1685 - Dutch Plan to a 96-ship Battle Line

Last year, Cornelis Evertsen, 42 years old, Lieutnant-Admiral of Zealand has replaced Tromp as Lieutnant-Admiral General. He is known as both gallant and skilful, and also considered as politically neutral, in contrast with Tromp, an active Orangist. Present time requires consensus behind Prince Willem for a war against France is considered as short-term unavoidable by every observer.

¤ Moreover, Tromp is certainly known as competent but also as unruly, insubordinate and vain, as well as a complete drunk : many inns were named after him - here is an irreverent inn sign in his honour :

Evertsen has taken the lead at the crucial hour of the short war of the Reunions of France against the two Habsburg sovereigns of Spain and of Germany & Austria - while this latter country was invaded by the Ottoman empire through Hungary. As for the United Provinces, after the principality of Orange two years ago, a seizure more symbolic than strategic, a simple hit to Orange-Nassau family, France has seized Luxembourg - a dangerous thrust towards Dutch territory. King Louis XIV appears as an aggressive and relentless intruder to North and East. Henceforth, a rematch of the Franco-Dutch war ended seven years ago seems to be inescapable short-term.

Furthermore, from 1679 on, Louis has also undermined Protestant rights in his realm, closing churches and multiplying constraints and prohibitions - which he now concludes by the edict of Fontainebleau which is a revocation of the edict of Nantes (1598) which granted rights to the Protestants. For any Protestant in Europe, Louis also appears as a ruthless tyrant.

This is the context of a new decision of the Staten-Generaal of the republic of the United Provinces, urged by Stathouder Willem Hendrick III of Orange-Nassau. He is rising, as the prominent Protestant ruler, as the leading figure against King Louis XIV. Death of King Charles II, his father-in-law, reinforces this prime position.

Staten-Generaal's decision is astonishing by its scale. It outlines a plan for a line of battle of 96 warships of the four ranks which were designed three years ago, that are 20 three-deckers and 76 two-deckers. Such a line of battle, once completed, if completed, could defeat any opponent in the world, the whole French navy for instance, should it achieve to gather its two distant fleets to face the Dutch one and to crew all its vessels - a doubtful ability. That issue is worrisome also for the United Provinces. So far, they have been able of finding thirty thousands sailors, but their plan will demand some fifty thousands hands. England only, perhaps, would make it.

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LINK WITH PREVIOUS CHRONICLES

1677 - Huge 30-warship Programme in England.

1682 - Huge 36-warship Programme in the United Provinces.

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IN RETROSPECT FROM TODAY

NOTE A - On the programme implementation.

Four three-deckers have been built previously, as well as eleven two-deckers. Six extra three-deckers are launched in 1687-89, as well as sixteen two-deckers. Thus the United Provinces tackle the war of the Grand Alliance with a fleet rejuvenated by ten three-deckers and twenty-seven new two-deckers.

During the war itself (1689-97), six three-deckers and forty-five two-deckers join the fleet, which extend the constructions to sixteen three-deckers and seventy-two two-deckers, a total of 88 warships built in fourteen years. The three-deckers will have been lengthened to the dimensions of the old Tromp's flagship, Gouden Leeuw (1666), broken up in 1686.

Afterwards, plan implementation continues during the short interwar period and the war of Spanish Succession : three extra three-deckers and thirty-eight two-deckers bring the constructions to nineteen three-deckers and one hundred and ten two-deckers, 129 warships built in thirty-two years.

NOTE B - On the aftermath.

The United Provinces will have remained a faithful ally of Britain until the end of the wars against France. They are finally exhausted by thirty-two years of pre-war and war. During the first phase of the cycle, while France is terribly dangerous, until the peace of Ryswick, they will have built at at a rate of six ships a year. The rate of building will fall to two and a half during the second phase - during which the Dutch fleet begins to stall then to decline.

It is noteworthy that the models of warships have remained almost unchanged all along the period. It is not true in regard with the ranks. During the first phase, the Dutch give the priority to large vessels as they are threatened by the then large and efficient French line of battle, and to smaller ones during the second phase.

Britain will have fully exploited the Dutch resources to get the upper hand against France.

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SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jap R Bruijn - History of the Dutch Navy in the 17th and 18th Centuries, Part Two, the New Navy 1652-1713 - Liverpool, 2011 - available on the Internet

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CREDIT

Pieter Vogelaer - The Prins Willem - oil on canvas, circa 1690 - © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich