The Dutch Incumbence: Take what's yours by Right! A Dutch WC Attempt.

Alexandru, Scott, Judge, thank you all for your patience. In some minutes the first chapter is being released!

Chapter I: The Creation of the Dutch Republic

Chapter I: The Creation of the Dutch Republic


The low lands, as those lands are known, has been in many different hands since the ancient times. The romans were there, as were the francs under Charle Magne, many foreign germanic kingdoms, and by early 1400's there were many small dutch soverign duchys: Geldre, Friesland, Luxemburg, Brabant, Flanders, Count of Holland... if you can count more!

The archduchy of Burgundy, a long-time allied of the english in the Hundred Years war, inherited almost the whole region due to dynastic alliances and marriages. But, once again due to dynastic marriages, Burgundy was split in two: one half was in fact conquered by France; the other half, containing many of the low countries and even some french territory near the swiss republic of Helvetia and the kingdom of Lorraine, was inherited by the austrians.

For many decades Austria ruled the low lands. They conquered Geldre and Friesland, annexing them to their domains. The austrian archdukes ruled the low lands with respect to its people, giving great liberty to the cities and the local nobles.

In the middle of the 1500's everything could change. King Carlos I of Spain, Holy Roman Emperor by those days and, due to dynastic marriages, also archduke of Austria has abdicated. Although being the austrian sovereign, known as Karl V, in fact it was his brother who ruled it. But when Carlos abdicated, discussions happened as many doubts arose of a possible partition of the Habsburg Empire.

As result, the dutch nobles were affraid that the low lands passed to spanish control. In fact, that was the will of Carlos when he abdicated, but his brother managed to exchange his italian possessons for the low lands, keeping them in austrian hands.

But a new religious movement was beggining to have success among the nobles. They were negating the catholic faith, and called themselves as Reformed. Because of this, they also started to negate the austrian rule and threatened to rebel against the archduke. Rich dutch merchants also converted and were supporting the dutch nobility.

After a reunion, to discuss what were happening, the austrian governor of the low lands and the dutch nobility and merchants went into an agreement. The provinces of Geldre, Holland, Zeeland and Frisien will be granted independence, under the condition that the new country would pay an early tribute to his austrian overlords, thus becoming an austrian vassal.

And then, on the first day of the year of our Lord of 1559, The Netherlands started to live and enjoy the newly granted autonomy. It soon became known as The Dutch Republic. And on the begining of the year a new center of trade was opened in the city of Amsterdam, making the reformed merchants in Flanders flee to Amsterdam, allowing Antwerpen to fall into decadence. Religious liberty was granted for everyone.

This is the end of the first chapter. The Dutch Republic is now created. What's comming next, dear reader?

For our coffee-break, let us have some maps?

Western Europe: Granada is alive... and it's catholic! Well, anyway, it revolted from Portugal...


Eastern Europe, Asia Minor: A big Lithuania shows herself... Look at Crimea!


Middle East: Ak Koyunlu inherited a BIG empire!

Chapter II: The Consolidation of the Dutch Republic


The Dutch Republic has begun its history rather weak. Rather weak? Trully it was really weak by those days! But the dutch parlament wanted it to be changed very soon. As a first act, the parlament has cancelled the austrian vassalage over The Netherlands, breaking their agreements.

Right after their initial show of power, the parlament faced a hard reality. The dutch treasury was... guess what?... empty! Not a single ducat! And no caravans were avaiable to increase the republican treasury by trade. Also, no diplomats were ready to be sent. Some action need to be done!

When discussing what would be done, the republican senators agreed: as the dutch are a superior race, as the dutch are the most perfect men the Nature and God have ever created, the whole world must be submited and recognize the dutch as their overlords! To ensure that the world domination would be achieved, some obscure sages from the unknown lands of the far east were hired. They have placed a time bomb ready to destroy Earth on the first day of 1820 if they fail. Yes... if the dutch don't manage to Take what's theirs by Right, there won't be dutch! There won't be austrians! There won't be spanish! And so on...

The parlament started to act. Loans were taken, so tax collectors could be built on the provinces. And the army needed to grow! Currently, only one thousand infantrymen have the needed courage to serve, and they are under command of William of Orange, a veteran general of the former austrian-dutch army. So, more bank loans were taken, and many cavalry divisions were then recruited and trained. The freedom spirit of the dutch helps a lot: the new troops have quite high morale!

So, after the initial preparations, the dutch parlament delivered a declaration of war against Austria, their former overlords. It was on the first day of May in the year of 1560, when 22 thousand cavalrymen were ready to cross the border towards Brabant. The austrian allies of Lorraine honoured their alliance, while The Palatinat didn't.



