Nassau carried out the siege of Groenlo and the following year the Dutch privateer Piet Hein succeeded in capturing the fleet from the Spanish Treasury. In 1629 it was at Bois-Le-Duc in the north of Brabant that Frederick-Henry fell into his hands.
View attachment 563637
Frederick-Henry of Orange Nassau (1584-1647).

The Dutch offensives continue in America where in the Spanish Antilles Dutch piracy is wreaking havoc. The weakening of the Portuguese Empire under the rule of Madrid allowed the United Provinces to establish themselves in Brazil from 1624 in Salvador and Pernambuco [1].

But despite the success of the Dutch navy around the globe, the situation of the United Provinces became more complicated on the continent where the Spanish were strengthening. The Dutch failed miserably to take Maastricht from the Spanish in 1632 [2]. The entry of France into the war in 1635 had been the hope for the Dutch that the Spanish would be caught in pincers. However, the setbacks suffered by France quickly made the United Provinces disenchanted. The failure of the Dutch to retake Breda in 1637 and the decisive defeat of Cardinal Infant Ferdinand against the Spanish the following year augured the worst for the United Provinces. Only the victory of the Downs at sea still motivates the Dutch to resist.
View attachment 563639
Dutch ship during the Battle of the Downs (1639).

But the situation soon became favourable for the Dutch again. The hasty departure of the Cardinal Infant to Madrid in 1641 partly disorganized the Spanish [3]. 3] Moreover the slow but sure arrival of Wallenstein's army from northern Germany to save the United Provinces allowed the Dutch to hope for help in case of a new rout.
But what will turn the war upside down will be the resounding victory of the Duke of Enghien at Rocroi and his lightning thrust into the Spanish Netherlands. The lightning conquest of Brussels and other Spanish cities by France allowed the Dutch to take back Breda from the Spaniards once and for all and to recover Maastricht with the support of Wallenstein's mercenaries.
View attachment 563641
Dutch soldiers celebrating with Wallenstein's mercenaries the end of the Twenty-five Years War.

3) The ascent of the Stathouderat​

The Peace of Münster in 1643 allowed the United Provinces to finally be recognized as a sovereign nation by Madrid. Moreover, the end of the Seventy-five Years' War also saw the end of the Spanish presence in the region, no longer weighing a sword of Damocles over the United Provinces. But this success also began to create its share of worries. The main one being that the south of the Netherlands is certainly no longer in the hands of the Spanish, but of the French, who have proved to be very ambitious and energetic in the region. The conquest of Antwerp made the United Provinces fear the beginning of a terrible commercial rivalry with France. But French interests soon became accommodating to The Hague, and the French promise not to encourage trade from Antwerp for twenty years in exchange for the opening of the Scheldt by the Dutch appeased the most fearful in Holland. Negotiations with the Duke of Enghien in Antwerp, however, ended with the Great Cabal in Paris.
But the United Provinces also have their share of internal problems. The end of the war with Spain pushed the Dutch merchant class as well as the regents to reduce the troops of its army as well as the country's military fleet. Frederic-Henri refused what the regents and the "bourgeois party" wanted to impose on him. He marched to Amsterdam to impose his will on Andries Bicker and Cornelis de Graeff, the main leaders of the opposition to the Orangists.
View attachment 563642
Andries Bicker, Regent and Mayor of Amsterdam.

Fear of Frederick Henry's army finally pushed the Dutch regents to accept the maintenance of a permanent army commanded by the Nassaus.
In the rest of the world war continued to rage. The colonial war against Portugal was turning to the advantage of the United Provinces, the Portuguese revolt of 1640 allowed Dutch Brazil to enjoy a truce with Portuguese Brazil and to establish itself more in the region [4]. In Angola the Dutch took Benguela but failed in Luanda [5].
View attachment 563643
Dutch map of Brazil, a rich colony of sugar cane and coffee plantations.

In Asia the Dutch have also managed to strengthen their presence. The capture of Malacca in 1641 from the Portuguese and the Dutch move to Formosa against Lisbon, the latter managing to retain Macau as well as Goa and Ormuz [6]. The takeover of Formosa by the Dutch for lack of Macao allowed the Dutch to capture part of the Chinese trade, reinforced by the Dutch presence in Southeast Asia. In North America, New Holland continued its development, a treaty of agreement being signed with the Iroquois for the fur trade with New Amsterdam experiencing increasingly profitable demographic and economic growth.
In 1646 a marriage is concluded between the son of Frederic-Henri, William Prince of Orange and the daughter of the Duke of Orleans, the Grande Mademoiselle. This marriage, in addition to preparing for a Franco-Dutch agreement, allowed the Prince of Orange to benefit from a huge dowry that would serve him well in the very near future.
View attachment 563644
La Grande Mademoiselle, symbol of the Franco-Dutch Relation.

