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Short History Of The Netherlands
The development of the Netherlands over the centuries has been a remarkable one. Situated at "the end of Europe," between land and water, its people have, for more than three thousand years, fought to makethe best of a country unfavoured by nature. They have shaped it into one of the world's foremost economic powers but also, and even more importantly, into a society that prides itself on having reached a fair balance between material and social well-being. The history of this achievementis a fascinating one. Since time immemorial, it is the history of the struggle against the sea, of man seeking to dominate the forces of water. It is the history of the early medieval Dutch traders, who travelled all over Europe to sell their wares. It is the history of the activities ofthe world's first multinationals, the Dutch East and West India Companies, that spanned the entire globe. It is also the history of the loss of colonial empire and of the triumphant rebuilding of a mainly commercial economy into a mainly industrial one, whose activities, once again, span the globe. It is, of course, also the history of a culture to match, of commonsense and realism, of the wonderful works of art produced by the Dutch "Golden Age" of the seventeenth century and of the many attainments of Dutch civilization in more recent years. For all those who are often amazed at the industry and achievementsof this small nation, the "Short History of the Netherlands" offers a succinct historical tale that goes a long way to elucidate the country's past and, thus, explain its present.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
160 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2004
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90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 27, 2025
Do not read this book if you want an accurate, coherent, comprehensive history of the Netherlands. It is merely a timeline of various ruling elites and cultural output, with no broader context about Dutch society, economy or politics. This leaves you completely confused about what is going on and why. The only way anything made sense was by seeking out other sources alongside - especially the History of the Netherlands podcast (which unfortunately only takes you til the 15th Century, so you don’t even get to understand the juicy bits)
I only persevered with this version of the history because it is somehow the only history of the Netherlands in English that I can get access to. I almost wish I hadn’t, because it has now impacted my impression of Dutch history. I only realised how truly badly when it covered the World Wars (which I am more familiar with than the rest) and saw how butchered they were. Also, no mention of the massacres in Indonesia whatsoever - gives the impression of a completely peaceful independence process. ALSO, what happened to the Frisians? I didn’t get any indication of their independent culture and development
My notes:
In the final centuries of the prehistoric period, tribes migrating from the north of Europe succeeded in driving the Celts ever further to the south. At the beginning of the period documented by written records, the present Netherlands were populated mainly by Germanic groups such as the Frisians in the north and the Batavians in the country along the great rivers. The Roman author Tacitus, using data provided by soldiers who had marched north to extend the realm of the Romans, described the Germanic peoples as proud, touchy and warlike. According to him, unlike people in the south, who inhabited densely-built villages or cities, they preferred to keep a distance between their dwellings, built on artificial hills. They sacrificed to their gods in wooden temples, or just in the open air, on spots considered sacred nature.
Gradually, two groups emerged, the Saxons and the Franks. To the north, the Frisians maintained their position. During the following centuries, these more complex societies were divided into shires headed by a sheriff of the tribunal and an officer representing the king. From the sixth century onwards these offices usually were held by one and the same person…
The main concern of the king was to harmonize the worlds of gods and men, co-operating with the priests, the druids. In time of war he usually led the army, though others were sometimes chosen to do so, if they showed greater military ability. A king had no say in internal affairs such as the local administration of justice. These were handled by the local communities themselves. communities themselves.
Socially, the Germanic peoples were divided into four estates: the nobility - not always hereditary, yet, but soon made up of men descending from those who had gained their landed property in reward for outstanding military exploits in the past; the thanes or free-born men; the freedmen and the serfs.
The Germanic Saxons lived in the east of the Netherlands, through the centre of their power lay beyond the great Dutch rivers, in what is now Germany.
The Germanic Frisians were descendants of the colonists who originally had left the barren sandy soil of Drenthe and had survived on their mounds for centuries… by the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. the mound dwellers had achieved a high standard of civilization in comparison with the inhabitants of the rest of the country. They were able to militarily expand their power and subsequently populate the southward region as far as the great rivers, even reaching Flanders by way of coastal shipping.