There was a rather quick war, since the austrian forces were caught by surprise. The austrian infantry couldn't face the dutch cavalry on the plains! Their army was destroyed and the provinces of Flanders and Brabant were then taken on a peace agreement by July of 1561. Right after the great peace resolution, the other austrian provinces in the low lands, Artois and Luxemburg, have the noblemen revolting. Good, very good! The dutch struggle for its freedom was having a nice effect!

In September, in order to officially recognize the dutch independence, the english have invited The Netherlands to create a military alliance. Good! Now the dutch have a powerfull ally!

Well, the dutch war machine couldn't stop. In November, the dutch army under William of Orange and his 21 thousand cavalrymen was ready to cross the border again. This time, the target was Münster. The parlament quickly wants to reach and take the rich city of Lübeck, in Meclkemburg! Of course, the Münster's allies, Kleves, Eire and The Palatinat, joined the war. The english honoured the dutch alliance.

To face their armies, who were at a point three times bigger than the dutch, more loans had to be taken and new cavalry divisions had to be recruited. By the way, William of Orange quickly took control of all provinces from Münster, while the enemies managed to take Brabant from the dutch.

On May 1563, the parlament signed a separated peace with Münster. They were forced to give all their provinces but the capital, i.e., Oldenburg, Hannover and Magdeburg. The nobility was also forcely converted to the Reformed faith. Wonderfull! Now the dutch border Meclemburg!

To react to the dutch power, Bavaria and its ally Navarra declared war in October. England honoured the alliance. And, in December, Cologne has also sent a declaration of war! Run for your lifes, dutch people!

The bavarian war was quick. The parlament agreed to give Magdeburg to Bavaria in exchange for peace. The dutch would still be bordering Meclemburg, and Magdeburg would serve as a nice buffer zone between The Netherlands and a powerfull Poland. By June, peace was also achieved with Kleves. They gave Bremen to the dutch, another bordering province to Meclemburg!

Right after the peace settlements, the parlament declared state a bankruptcy, because the Republic isn't able to pay the 10 loans of 200 ducats it has taken.

On the end of 1565, facing the increasing power of Cologne, which also captured Friesland, the dutch parlament payed Cologne 50 ducats in exchange for peace. Cheap enough! And, by the beginning of 1567, a white peace was signed between The Netherlands and The Palatinat and Eire.

Time for resting and have peace? No! Anyway! Saxony sent a declaration of war in March! This is good, since they are the owners of Lübeck! The war went well, William of Orange managed to destroy a nice bunch of the saxonian army which tried to invade Hannover. But, unfortunatelly, the english army was faster and captured Meclemburg before the dutch. Facing this, and of course having the parlament that doesn't want it in english hands, peace was then achieved: Saxony payed 150 ducats for peace. Meanwhile, the parlament agreed to allow french troops to walk into dutch territory. A war against France by those days wasn't something good to expect. It was the year of 1569.

Well, this is it! After an initial gambit, the Dutch Republic has consolidated itself as a regional power, and is now trully independent from Austria. Now, reader, it's up to you: what is the next move of The Netherlands? What could we expect? Who are the owners of the upcomming blood?



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Some information...

Well... I know my AAR is comming too fast, but don't expect this speed to last! I also don't like reading AARs that are updated everyday, with no time to breath. But, as I had nothing special to do on this weekend, I've already writen the next chapter and it's being post right now.

Besides, after this one, I'm only updating the AAR during the weekends. My activities in the university are really overload me and I need to take good care of them during the week. But, in the weekends, this is another story!

Chapter III: The Republic Dictates its Terms

Chapter III: The Republic Dictates its Terms


After the initial consolidation of The Netherlands as a soverign country, the parlament decided to keep on expanding the republic. Infantry divisions were recruited, and by January of 1570, a declaration of war was sent to the government of Kleves. Their allies Münster and Eire join the war as well as England joins on the dutch side!

The war went well for the republic. On August the duchy of Münster was recognized as an integral part of The Netherlands. They couldn't resist to the army of William of Orange. The english navy successfully protected the dutch coast from Eire's landing attempts, and the parlament was glad to have a reliable ally!

Everything goes well when The Palatinat declares war in the beginning of 1572. The parlament didn't call England for help, since the english can't reach there. In April, peace was achieved with Kleves: they were forced to pay 250 ducats in tribute to the republuc.

This time, the War of Cologne went well for The Netherlands. William of Orange destoyed the enemy army and the city of Köln was annexed in late 1573. At the same time, The Palatinat accepted a white peace proposal. Their army was twice as large as the dutch one! And they didn't even move!

The republic enjoyed almost three years of continuous peace. The economy was being strenghtened, tax collectors were being built in the new lands and a navy was being built. And then, starting 1576, the french king cancels the treaty of military access on us! War seems iminent: the parlament orders new troops to be recruited!