In 1647, when Frédéric-Henri died, the Orangish opponents were few and far between to dare to oppose the rise of the new Stathouder. In 1650 the Great Northern War between Denmark and Sweden began, and the United Provinces soon went to war on the Swedish side against Denmark, which was hindering its trade in the Baltic. But the English intervention very quickly turned the pre-won war into a near fiasco. Despite a larger and normally more experienced navy, England inflicted several defeats on the Dutch navy.
That was all it took for William II to jump at the opportunity and accuse the regents of having hindered the development of the navy. In 1654 with an army of 15,000 men he marched on Amsterdam and stopped Bicker, Graeff and the Witt brothers. William II merged his title of Stathouder and Grand Pensioner into a single office, that of Stathouder General of the United Provinces.

View attachment 563645
William II, Prince of Orange and first Stathouder General of the United Provinces.

The country slowly but surely metamorphosed into the Stathouderat of the Netherlands, an absolute monarchy in all but name. William II made Michiel de Ruyter the Vice-Admiral of the Admiralty of Amsterdam, with the task of reorganising the Dutch navy.

The struggle for influence between England and the Netherlands as well as the puritan community living in the Netherlands would push the Stathouder William to intervene in the English Civil War. Although being a failure in the British Isles and William II had to ask for Peace, the war in North America soon became favourable to the Dutch with the Revolt in Virginia and the destruction of New England during King Alexander's War.
But this fight to the death between London and The Hague is still difficult for the Netherlands to win. And soon William turned his eyes in search of a powerful ally who could help him. Soon he found in France the power that could help him defeat their common enemy.

View attachment 563646
Flag of the Stathouderat of the Netherlands, also called "Flag of the Prince".

[1] OTL the Dutch expedition of 1624 was a failure. ITTL the Dutch established themselves earlier in Brazil.
[2] OTL the fortress was successfully taken by the Dutch.
[3] OTL the Cardinal Infant did not return to Spain and died at the end of 1641 of an illness.
[4] With the control of Salvador and the region of Pernambuco allows the United Provinces to remain in the region. The departure of Johan Maurits and the battles of Guarararapes are butterflies.
[5] OTL the Dutch also succeeded in front of Luanda before losing it again to the Brazilians. ITTL the Dutch concentrated their efforts in Benguela and managed to repel the Portuguese thanks to Dutch Brazil. The capture of the Portuguese Gold Coast is also butterfly.
[6] OTL Ormuz was lost at this time by Portugal.
****
Update that I enjoyed spending time on and that I hope will surprise you. This will probably be the last update for this summer. Maybe in August if I find the time but I'd rather not promise anything.
Many thanks to @alexmilman (again😉) who helped me especially for this chapter.

Thanks for the chapter: at least in your TL I’m able to figure out what was going on in the Netherlands at that time (the OTL is too convoluted to be true). 😂

After reading Ruyter’s biography (and watching the movie 😂) I was at a complete loss how seemingly intelligent people ruling the country heavily dependent upon the sea trade could not figure out a vital importance of a powerful navy. When the s—t hit the fan they were forced to convert the merchant ships and their guns were presumably of a smaller caliber than British. Taking into an account the losses from a disrupted trade, sounds as a classic case of a misplaced attempt to save the money at the expense of a security.

BTW, I have a question. The Dutch ships are more than once being referenced as flat-bottomed (with a resulting advantage of being able to operate in the shallow coastal waters). Was this really the case (how would it impact the ocean travel) or were they just “somewhat more flat” or were they simply smaller?

 

[Israel_Dan the Man]

Imagine if the 2 Brazils are similar in size and develop a 19th century rivalry.

 

[Comte de Dordogne]

Thanks for the chapter: at least in your TL I’m able to figure out what was going on in the Netherlands at that time (the OTL is too convoluted to be true). 😂

After reading Ruyter’s biography (and watching the movie 😂) I was at a complete loss how seemingly intelligent people ruling the country heavily dependent upon the sea trade could not figure out a vital importance of a powerful navy. When the s—t hit the fan they were forced to convert the merchant ships and their guns were presumably of a smaller caliber than British. Taking into an account the losses from a disrupted trade, sounds as a classic case of a misplaced attempt to save the money at the expense of a security.

Nothing new under the sun, it's not uncommon in history (or even in everyday life when you're "lucky" 🤪) to come across morons who have power but can't see the obvious and limit themselves to questionable positions. 🤪
In works of fiction it doesn't go over so well that everyone is an idiot. As I read in another chronology, monarchies with a strong monarch allow the author to be freer in his narration. A kingdom becomes prosperous or perishes according to the choices of its monarch and the author doesn't need to justify his choice by involving all the institutions. It is easier to have a single fool with a lot of power than a group with power that can behave like a fool (because in the latter case it is "less likely" to happen). 🧐
In any case a monarchy in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century will allow a better understanding since only one or almost one decides the policy of the country.

BTW, I have a question. The Dutch ships are more than once being referenced as flat-bottomed (with a resulting advantage of being able to operate in the shallow coastal waters). Was this really the case (how would it impact the ocean travel) or were they just “somewhat more flat” or were they simply smaller?

You're gluing me down.
I don't know what to say. I didn't study the types of ships that the Netherlands has.