The Gallo-Germanic Franks who had settled south of the great rivers had conquered extensive territories during the centuries following the withdrawal of the Romans.
Obviously, they could not personally govern the entire realm; nor could they base their administration on written orders, only: as most people were illiterate, authority had to be exercised personally, and locally. Consequently, most princes had no other choice but to delegate the exercise of certain sovereign rights, in the field of justice and taxation but also in matters military, to regional magnates, the great landowners. These high 'officials' often were rewarded with even more land, as well as with specific privileges. Those who followed and helped them in their turn also were given land. However, officially these grants were not made to be freely held in perpetuity, but for a specific period, only; these 'fiefs' - hence: the 'feudal system' - were seen as the return for services to the Crown, which had to be rendered continually.
Charlemagne and his successors, as well as the mostly ecclesiastical intellectual elite surrounding them, showed a marked interest in reviving ancient Roman and Greek culture - a phenomenon that has been rightly characterised as the Carolingian 'renaissance'. Many a Classical text was saved for posterity during this period by the zeal of learned monks.
Indeed, monasteries became the centre of (learned) culture, keeping alive a tradition of Latin scholarship and of Roman-Christian civilisation, mainly in the fields of philosophy, literature and the arts.
[Viking invasions between 850-1,000 led to land acquisitions e.g., Holland developed through Viking ancestry]
[Agricultural productivity enabled urbanisation as specialisation developed, leading to towns acquiring power through charters as nobility wanted to access mercantile wealth to fund wars]
No longer did town councils unquestioningly submit to taxation or the obligation to take part in a war. Like the aristocracy, they first wanted to be consulted by the central government. In most principalities, this led to the increasingly regular convening of consultative meetings between representatives of the three 'estates', ie. the clergy, the aristocracy and the towns
[in 16th century the Burgundian Habsburgs were first to unite the ‘seventeen Netherlands’, as it was more efficient to centralise]
[Rise of humanism leads to the Renaissance and Reformation]
[North is Protestant because William of Orange, a Calvinist, began his retaking of Netherlands from the king / ‘Spain’ there, therefore driving the Catholics further and further south]
[Peace of Munster guaranteed the River Scheldt would remain closed to merchant shipping - essentially the Netherlands bargained to keep Antwerp closed off from trade so Amsterdam could continue prospering]
During the first decades of the seventeenth century, the two coastal states of the small Republic became the centre of world trade, with Amsterdam at the hub. Several factors contributed to this situation.
First, the success of the fishing industry and of international trade, both with their related industries, which had started growing in the preceding centuries. Secondly, the absence of a protectionist economic policy, due to the absence of a truly central government that, as in most other European countries, would have been tempted to direct the economy. Such a policy would not have suited the seven autonomous little republics. Also, it was only natural that the leading merchants, who laid down the law in the government of Holland and Zeeland, conducted a foreign policy that promoted their own trade. Also, the Republic developed a wellfunctioning infrastructure as well as, at least in the cities, an educational system that resulted in one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Both factors obviously favoured economic growth. Last, but not least, the existence of large amounts of natural fuel, especially peat, provided a boost to the economy.
Unlike the great colonial powers of the sixteenth century, Spain and Portugal, the Dutch did not envisage conquering lands to govern them and profit from them, or to use them as settlements for their own population.
Thus, their expansion long consisted of finding favourable locations for commerce, only. Gradually, however, some of these trading factories came to dominate the surrounding region and its inhabitants. Yet, the Dutch basically created a commercial empire, only a trade network, really for the better part of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It only developed into a truly colonial empire in the course of the nineteenth century.
