17th Century FORUM
Where are the Dutch?
CWyatt
Is it my imagination, or is there a lack of books on Dutch military history of the pre-Napoleonic eras? I would especially like to see some New Vanguard/Campaign books on the Dutch warships and naval battles of the 16th and 17th centuries against the Spanish and English. And Elite/Warrior and Campaign books on the 80 Years War.
Or maybe I’ve missed them?
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RESPONSES
| wardog |
1
No, your right. The Anglo-Dutch wars of Charles II are missing. Also the Dutch War of Independence from Spain, which helped keep the Spanish bogged down and unable to fully attack England.
Posted: 23-Aug-2008 19:16
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| kgw |
2
In fact was quite the opposite. Spanish "Empire" would've neve think about England had they never helped Dutch Rebels. And "conquering" of England would have meaning cutting the Dutch supplies of money & men.
Posted: 25-Aug-2008 11:34
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| JoJo Dog |
3
I too have noticed that the Dutch have been missing. An obvious title about the Dutch that could be broken up into two books is the Dutch Water Line. For those unfamiliar with the Dutch Water Line, it was used to flood the countryside to slow (if not stop) the advancing army. A series of boobytraps were used underwater also. Additionally, there were also forts built (thus making it a great title for the Fortress series). Why did I say two books for the Dutch Water Line? Because a second book could focus on the Grebbe line during WWII. Just a suggestion.
Posted: 25-Aug-2008 11:55
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| juno |
4
This would obviously cover my request for more on the Thirty Years War, so is welcomed from that point of view. As for the rest of the Eighty Years War, Ian Heath's book ("Armies of the Sixteenth Century") is an obvious (if only) title that springs to mind.
The later 17th and 18th Century Dutch armies are a little more tricky. The mid-century (Anglo-Dutch Wars) and the Louis XIV's Dutch War army is pretty obscure (even if the campaigns themselves are relatively well covered in, say, the "Modern Wars in Perspective" series). William III's (and Malborough's) Dutch troops have a fair amount of coverage (though often only in spacialist pamphlet-type publications by the likes of Alan Sapherson; the MAA tries to cover too much ground to be more than a taster). The contribution to the Pragmatic Army is efficiently described in David Manley's series on the armies of the War of the Austrian Succession. The later Eighteenth Century is generally poorly served in terms of accessible information (a shame, considering the Prussian invasion of 1787, and the role of the army as a member of the First Coalition against France).
Funnily enough, the very last pre-Napoleonic Dutch army (that of the Batavian Republic) is well described in "Otto von Pivka's" early MAA title.
More Dutch stuff please!
Posted: 15-Sep-2008 10:12
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