Imagine if the 2 Brazils are similar in size and develop a 18th century rivalry.

It's hard to answer without spoiling my thoughts, but let's say vaguely that there will be more rivalries in the region in the coming decades and that Brazil will not be as "united" as OTL.

 

[alexmilman]

Nothing new under the sun, it's not uncommon in history (or even in everyday life when you're "lucky" 🤪) to come across morons who have power but can't see the obvious and limit themselves to questionable positions. 🤪
In works of fiction it doesn't go over so well that everyone is an idiot. As I read in another chronology, monarchies with a strong monarch allow the author to be freer in his narration. A kingdom becomes prosperous or perishes according to the choices of its monarch and the author doesn't need to justify his choice by involving all the institutions. It is easier to have a single fool with a lot of power than a group with power that can behave like a fool (because in the latter case it is "less likely" to happen). 🧐
In any case a monarchy in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century will allow a better understanding since only one or almost one decides the policy of the country.


You're gluing me down.
I don't know what to say. I'm not interested in the types of ships that the Netherlands has.

Of course, an idiot with a lot of power can cause a lot of damage but a competent powerful ruler at a critical junction cold make the right decision easier than a group of the merchants-turned-politicians because each of them would be pursuing his own interests. It seems that even a rule by a single “civilian” like de Vitt was less suitable for the specific circumstances of that period: he tried to play “a balancing act” during the Devolution War and the main thing he achieved was making LXIV an enemy (cherry on the top of that cake was a medal offensive to Louis personally). In the wars with England the Dutch seemingly had the weaker battleships than the Brits and had to rely exclusively upon quality of the leaders and their crews.
To the French invasion he was totally unprepared: after all, if he did not have any military abilities he had to cultivate some competent generals who were not the Orangists and who would do what Willian did (after all, he was not a military genius).

So I quite agree with you: in ATL having strong capable figures on the top is much more convenient in twisting the history: your hero can make a competent decision and implement it without a need to get approval of any political body.

BTW, what is original name of the painting you posted (one with the troops celebrating)?

 

[Comte de Dordogne]

Of course, an idiot with a lot of power can cause a lot of damage but a competent powerful ruler at a critical junction cold make the right decision easier than a group of the merchants-turned-politicians because each of them would be pursuing his own interests. It seems that even a rule by a single “civilian” like de Vitt was less suitable for the specific circumstances of that period: he tried to play “a balancing act” during the Devolution War and the main thing he achieved was making LXIV an enemy (cherry on the top of that cake was a medal offensive to Louis personally). In the wars with England the Dutch seemingly had the weaker battleships than the Brits and had to rely exclusively upon quality of the leaders and their crews.
To the French invasion he was totally unprepared: after all, if he did not have any military abilities he had to cultivate some competent generals who were not the Orangists and who would do what Willian did (after all, he was not a military genius).

So I quite agree with you: in ATL having strong capable figures on the top is much more convenient in twisting the history: your hero can make a competent decision and implement it without a need to get approval of any political body.

You are right, as political decisions and choices are made by William II (with little opposition to his rule) he can decide on the policy to be pursued by his Kingdom more energetically and quickly.
As far as the navy is concerned, I have not yet gone into detail, but perhaps I will devote a chapter to this subject.

BTW, what is original name of the painting you posted (one with the troops celebrating)?

In French the name of the painting is "Banquet of the Amsterdam Civic Guard celebrating the peace of Münster " but I don't know its name in English and even less in Dutch. I know that he is quite well known because I often see him when I hear about the Eighty Years' War or the Thirty Years' War.

 

[alexmilman]

You are right, as political decisions and choices are made by William II (with little opposition to his rule) he can decide on the policy to be pursued by his Kingdom more energetically and quickly.
As far as the navy is concerned, I have not yet gone into detail, but perhaps I will devote a chapter to this subject.


In French the name of the painting is "Banquet of the Amsterdam Civic Guard celebrating the peace of Münster " but I don't know its name in English and even less in Dutch. I know that he is quite well known because I often see him when I hear about the Eighty Years' War or the Thirty Years' War.

Thanks for the info. The English name of the painting is correct. Painter’s name is Bartholomeus van der Helst. Judging by the wiki, at his time he was more popular in Amsterdam than his contemporary, Rembrandt, which speaks a lot about the taste of the public. The painting you posted was placed in the same room as The Night Watch and, unlike the Night Watch, got a lot of praise (of course, everybody is clearly visible, the costumes are depicted correctly, the patrons got their money worth, “art must serve the people” 😂). Statdholder liked him.

 

[CastilloVerde]

I read through the entire timeline in the past day or so and I must say, great work so far! Your descriptions of the background events provides good context for this period, especially for someone like me who knows relatively little about this time period. Count me among one of the regular readers now as I'm interested in seeing the further development of the TL!

In North America, New Holland continued its development, a treaty of agreement being signed with the Iroquois for the fur trade with New Amsterdam experiencing increasingly profitable demographic and economic growth.

Very interesting. I've always wanted to see a TL in which New Netherland remains Dutch.