[The VOC never contributed more than 10% to the Dutch’s total trade volume]
However, John van Oldenbarnevelt did not favour founding a West India Company for this purpose. His objections were not principled, though, since piracy was common practice all over Europe. Rather, this veiled way of funding piracy conflicted with his desire for peace with Spain. However, his adversary, Prince Maurice, did not share these scruples as it suited him to be at war. Hence, he supported the project for a Dutch W.I.C. In 1621, soon after Van Oldenbarnevelt's death, it was finally established. However, trade eventually became the main object of this company, too - particularly the slave trade from Africa to the Americas that provided the labour for the plantations founded by the Europeans settlers. Yet, as Van Oldenbarnevelt had feared, privateering prevailed for a long time.
[Hugo Grotius, the father of international law, was head of the Dutch EIC’s legal department… hence his support for freedom of the seas]
This marked the outbreak of a Nine Years' War between France and the anti-French coalition.
William decided the Dutch should provide most of the resources for the war on land, while the English were to take the lead at sea. In so doing he unwittingly created a situation in which the maritime supremacy of the English both during the war and during the subsequent years of peace grew ever stronger. In the long run, it was one of the reasons that caused the Republic to lose its erstwhile leading position in world trade.
[Decline in 18thC driven by: competition from England and France, investments being directed overseas, high wages impacting industry, wealth inequality causing nepotism in public offices / preventing mobility, significant public debt from wars]
[Netherlands unified in 1815 after end of French rule. Though culture of North and South very different. William I exacerbated this by trying to impose denominational education by the state, the Dutch language in civil service, press censorship and free trade. This led to Belgian independence in 1830]
After 1830 the activities of [the Dutch Trading Company] were concentrated on trade with the Netherlands East Indies.
There, Governor-general John van den Bosch introduced the 'cultivation
system'. Native farmers were forced to use a fifth of their land to produce the crops ordered by the Dutch government. The products, such as coffee and sugar, were shipped to the Netherlands by the Dutch Trading Company and marketed both nationally and internationally.
I only persevered with this version of the history because it is somehow the only history of the Netherlands in English that I can get access to. I almost wish I hadn’t, because it has now impacted my impression of Dutch history. I only realised how truly badly when it covered the World Wars (which I am more familiar with than the rest) and saw how butchered they were. Also, no mention of the massacres in Indonesia whatsoever - gives the impression of a completely peaceful independence process. ALSO, what happened to the Frisians? I didn’t get any indication of their independent culture and development
My notes:
In the final centuries of the prehistoric period, tribes migrating from the north of Europe succeeded in driving the Celts ever further to the south. At the beginning of the period documented by written records, the present Netherlands were populated mainly by Germanic groups such as the Frisians in the north and the Batavians in the country along the great rivers. The Roman author Tacitus, using data provided by soldiers who had marched north to extend the realm of the Romans, described the Germanic peoples as proud, touchy and warlike. According to him, unlike people in the south, who inhabited densely-built villages or cities, they preferred to keep a distance between their dwellings, built on artificial hills. They sacrificed to their gods in wooden temples, or just in the open air, on spots considered sacred nature.
Gradually, two groups emerged, the Saxons and the Franks. To the north, the Frisians maintained their position. During the following centuries, these more complex societies were divided into shires headed by a sheriff of the tribunal and an officer representing the king. From the sixth century onwards these offices usually were held by one and the same person…
The main concern of the king was to harmonize the worlds of gods and men, co-operating with the priests, the druids. In time of war he usually led the army, though others were sometimes chosen to do so, if they showed greater military ability. A king had no say in internal affairs such as the local administration of justice. These were handled by the local communities themselves. communities themselves.
Socially, the Germanic peoples were divided into four estates: the nobility - not always hereditary, yet, but soon made up of men descending from those who had gained their landed property in reward for outstanding military exploits in the past; the thanes or free-born men; the freedmen and the serfs.
The Germanic Saxons lived in the east of the Netherlands, through the centre of their power lay beyond the great Dutch rivers, in what is now Germany.
