HOLLAND
INTRODUCTORY
No historical study could be of greater interest to clubs than that of
Holland. The story of the rise of the Dutch Republic is more stirring
than any romance. Her army was small, but unconquerable; her navy
successfully fought the navies of far greater nations. Her commerce was
unrivaled; her colonies were planted in unknown countries; her artists
were the greatest of the world at the time. But, most of all, Holland
was wonderful for her great struggle for liberty when liberty was
unknown, and the effects of her victory were world-wide. The English and
American revolutions were founded on hers.
Clubs can use for reference The Story of Holland, by James E. T. Rogers;
Brave Little Holland, by W. E. Griffis; and Motley's stirring book, Rise
of the Dutch Republic.
I--THE LOW COUNTRIES
The history of this part of the north began when Julius Caesar came to
Gaul. At the farthest point lay a huge morass covered with forests
called Batavia, and one race living there, the Friesian, was noted for
its independent, untamed character. Their law declared that "the race
should be free as long as the wind blew out of the clouds," and this
ancient saying has always been the rallying cry of Dutch patriotism.
At first under German dominion, the country became later a part of the
Holy Roman Empire, and was ruled by a prince bishop. Later the Counts of
Holland governed, and after the Crusades, when the feudal system was
perfected, the great towns became practically independent. We read of
magistrates, mayors, and aldermen. The population changed rapidly,
commerce flourished, learning spread, and Holland became famous as the
great cloth market of the world.
Close this period by noting two important points: First, that after the
land had all been cleared and drained the people built dikes and forced
the sea back, so gaining much arable land; second, that the great guilds
of the time had much to do with the future history of the country. They
existed among artisans and manufacturers, and, in addition, the curious
guilds of rhetoric gave theatrical exhibitions and had processions, the
latter called Land Jewels, from their magnificence. Motley lays emphasis
on the value of the guilds in keeping alive the sentiment of liberty.
II--PHILIP THE GOOD
In the fifteenth century, Philip the Good of Burgundy, by purchase,
usurpation, and marriage dower, became the head of the Low Countries.
The real rulers of the country were the stadtholders, and the great
cities stood individually rather than unitedly. Read the story of the
war against England under Philip; note the rise of the fisheries and
their immense importance commercially, as well as the beginning of the
Dutch navy in the fishing fleet. Read also in Brave Little Holland of
the curious political parties called the "Cods" and the "Hooks." Notice
the beginnings of the Reformation in other countries under Luther and
Calvin, and have a paper on Erasmus of Holland; contrast his teachings
with those of the other reformers. Read Henry Kingsley's novel, called
Old Margaret, on this time, and also Scott's Quentin Durward, and Mary
of Burgundy, by G. P. R. James.
III--TROUBLE WITH SPAIN
Passing rapidly through several intervening reigns, we come to that of
Philip the Fair, whose momentous marriage with the daughter of Ferdinand
and Isabella of Spain brought the Netherlands into conflict with the
greatest power in the world. Their son Charles, born in 1500, and called
Count of Flanders, became King of Spain and then Emperor of Germany. He
was hard, narrow-minded, selfish, and a religious bigot.
As soon as he realized the inroads Protestantism was making in Europe,
he determined to put it down. He prohibited the reading of the Bible,
just printed in Amsterdam, and established the Inquisition, which in
Holland alone put to death over fifty thousand people. After fifty years
of disastrous rule he abdicated in favor of his son Philip.
At the great ceremony which marked this event three famous persons took
part: Charles himself; the Stadtholder of Holland, William, Prince of
Orange, on whose arm Charles leaned; and Philip the new sovereign, who
inherited all his father's bigotry, and added a cruelty which exceeded
it.
IV--ACCESSION OF PHILIP II. OF SPAIN
It was only a short time before William discovered that Philip had
planned a massacre of all the Protestants of Holland; although himself a
Catholic, he quietly returned home at once and gave warning of the
danger; it was then that he obtained the title of William the Silent.
The Dutch had received Philip in their country, but now, while pledging
loyalty to him, they asked the withdrawal of the Spanish troops, which
so angered the King that he left the country, vowing vengeance. Read
from Motley the account of the memorable scene of the parting between
Philip and William, and also his estimate of Philip.
Philip left behind him Margaret of Parma, his half-sister, as regent.
Holland begged her to suspend the Inquisition. Have a paper on the
banquet at which the petition was presented, and the founding there of
the famous order of "The Beggars of Holland," who did such wonderful
things on land and sea. Close the program with a sketch of William, who
now becomes one of the foremost men of history of any period.
