The Dutch States Navy (, ) was the navy of the Dutch Republic from 1588 to 1795. Coming into existence during the Eighty Years' War, the States Navy played a major role in expanding and protecting the Dutch colonial empire, in addition to participating in numerous conflicts with rival European powers. The States Navy consisted of five admiralties, which were respectively based in Amsterdam, Friesland, the Noorderkwartier, Rotterdam and Zeeland. This organisational structure contributed to the decentralised nature of the States Navy, which heavily relied upon privateers and armed merchantmen in times of war.
In addition to the Eighty Years' War, the States Navy also participated in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Dutch–Portuguese War, the Northern Wars, the Franco-Dutch War and various conflicts of the French–Habsburg rivalry. It also played a major role in protecting Dutch overseas trade, including Dutch involvement in the triangular trade and the Atlantic slave trade. As a result of the War of the First Coalition, the Dutch Republic ceased to exist in 1795, being succeeded by the Batavian Republic; the States Navy was correspondingly transformed into the Batavian Navy. The current navy of the Netherlands, the Royal Netherlands Navy, is the modern successor of the States Navy and inherited many of its traditions.
Genesis
Naval policy in the Netherlands was originally decentralized. Each port area would fit out fleets to combat pirates and other threats to navigation paid for by the local merchants. The title of Admiral (from the Arab emir al-bahr), for naval commanders of ships which protected commercial convoys against piracy, already existed temporarily in the different parts of the Low Countries.. It was Louis II of Flanders who first appointed a permanent government official called admiral in Flanders at Dunkirk in 1383 with responsibilities and funding from the central government.
The Burgundian and Habsburg rulers started a central policy of naval organization, defense and offense. In 1488 they established an Admiralty of the Netherlands at Veere by the Ordinance on the Admiralty issued 8 January. The admiralty of Flanders was made a vice-admiralty and subordinated to the Admiralty at Veere.
Still, the interests of the central government did not always match those of the regions, so that the regions regularly sent out their own fleets.
Uprising The Dutch Navy began with and traces its roots back to the Sea Beggars.
In 1569 William of Orange, who had now openly placed himself at the head of the party of revolt, granted letters of marque as monarch of the sovereign Principality of Orange, to a number of vessels manned by crews of desperadoes drawn from all nationalities. Eighteen ships received letters of marque, which were equipped under his brother, Louis of Nassau, in the French Huguenot port of La Rochelle. They were called "Sea Beggars", "Gueux de mer" in French, or "Watergeuzen" in Dutch. The Sea Beggars continued to use La Rochelle as a base, as well as English ports. By the end of 1569, already 84 Sea Beggars ships were in action. The Sea Beggars were also adept at land borne operations, which made capturing coastal cities attractive.
They were under the command of a succession of daring and reckless leaders, the best-known of whom is William de la Marck, Lord of Lumey. At first they were content merely to plunder both by sea and land, carrying their booty to the English ports where they were able to refit and replenish their stores. However, in 1572, Queen Elizabeth I of England, seeking to placate Philip II of Spain, abruptly refused to admit the Sea Beggars to her harbours. No longer having refuge, the Sea Beggars, under the command of Willem Bloys van Treslong, made a desperate attack upon Brielle, which they seized by surprise in the absence of the Spanish garrison on 1 April 1572. Encouraged by this success, they now sailed to the larger port of Vlissingen, which was also taken by a coup de main. The capture of these two towns prompted several nearby towns to declare for revolt, starting a chain reaction that resulted in the majority of Holland joining in a general revolt of the Netherlands, and is regarded as the real beginning of Dutch independence.
In 1573 the Sea Beggars defeated a Spanish squadron under the command of Admiral Bossu off the port of Hoorn in the Battle on the Zuiderzee. Mixing with the native population, they quickly sparked rebellions against Spanish rule and the Spanish Governor-General of the Netherlands, the Duke of Alba, in town after town and spread the resistance southward.
Some of the forefathers of the Dutch naval heroes began their naval careers as Sea Beggars, such as Evert Heindricxzen, the grandfather of Cornelis Evertsen the Elder.
Admiralities
see Admiralties (Dutch)
The success of the Dutch Revolt required a better system of naval governance. In 1586, the then governor-general, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, established a new instruction for the Admiralty. Based on this new instruction, the admiralty councils in Veere, Rotterdam and Hoorn were founded. An admiralty council was also founded in Ostend. Ostend, however, was since 1572 under the influence of Zeeland, and under pressure from Zeeland, this admiralty was abolished in the following year. After the three-year siege of Ostend, the city's admiralty was put under the Dunkirk Admiralty founded by Parma in 1583.
