The Dutch Navy of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (Research in Maritime History LUP)

This book is a reprint of Jaap R. Bruijn’s 1993 book, __The Dutch Navy__, which offers an English-language overview of the history of the Dutch Navy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is divided into three chronological periods: the ‘old’, ‘new’, and ‘second-rate’ navy. Rather than presenting a history of naval conflict, this volume approaches Dutch naval history from the following four angles: operations, administration, officer duties, and sailor duties. It consists of a series foreword, a new introduction detailing recent developments in naval historiography, the original introduction providing a history of Dutch maritime history from the middle ages to the beginning of the seventeenth century, a conclusion, and a bibliography and index. It explores the astounding amount of naval power belonging to such a sparsely populated nation, plus the rapid rates of success and decline. It confirms that the Dutch navy - with its logic, innovation, and missteps alike - provides an excellent case study of both the development of European bureaucracy and armed forces in the Early Modern period. Cover 1 Title Page 3 Copyright Page 4 Table of Contents 7 Illustrations 9 Tables 11 Series Editor's Foreword 13 About the Author 15 Introduction to the 2011 Edition 17 Foreword 23 Preface 25 Introduction 27 Map of the Dutch Republic 37 Map of Dutch Naval Activity in European Waters 38 Part One: The "Old" Navy, Late 1500s-1652 39 Naval Operations against Spain and the Dunkirk Privateers 41 The Boards of the Admiralties at Work 51 The Slow Birth of a Naval Officers' Corps 61 Truly International Crews 74 Part Two: The "New" Navy, 1652-1713 83 The "Old" Navy Out of Date 85 John de Witt's New Navy 90 An Era of Naval Campaigns against England and France and in the Baltic 97 Changes in the Naval Administration 111 De Ruyter and the Other Naval Officers 122 Well-manned Ships 150 Part Three: A Second-Rate Navy, 1714-1795 163 Convoys and the Containment of the Barbary Corsairs 165 Favouritism and Innovation 177 Little Work, But More Education for the Naval Officer 189 Naval Seaman, A Poor Man's Job 206 Aftermath 223 In Retrospect 227 Bibliography 231 Index 245 Jaap R. Bruijn. Reprint Of The 1993 Ed. With A New Introduction, Which Includes A Discussion Of Scholarship On The Topic Since 1993. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 195-207) And Index.