V--THE WAR
Philip was determined to uproot Protestantism in Holland at all costs.
He sent there the merciless Duke of Alva with more than ten thousand
picked troops; he established himself at Antwerp, formed the terrible
"Blood Council," pronounced sentence of death on all the people of the
Netherlands, and summoned William to appear before him. Margaret
withdrew from the country; William fled to Germany, and was outlawed;
ten thousand Hollanders escaped to England. William, directing the war
from Germany, placed his brother Louis at the head of the troops; a
great battle, Heiliger Lee, followed, in which by a stratagem the
Spanish were utterly defeated. Declaring himself a Protestant, William
returned and took the field.
Read the story of Egmont and Hoorn and their fate in Motley and in
Goethe's drama. Have selections from these novels bearing on the time:
Lysbeth, by H. Rider Haggard, and Jan van Elselo, by G. and M.
Coleridge.
Alva fought and defeated William at Geta and dispersed his army.
Believing victory his, he had a great statue of himself erected at
Antwerp; but twenty-four vessels of the little new navy manned by the
"Water Beggars" turned the tide against him, and at this point the great
struggle really began.
Only the few leading events can be touched upon here, but clubs should
take up the whole wonderful story of the conflict, in many respects the
most interesting war of history.
The seven months' siege of Haarlem, with its heroic defense and final
destruction, was followed by the siege of Alkmaar, when women and boys
helped fight in the trenches; the dikes were cut and the Spaniards
driven out by the sea.
The two sieges of Leyden followed, with their starvation and pestilence;
and at last, when only a handful of people were left, the distant dikes
were cut and the water slowly crept across the fields; then a great
storm arose, and so swept in the sea that the Dutch navy could sail
across the land to the city's relief. Alva left for Spain, and the new
regent and commander, Requesens, came. Soon after the Dutch issued their
Declaration of Independence, July 26, 1581, and later formed the United
States of the Dutch Republic.
Two other governors came to Holland, Don John of Austria and Alexander
of Parma, but neither could bring the Dutch to submission. The siege of
Antwerp followed, and soon after William was assassinated by a Spaniard.
In despair Holland offered the sovereignty of the country first to
France and then to England; both refused it, but Queen Elizabeth sent
men and money. Sir Walter Raleigh, the Earl of Leicester, Miles
Standish, Captain John Smith, and Sir Philip Sidney came, and the last
lost his life on the battle-field.
Maurice, the son of William, now took command, and was called "the
foremost soldier of Europe." It was not long till Spain, weary of forty
years of struggle with an unconquerable people, signed a treaty of peace
and virtually acknowledged Holland's independence.
Clubs should take up the whole story of the relations of Holland and
England and observe how, three years later, when the Armada came,
Holland helped England to meet it. Discuss the bearings of this great
struggle for liberty on other nations: what was really won?
Read of the different sieges from Motley; notice also what he says of
the work of the Inquisition and its effect on the resistance of the
people. Read George Ebers' The Burgomaster's Wife and Dumas' The Black
Tulip. There are also two books written for boys by G. A. Henty which
are worth looking over: one, By Pike and Dike, dealing with the siege of
Haarlem, and the other, By England's Aid. Ruth Putnam's life of William
the Silent should be read.
VI--AFTER THE WAR
Holland, in spite of her terrible losses by death in battle, by
starvation, and by torture, and the immense destruction of property, and
the cost of carrying on the war, was yet left in a strong position. She
was at once enriched by the coming of thousands of intelligent merchants
and artisans from the south, flying from persecution, and her trade and
colonies were uninjured. The great Bank of Amsterdam flourished, and had
an interesting history. The curious event of the time was the "tulip
mania," a wild speculation which was disastrous to the nation.
VII--HOLLAND AND PROTESTANTISM
All over Europe religion and politics intermingled, and it was so in
Holland. The country as a whole followed the Calvinistic form of faith,
and this led to internal difficulties. It was really a question whether
Church and State should be united or separated. Maurice, Barneveldt, and
Grotius were the leaders. Barneveldt, a truly able statesman, was
beheaded; Grotius, the famous scholar, escaped from imprisonment to
Paris. Complications arose from the coming of persecuted peoples; the
Albigenses from France, the Waldenses from Italy, and the Anabaptists.
In the end democracy won, religious liberty was assured, and Church and
State were kept apart. At this point tell the story of the Pilgrim
Fathers in Holland, and show how far ahead of the times Holland was in
her religious position.
VIII--TROUBLES BETWEEN HOLLAND AND ENGLAND
Both Holland and England had colonies in India and elsewhere, and now
their trade conflicted. The antagonism thus roused was increased by the
fact that the Dutch had given shelter to the Stuarts. The English forced
on Holland a two-years' war which was entirely on the sea, and was led
by four great admirals: Blake and Monk on the side of the English, and
Tromp and De Ruyter on the side of the Dutch. The story is full of
interest; the result favored the Dutch.
The great political leader, John De Witt, came into prominence at this
period; he was called "The Wisdom of Holland." He had the descendant of
William the Silent educated, and later originated the plan of having him
marry Mary, the daughter of the Duke of York, later James the Second of
England, hoping so to weld the two countries together. De Witt's murder
by the mob in 1672 is a blot on the country's honor.
IX--THE SECOND NAVAL WAR WITH ENGLAND
The reins of the government were in the hands of the Stadtholder
William, another prince of Orange; but, in spite of all efforts, war on
account of the colonies broke out. A great naval battle occurred, and
the English fleet was burned. Later, France, aided by England, invaded
Holland, but again the dikes were cut and the foreigners driven away.
Years of war followed, with different countries taking part, and with
Spain, strangely enough, siding with Holland. In a battle in the
Mediterranean, De Ruyter, the idol of his people, was killed.
There was much talk at the time of making William king of the
Netherlands, but just then England took up the project of having him
marry Mary, as De Witt had planned, and this he did. He invaded England,
was received gladly by the people, and was crowned joint sovereign with
Mary in London. King James fled, and the new dynasty was established
peacefully.
X--HOLLAND'S LATER HISTORY
In 1747, when all Europe had been in turmoil, the whole seven provinces
of the Netherlands, which had been loosely connected, united, and the
stadtholder became the real ruler of his people; but dissensions arose,
his powers were curtailed, and at last civil war broke out. The King of
Prussia took part, and Amsterdam was besieged and capitulated. Later
Napoleon came, and Holland was soon only one of his little kingdoms.
Against him, at Waterloo, the Prince of Orange fought with the allies.
After the victory the prince made a triumphal entry into The Hague, and
took the title of Sovereign Prince. The republic, which had existed only
in name for years, ended there, for presently he was crowned as King
William I.
Belgium united with Holland in a union which could not last, and a nine
years' war followed, with one memorable event, when Lieutenant Van Speyk
blew up his own ship with all on board, rather than surrender. Belgium
and Holland separated. William I. was followed by William II. and
William III., and the young Queen Wilhelmina, who is the daughter of the
last king. She and her consort are the rulers to-day.
HOLLAND AND LEARNING, ART, LITERATURE, AND SCIENCE
There is only one great university in Holland, that of Leyden, founded
in commemoration of the great siege by William the Silent. Learned men
from all over Europe flocked there at one time, and its students
numbered two thousand. To-day there are only a few hundred, as in the
other two smaller universities. But Leyden is still famous for its
museums, among the richest in Europe.
Holland had some notable early printers, among them the Elzevirs, who
stand in the first rank. She had two world-leaders in philosophy,
Spinoza and Descartes, the latter belonging also to France. Erasmus was
the most distinguished of modern classical scholars, and Grotius
founded the science of International Law. Jakob Cats is Holland's
best-known poet, and Maarten Maartens is the great novelist.
The Dutch have stood foremost in science, especially medicine. They
produced the first fine optical instruments, and they have been pioneers
in navigation and floriculture.
In painting, Holland occupies a place of high distinction. Among the
names of the great painters are those of Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Gerard
Douw, Teniers, Ruysdael, Jan Steen, Hobbema, and Cuyp; and in our own
time, Ary Scheffer, Alma-Tadema, Israels, Mesdag, and Mauve.
Clubs would do well to take a year of study on the last general topic
alone. The history of the men of science and philosophy and the analysis
of the work of the painters are enough to fill easily many programs. Add
to this the study of Holland as a country; its picturesque buildings in
the cities; its canals, bridges, and boats; its windmills; its fishing
towns and their quays and smacks; the great picture-galleries and
museums; the market-places; the peasants there and in the villages, and
their quaint costumes; the life of the court; the curious
out-of-the-world places on the islands and in what are called the "dead
cities."
Illustrate programs on these subjects with pictures of all kinds, such
as may be found in De Amicis' book, already suggested. See also G. H.
Boughton's Sketching Rambles and Stevenson's An Inland Voyage. A clever
little story of a trip on Holland's canals is The Chaperon, by C. N. and
A. M. Williamson.