The Germanic Frisians were descendants of the colonists who originally had left the barren sandy soil of Drenthe and had survived on their mounds for centuries… by the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. the mound dwellers had achieved a high standard of civilization in comparison with the inhabitants of the rest of the country. They were able to militarily expand their power and subsequently populate the southward region as far as the great rivers, even reaching Flanders by way of coastal shipping.
The Gallo-Germanic Franks who had settled south of the great rivers had conquered extensive territories during the centuries following the withdrawal of the Romans.
Obviously, they could not personally govern the entire realm; nor could they base their administration on written orders, only: as most people were illiterate, authority had to be exercised personally, and locally. Consequently, most princes had no other choice but to delegate the exercise of certain sovereign rights, in the field of justice and taxation but also in matters military, to regional magnates, the great landowners. These high 'officials' often were rewarded with even more land, as well as with specific privileges. Those who followed and helped them in their turn also were given land. However, officially these grants were not made to be freely held in perpetuity, but for a specific period, only; these 'fiefs' - hence: the 'feudal system' - were seen as the return for services to the Crown, which had to be rendered continually.
Charlemagne and his successors, as well as the mostly ecclesiastical intellectual elite surrounding them, showed a marked interest in reviving ancient Roman and Greek culture - a phenomenon that has been rightly characterised as the Carolingian 'renaissance'. Many a Classical text was saved for posterity during this period by the zeal of learned monks.
Indeed, monasteries became the centre of (learned) culture, keeping alive a tradition of Latin scholarship and of Roman-Christian civilisation, mainly in the fields of philosophy, literature and the arts.
[Viking invasions between 850-1,000 led to land acquisitions e.g., Holland developed through Viking ancestry]
[Agricultural productivity enabled urbanisation as specialisation developed, leading to towns acquiring power through charters as nobility wanted to access mercantile wealth to fund wars]
No longer did town councils unquestioningly submit to taxation or the obligation to take part in a war. Like the aristocracy, they first wanted to be consulted by the central government. In most principalities, this led to the increasingly regular convening of consultative meetings between representatives of the three 'estates', ie. the clergy, the aristocracy and the towns
[in 16th century the Burgundian Habsburgs were first to unite the ‘seventeen Netherlands’, as it was more efficient to centralise]
[Rise of humanism leads to the Renaissance and Reformation]
[North is Protestant because William of Orange, a Calvinist, began his retaking of Netherlands from the king / ‘Spain’ there, therefore driving the Catholics further and further south]
[Peace of Munster guaranteed the River Scheldt would remain closed to merchant shipping - essentially the Netherlands bargained to keep Antwerp closed off from trade so Amsterdam could continue prospering]
During the first decades of the seventeenth century, the two coastal states of the small Republic became the centre of world trade, with Amsterdam at the hub. Several factors contributed to this situation.
First, the success of the fishing industry and of international trade, both with their related industries, which had started growing in the preceding centuries. Secondly, the absence of a protectionist economic policy, due to the absence of a truly central government that, as in most other European countries, would have been tempted to direct the economy. Such a policy would not have suited the seven autonomous little republics. Also, it was only natural that the leading merchants, who laid down the law in the government of Holland and Zeeland, conducted a foreign policy that promoted their own trade. Also, the Republic developed a wellfunctioning infrastructure as well as, at least in the cities, an educational system that resulted in one of the highest literacy rates in the world. Both factors obviously favoured economic growth. Last, but not least, the existence of large amounts of natural fuel, especially peat, provided a boost to the economy.
Unlike the great colonial powers of the sixteenth century, Spain and Portugal, the Dutch did not envisage conquering lands to govern them and profit from them, or to use them as settlements for their own population.
Thus, their expansion long consisted of finding favourable locations for commerce, only. Gradually, however, some of these trading factories came to dominate the surrounding region and its inhabitants. Yet, the Dutch basically created a commercial empire, only a trade network, really for the better part of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It only developed into a truly colonial empire in the course of the nineteenth century.