In 1596 there was an attempt by the States-General to centralize the administration of the navy in the form of one College of Admiralty consisting of delegates from all the provinces. Provincial particularism, however, ensured that months later this was cast aside. The competition between the differing admiralties became so grim that Zeeland and Holland impounded each other's ships, and Elizabeth I of England tried to broker a reconciliation. On 13 August 1597 the States-General issued an Instruction for the Admiralties which established the management of naval affairs for the Republic until 1795. Within a few years there were five different admiralty colleges located at:
Admiralty of the Maas (Rotterdam) Admiralty of Amsterdam Admiralty of Zeeland (Middleburg) Admiralty of Friesland (Dokkum, after 1645 Harlingen) Admiralty of the Noorderkwartier (alternating Hoorn and Enkhuizen)
The Admiralty colleges were governed by the Lord (Heeren) Councils in Admiralty or just Council of the Admiralty. As Stadholder, the princes of Orange that succeeded Maurice were also appointed to his offices and so were Admiral General of the Union and Chairman of the colleges. Through this mechanism they were able to provide central control and coordination to naval affairs. The prince was represented in each college by a lieutenant-admiral, who was assisted by a judge-advocate and a secretary. If there was no Stadholder—as between 1650 and 1672—the States-General had the final responsibility. In practice, therefore, this concentrated that supervisory power in the councilor pensionary of Holland. Although the Admiralty colleges were organs of the Union and thus accountable to the States-General, the bodies were regional. The regions had a lot of influence, despite the joint meetings in The Hague and the influence of the Prince of Orange and/or the councilor pensionary of Holland. As the admiralty with the most money and fitting out the most ships, the Admiralty of Amsterdam had the most influence.
The Admiralty colleges had the task of protecting coastal waters and the commercial fleet, which included the Dutch East India Company fleet. To support this, they had the power to levy tax funds through convoys and licenses (import and export duties) and thus pay for the equipment of the navy. The other main task of the admiralties was to build, maintain and equip the navy. The admiralties were also entitled to act as judge in disputes and as a prize court. The admiralties independently nominated and commissioned junior officers. Flag officers and captains were appointed by the States-General, on the recommendation of the Admiralty. Originally, the admiralty ships were leased or advanced by merchant companies. Later in the 17th century, in order to meet the heavier ships of the line of the Royal Navy on equal terms, ships were built to purpose as heavy warships/ships of the line for continuous naval service. This innovation is due mainly to Johan de Witt. To carry out their duties, the admiralties possessed yards, warehouses and offices.
In 1795 the admiralties were replaced by a central Admiralty in the Batavian Republic and later the Kingdom of Holland. After the French period (1814), it became the Department of the Navy of the Royal Netherlands Navy that is the direct successor to the Dutch Fleet.
Commander-in-Chief of the Dutch Navy
see Lieutenant Admiral-General
In 1588 Supreme Command of the Fleet was given by the States General to Prince Maurits as commander in chief of the army and navy. In the case of the navy, his rank was "Admiral General". Maurice's successors as princes of Orange, as Stadholder of Holland, Zealand, and etc., were appointed, in addition to their role as Captain General of the Army, Admiral General of the Navy. The Admiral General was commander-in-chief of the fleet and chairman of the Admiralty colleges. In this capacity he was able to provide central direction to naval policy over the five separate admiralties.
In practice, as the Stadholder/Admiral General never fought in person with the fleet, his day-to-day supreme command of the fleet devolved upon the leading lieutenant-admiral from among those of that rank from the different admiralties. This officer functioned as a joint commander (gezamenlijke bevelvoerder) of the naval admirals, a chief or as he came to be called the Chef of Ghemaghtigde der Staeten op 's-Landts Vloot (Chief Representative of the States on the Nation's Fleet). During the Stadholderless times when no Admiral General was appointed the supreme authority of the fleet was the States-General in the person of the Chef.
From time to time, especially during the Stadholderless periods, the States General also appointed one or several deputies to accompany the fleet. It was in this capacity that Cornelis de Witt accompanied the fleet in the Second Anglo-Dutch War and the Raid on the Medway.
The lieutenant-admirals of each admiralty were appointed on the basis of experience and expertise. Those from the Admiralty of the Maas, as the oldest admiralty, had a claim to command and precedence over those from the other admiralties. Similarly, the lieutenant-admirals of the Amsterdam Admiralty had a claim to precedence as the representatives of the largest and richest admiralty that fitted out the largest part of the fleet. The Chef was usually appointed from one of those admiralties. That role fell first to Maarten Tromp. When Michiel de Ruyter was given command of the fleet, his commission as lieutenant-admiral was transferred from Zealand to Amsterdam.
Piet Hein chef, (26 March 1629 – 18 June 1629) Philips van Dorp chef,(1632 – 1653) Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp chef,(1637–1653) Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam chef,(1653–1665) Michiel de Ruyter chef,(1665–1676), Lieutenant Admiral-General (rank created for him by William III of Orange) (February 1673–1676) Cornelis Tromp chef, (1676–1684), Lieutenant Admiral-General (6 February 1679 – 1691) Cornelis Evertsen the Youngest chef, (1 April 1684 – 1690) Cornelis Tromp chef, (1690–1691) Philips van Almonde chef (1691–1711)