Unhopefully, there was war. Hopefully, not against France. Taking a diplomat insult as a good reason for war, the parlament declared war on... guess who?... Navarra! Yes, Navarra! But they are allied with Bavaria, the owners of Mecklemburg! Poland, the superpower which inherited Lithuania, also joined the war. See the competence of the republicans? They asked help from the english, but the queen (God Curse the Queen!) refused, as they had a dynastic alliance with the navarrans! See the competence of the republicans? The Netherlands now has to face the world alone!

The war goes well. A polish invasion force was expelled and their navy was beaten several times on the channel. Mecklemburg was quickly taken and the army was advancing into the bavarian territory. It was all flowers and heaven and blue sky, when the austrian archduke sent a declaration of war in the middle of 1577! And they brought their allies to the war, the republic of Genoa and the duchy of Tuscany. The austrians think the republicans are traitors of the archduchy... but THEY are the traitors of the republic! They shall pay!

At least, by the end of that year, Bavaria accepted peace. Mecklemburg is now recognized as an integral part of the republic! War against Poland and Navarra still goes on. One year later, the county of Palatinat declared war against the republic! Fools... they have no allies... but have a big army.

By the end of 1578, Navarra and Poland accepted peace. They payed 118 ducats to the republic for peace. It's better to pay than to be always beaten!

The wars keep on going, when in January of 1580 two major events have happened:

- The first, regarding the creation of stock exchange! The parlament allowed it, but kept strict control over the business. This led to a fall of the inflation!

- The second, regarding the kind of governement The Netherlands would follow. It was chosen to be a Centralized Monarchy. It was made to give the republic more stability and control over the new territories. The true power will always be the parlament, with monarchs there only to appear. The king reigns but doesn't rule! The Netherlands will always be a republic!

In the end of 1581, a white peace was signed with The Palatinat. Since there were 36 months of inactivity on the front, there was no real reason to keep the war going. Good!

In 1583, the parlament hired a brave mariner to explore and find the rich lands over the great and big unknown sea! His name is Jan Huygen.

The austrian war keeps going. It was a king of cat and mouse play: they conquer one province from the republic, and the dutch conquer one province from them. This was until they decided to forcely make the brave dutch army lift a siege in Luxembourgh... after a fierce battle, the austrian army was totally destroyed while the dutch were left with less than 2000 men! Yes, more divsions were recruited, the siege was over and won, and peace happened: the austrian alliance payed 16 ducats in tribute. It's too little, but peace was needed.

Revolts, revolts, revolts... the republic had peace, but the republic also had revolts from the unsatisfied german cities. The new dutch commander, Maurice of Nassau, crushed the rebelions, but new things happened...

War? Yes! The republic can't enjoy peace! And who makes the declaration? Kleves, bringing their allies Bavaria and Eire! The war goes well, until something big happened in February of 1586... What? Those damned polish... they started to send huge armies inside The Netherlands!

In October, a good thing happened, at least. A brave sailor asked permission to the parlament. He wanted to explore new lands! As he wasn't on the script, the parlament accepted, but with the following condition: he come backs only when he finishes sailins around Africa! He accepted... crazy man...

And, to make things even worse, by the start of 1587 The Palatinat once again sent a declaration of war! Oh my God... hopefully the country was full of rebels. Yes, hopefully! The polish, the bavarians, the klevesians, the irish, the palatinatians... they were having a very hard work fighting the rebels for the parlament! The rebels were heavily delaying their advance!



There was light in September... The french king once again asked for military access, and the parlament promptly accepted. It's better to have a powerfull France allowed to use dutch territory as base than to have them making war against the republic!

The rebels uprising were so good that in November there was peace. As Kleves controled no territory, they had to accept to become vassals of the dutch republic. They will have to pay an yearly tribute! Eire and Bavaria accepted those terms.

Erasing the german threat for a while, Maurice of Nassau could then concentrate on the polish. He freed Mecklemburg, Oldenburg, Hannover and Bremen from the polish occupation! They army was destroyed, since the polish seem that they don't understand what's better suited to be used on plains... cavalry! Yes, there was peace. By the end of 1588, they payed 128 ducats in exchange for peace. Had war twice, had been defeated twice, had to pay tribute twice!

By August of 1589, The Palatinat accepted another white peace proposal. Maurice of Nassau freed the southern provinces from occupation and hurt their army, which led to peace.

So this is it. Now there's nobody who can contest the dutch power! Born to be great, the dutch shall dominate Earth! Peace was achieved again, and the republic enjoyed good stability. When will we have blood again? How long will peace last? Who'll be the next victim? Does the reader have a guess? Well, the next target is...



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Some information...

Eustonian: Wellcome to the forums! And yes, Kleves really annoyed me...

Amric: Thank you for reading! Well, I didn't annex Kleves because they had two provinces, so it's impossible for a no-pagan country. I didn't want to take Hessen from them now because I don't want to skyrocket my BB too early in the game. And having vassals "cuts" the tech costs!