[The VOC never contributed more than 10% to the Dutch’s total trade volume]
However, John van Oldenbarnevelt did not favour founding a West India Company for this purpose. His objections were not principled, though, since piracy was common practice all over Europe. Rather, this veiled way of funding piracy conflicted with his desire for peace with Spain. However, his adversary, Prince Maurice, did not share these scruples as it suited him to be at war. Hence, he supported the project for a Dutch W.I.C. In 1621, soon after Van Oldenbarnevelt's death, it was finally established. However, trade eventually became the main object of this company, too - particularly the slave trade from Africa to the Americas that provided the labour for the plantations founded by the Europeans settlers. Yet, as Van Oldenbarnevelt had feared, privateering prevailed for a long time.
[Hugo Grotius, the father of international law, was head of the Dutch EIC’s legal department… hence his support for freedom of the seas]
This marked the outbreak of a Nine Years' War between France and the anti-French coalition.
William decided the Dutch should provide most of the resources for the war on land, while the English were to take the lead at sea. In so doing he unwittingly created a situation in which the maritime supremacy of the English both during the war and during the subsequent years of peace grew ever stronger. In the long run, it was one of the reasons that caused the Republic to lose its erstwhile leading position in world trade.
[Decline in 18thC driven by: competition from England and France, investments being directed overseas, high wages impacting industry, wealth inequality causing nepotism in public offices / preventing mobility, significant public debt from wars]
[Netherlands unified in 1815 after end of French rule. Though culture of North and South very different. William I exacerbated this by trying to impose denominational education by the state, the Dutch language in civil service, press censorship and free trade. This led to Belgian independence in 1830]
After 1830 the activities of [the Dutch Trading Company] were concentrated on trade with the Netherlands East Indies.
There, Governor-general John van den Bosch introduced the 'cultivation
system'. Native farmers were forced to use a fifth of their land to produce the crops ordered by the Dutch government. The products, such as coffee and sugar, were shipped to the Netherlands by the Dutch Trading Company and marketed both nationally and internationally.
October 23, 2013
Er zijn naar mijn mening maar weinig Nederlanders die zich interesseren in de vaderlandse geschiedenis. Ik durf zelfs te beweren dat de meeste Nederlanders haast niets weten van de geschiedenis van hun land. Een reden hiervoor is boeken zoals de "Geschiendeis van Nederland in Vogelvlucht" door Prof. dr P.J. Rietbergen.
Ook al oogt de "Geschiedenis van Nederland in Vogelvlucht" van buiten als een interessant en aantrekkelijk boek, als je het gaat lezen merk je al meteen dat het tegendeel waar is. Rietbergen maakt van de buitengewoon interessante geschiedenis van ons land een gortdroog relaas vol met nodeloos gecompliceerde, verwarrende volzinnen en verdeeld in hoofdstukken met pakkende titels als "Economie en politiek vanaf 1000 - Platteland en stad - Nieuwe wisselwerking - nieuwe machtsverhoudingen". Het boek is grotendeels chronologisch maar halverwege het boek splitst Rietbergen het verhaal op in thema's zoals samenleving, economie en politiek waardoor het verhaal vaak vooruit en achteruit in de tijd springt. Kortom, het boek is een hele klus om te lezen en zeker niet iets wat je er even bijpakt voor het slapen gaan.
De Nederlandse geschiedenis IS heel interessant en kent veel intrigerende personen en tumultueuze gebeurtenissen. Maar om het verhaal overzichtelijk en interessant te maken is een groot verteller nodig. Prof. Rietbergen is, zoals zijn titel al doet vermoeden, dat niet. Met zijn boek is hij er helaas niet in geslaagd deze lezer te boeien.
