Dutch Grand Pesioner Johan de Witt does it much better 1652-167...

Johna de Witt develops on early age a very well sence of the importance of intelegence and even greater mis trust of royals a like, especially men as Louis XIV, Charles XII of Sweden, Prince Bishop of Munster, the Lector of Brandenburg, and of course the Oranges.
Furhter, he realise that Holland needed more buffer states in the East and South, despite his own thesis which state that Nations waging war for only teritorial gain or prestige of the Monarch, is bad for the economical development of a nation.
The provinces of Utrecht, Gelre, Overijssel and State Braban were not more than buffer states for the Protection of Holland and in lesser extend Zeeland.
He does it well enough so he can die of old age insted of very violent death when the country is at the brink of collapse. What would be the effect on the Dutch Republic?
 
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HJ Tulp

Donor
You mean what can Johan de Witt do better? :)


The best thing for Johan de Witt is if the Commonwealth continues. Cromwell and the rest were no friends to the Republic (as the First English War testified) but it's hard to see Commonwealth England team up with Catholic France to beat up the Calvinist Netherlands.

Still de Witt was to focused on the Navy. The Dutch Army needs to be capable of fighting off the French. It's either that or forget about the Eastern Provinces and focus on the Waterline. Not sure if that is a political possibility though.

What could also be a way to make sure the Disaster Year doesn't happen is a stronger reaction to Kölnish and Münsterian aggression. Ofcourse to do that the Republics army needs to be in better shape.
 
Yes,

It is not only in his powers but never the less.

What if the Dutch Republic made some concession to the huge Diplomatic delagation of the Dutch Republic in The Hague in 1651, whith the reuslt that the Dutch Republic ended up in an aliance with England and France against Spain.
Thus Enforcing to build up agian some sort of State Army again. Maybe in the conflict a Spanish fleet beat a Dutch war fleer or mechant convoy so bad that the Dutch realise they have to stop the sale of war ships. Unclear what the out come or gains might be, except a larger state debt. Could be Spanish Gelre and a bit more of Limburg and Brabant.
The First Anglo-Dutch war would delayed, I will not say avoided since the English found, as Gearge MOnk stated: "the Dutch have too much trade and we are goiing to do something about it." If the Dutch were waken up by a defeat in an earlier conflict this first sea war could ended as a drwa more in the favour of the Dutch Republic. The land conflict would see an increase in the investments of an army which could result in a more agressive apraoch of Prince Bishop von Galen.

If Johan de Witt embrace the adagium, keep your friends cole but your enemies closer, he might make William III earlier Stadholder where the State General is a form of regent, a primitive form of constitutional monarchy sort of.
Johan de Witt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Christoph Bernhard von Galen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anglo-Spanish War (1654–60) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
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