Ook al oogt de "Geschiedenis van Nederland in Vogelvlucht" van buiten als een interessant en aantrekkelijk boek, als je het gaat lezen merk je al meteen dat het tegendeel waar is. Rietbergen maakt van de buitengewoon interessante geschiedenis van ons land een gortdroog relaas vol met nodeloos gecompliceerde, verwarrende volzinnen en verdeeld in hoofdstukken met pakkende titels als "Economie en politiek vanaf 1000 - Platteland en stad - Nieuwe wisselwerking - nieuwe machtsverhoudingen". Het boek is grotendeels chronologisch maar halverwege het boek splitst Rietbergen het verhaal op in thema's zoals samenleving, economie en politiek waardoor het verhaal vaak vooruit en achteruit in de tijd springt. Kortom, het boek is een hele klus om te lezen en zeker niet iets wat je er even bijpakt voor het slapen gaan.
De Nederlandse geschiedenis IS heel interessant en kent veel intrigerende personen en tumultueuze gebeurtenissen. Maar om het verhaal overzichtelijk en interessant te maken is een groot verteller nodig. Prof. Rietbergen is, zoals zijn titel al doet vermoeden, dat niet. Met zijn boek is hij er helaas niet in geslaagd deze lezer te boeien.
September 3, 2020
This book doesn't have the best writing, but it can give you a general view of the history of Nederland. It certainly raised my interests in european history.
October 8, 2025
O suficiente para começar a entender o país como um todo: nível de desenvolvimento; influência no mundo; sociedade atual moldada pelo protestantismo, burguesia e disputas entre nobres; tolerância às diferenças; origem do "laranja".
Ruim pois: nada crítico, escrita confusa, você precisa ter outras fontes se quiser realmente entender o que está acontecendo.
Com algum conhecimento básico sobre o país, a leitura foi mais ou menos proveitosa pra mim, porque pude fazer conexões com os dias atuais.
Leitura válida se você quer algo abrangente, senão melhor buscar alternativa.
Ruim pois: nada crítico, escrita confusa, você precisa ter outras fontes se quiser realmente entender o que está acontecendo.
Com algum conhecimento básico sobre o país, a leitura foi mais ou menos proveitosa pra mim, porque pude fazer conexões com os dias atuais.
Leitura válida se você quer algo abrangente, senão melhor buscar alternativa.
July 4, 2022
The writing is clunky, but if you’re familiar already with aspects of Dutch history it covers enough to enable you to tie various historic threads and today’s experience together and consider learning more elsewhere.
July 25, 2019
Okay, this book has made me a republican.
July 6, 2023
The author refers to the Dutch as “we”, need I say more?
January 20, 2025
The dutch history is interesting, but the english of this book is hard to understand. Many sentences are just too long to read.
November 28, 2025
interesting but got very political very quick. decided to not finish
January 26, 2025
Read the 16th edition of 2024
3.5 stars
Surprisingly informative given the micro-format. Dense but intelligibly written and even manages to inject some personal opinions (not that I agree with them but they’re certainly informative). Covers not only political, military and industrial developments, but also society and culture. Competent and erudite.
Devotes little space to the colonial endeavors and that part of the text is… iffy. Written from a liberal center-right perspective (in the European and especially Dutch sense) meaning individual freedoms, international cooperation and social cohesion (including an, albeit strictly limited, social welfare system) are promoted.
Worthwhile as first foray into the country’s history. Allows general orientation for further, more in-depth books.
3.5 stars
Surprisingly informative given the micro-format. Dense but intelligibly written and even manages to inject some personal opinions (not that I agree with them but they’re certainly informative). Covers not only political, military and industrial developments, but also society and culture. Competent and erudite.
Devotes little space to the colonial endeavors and that part of the text is… iffy. Written from a liberal center-right perspective (in the European and especially Dutch sense) meaning individual freedoms, international cooperation and social cohesion (including an, albeit strictly limited, social welfare system) are promoted.
Worthwhile as first foray into the country’s history. Allows general orientation for further, more in-depth books.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews