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Rulers of the Dutch Republic? - What is a
Stadtholder
by Cleio
4 Followers
Stadtholder-King William III of Orange, at
the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland, 1690.
Source: Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel
Erfgoed [CC-BY-SA-3.0-nl
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/3
My other articles about the
history of the Dutch Republic
The Princes of Orange:
Stadtholders of the Dutch Rep...
The history of the Dutch Republic
is closely linked to the Princes of
Orange. They served the country
as stadtholders and military
commanders from the very birth of
the Republic in the sixteenth
century until it ceased to exist when
Napoleon invaded.
The Eighty Years' War -
Consolidation of the Dutch R...
During the Eighty Years War the
Dutch Republic won its
independence from the Spanish
monarchy, and became one of the
wealthiest and most powerful
countries on earth in the process.
The formation of the Dutch
Republic
This hub examines how the Dutch
Republic was formed in the
sixteenth century.
The Stadtholder is probably the most
confusing thing about the Dutch
Republic. Nothing similar can be
found elsewhere, and even at the
time most foreigners were utterly
confused about how they functioned
within the Dutch Republic. The
Stadtholders were not rulers of the
country as such. Technically, they
were no more than civil servants, but
that does not do justice to the crucial
role they played as political and
military leaders.
This article will give an overview of
what the Stadtholders were and how
they functioned within the Dutch
Republic.
Stadtholders prior to the
Dutch Republic
The office of Stadtholder originates
in the period prior to the Dutch
Republic. Before Dutch
independence with the Union of
Utrecht (1579) and the Act of
Abjuration (1581), the seven
provinces of the Dutch Republic were
part of the realm of Holy Roman
Emperor Charles V. Because it was
so large, Charles could not
personally rule most of his empire.
He therefore appointed officials to
rule in his stead; the Stadtholder.
The term Stadtholder is derived from
the Dutch Stadhouder. This word
literally means placeholder. The
Stadtholders were exactly that. They
represented the absentee monarch,
royal authority and ruled in the place
of the emperor.
After the Act of Abjuration, however,
royal authority was no longer
acknowledged within the Dutch
Republic. The Stadtholder really
became unnecessary. Yet the office
was not done away with, as might
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have been expected.
A political figure head
The last Stadtholder appointed by
the monarch was Prince William I of
Orange. William, instead of dutifully
representing royal authority, had
actually been one of the leaders of
the Dutch Revolt which saw the
country independent. Grateful for his
leadership, the Dutch did not want to
dismiss William from his position of
authority. He was an important unifying symbol, the Pater Patriae, the Father of
the Fatherland.
But there were also practical reasons to keep the Stadtholder. William was the
ruler of Orange, a small but independent principality located in southern France.
He was therefore a sovereign ruler in his own right. This was important. In
sixteenth century Europe, noble birth and rank counted for everything. As a
sovereign prince, William of Orange was the equal of kings and emperors. The
newly formed Dutch Republic was ruled by an assembly of wealthy citizens, many
of which were of common birth. With their Stadtholder, they had a nobly born
figurehead, who could act for them in international diplomacy.
Another reason to keep the Stadtholder was the army. The Republic was fighting a
war of independence, and command of its armies required an experienced general
who could command respect. William of Orange was that person.
William was assassinated in 1584. The practical reasons for keeping a Stadtholder
still stood however, and he was replaced by his son Maurice. By the time Maurice
died in 1625, the office of Stadtholder had become a feature of the political
system, and it was almost without question that the Princes of Orange would be
appointed Stadtholder one after the other.
Stadtholder William V and his wife celebrated by the political elite of Amsterdam.
Source: Reinier Vinkeles [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Not rulers, but civil servants
Lets take a more in-depth look at the place of the Stadtholder within the political
system - this is where it can get somewhat confusing!
Rulers of the Dutch Republic? - What is a Stadtholder 12/03/2014
http://cleio.hubpages.com/hub/Stadtholders 2 / 6
Coat of Arms of the Orange-Nassau family,
to which most of the Stadtholders belonged.
Source: By Ralf Hartemink, 1995
(http://www.ngw.nl/rykswap.htm) [CC-BY-3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licen
Admiral-General
The most important thing to keep in mind: the Stadtholders were not the the rulers
of the Dutch Republic. The country was formed out of a collection of seven
provinces. Each provinces had a governing body, the Provincial States, which
acted as something like a parliament. Sovereignty of the country was shared by
these seven Provincial States. This means that each province ruled itself. That
was the case in theory at least. In reality it was obviously not a very practical
system. For the sake of being able to work together, there was also a national
parliament, the States General. Each of the provinces would sent representatives
to sit in the States General. This is where all the important decisions were made.
Before Dutch independence, the Stadtholder had been appointed by the monarch.
Now, he was appointed by the Provincial States. In the same way, as the
Stadtholder had been a royal official, he was now accountable to the States.
Though nobly born and Prince of Orange, he was essentially a civil servant. He
was not even a member of the Provincial States or the States General, and could
not vote in either assembly.
Despite these limitations, the Stadtholder was still potentially very powerful.
Although he could not vote, he could attend States meetings and present his
opinions on any issue presented. He also had a strong influence in the election of
magistrates, usually by choosing his preferred candidate from a list of nominees.
It is impossible to define the exact extent of the political power the Stadtholder had.
Although he was limited in some ways by the political system of the Dutch
Republic, there were a lot of possibilities to extent his influence. Much depended
on the circumstances and the individuals, and some Stadtholders were far more
powerful than others.
How many Stadtholders?
One, two, or seven?
Another confusing thing about the
Stadtholders is that there was
actually more than one. How many
exactly depends on the date, but
also on your interpretation of the
question.
The Stadtholder was a provincial
office. Its been explained in the
previous section that he was
appointed by the Provincial States.
This means that each province
appointed their own Stadtholder. In
theory, with seven provinces, you
could have seven Stadtholders. In
practice, there were never more than
two, as most of the provinces tended
to appoint the same person.
From the formation of the Dutch Republic and most of the seventeenth century,
the Prince of Orange was Stadtholder in the provinces Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht,
Gelderland and Overijssel. Friesland and Groningen appointed members of a
different branch of William of Oranges family (Nassau-Dietz, mostly). Because it
was the wealthiest, Holland was by far the dominant province. Its Stadtholder was
also the more powerful.
There are two stretches of time in the history of the Dutch Republic known as the
Stadholdersless Periods (1650-72 and 1702-47). It is actually inaccurate to call
them that, as it was only the provinces that commonly appointed a Prince of
Orange that went without a Stadtholder during these years. There was always a
Stadtholder in Friesland and Groningen.
The second of the so-called Stadtholderless Periods occurred after William III died
without leaving any children in 1702. The principality of Orange would be inherited
by the Nassau-Dietz family that were Stadtholders in Friesland and Groningen.
This means that when a new Stadtholder was eventually appointed in the five
other provinces, it was now the same person for the entire country. From then on
to the end of the Dutch Republic, there would be one single Stadtholder.
Captain-General of the Union
Rulers of the Dutch Republic? - What is a Stadtholder 12/03/2014
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The princes of Orange were, aside
from captain-general, also admiral-
general. They never commanded the
navy in person, however, focussing
instead on the army, so their influence
there was of much less importance.
William I had combined his role as
Stadtholder with the command of the
armies of the Dutch Republic. This
too became a custom. The Republic
was at war with one nation or another
for most of its existence, and it was
important that its armies were led by
a single individual of experience and
authority. The Princes of Orange fulfilled this role most of the time.
Aside from Stadtholders they were therefore appointed Captain-General of the
Union - commander-in-chief of the Republic's armies. Their control over the army
obviously gave the Stadtholders a significant boost to their political power. But
because the soldiers were always paid by the States, there was a limit to this
authority. If the States decided to keep the treasury locked, regiments would not
be paid and would soon desert. In this way, the States could still curtail the
influence of the Stadtholder.
The Stadtholder - Central to the history of the Dutch Republic
The stadholders were not the rulers of the Dutch Republic as such, but it cannot
be denied they played a crucial role, both as political and military leaders. The
extent of their power depended much on circumstances and the ability of
individual. From William I, the Father of the Fatherland onwards, they played a
central role in the history of the Dutch Republic - and their descendents are now
the kings and queens of present day The Netherlands.
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Old-Empresario 5 months ago from Texas
This was a facinating read for me. I've always been interested in the Dutch
Republic, but I never knew anything about it. I always assumed that the
Stadholders were like a US President--Head of State and of Government.
But it doesn't seem that way at all. I really need to learn more on this topic.
Cleio 5 months ago from Ireland
I've encountered professional historians who lecture on the Dutch Republic
who don't really know what a Stadtholder is, so you're in good company. I
think the problem is that there's very little literature in English on the topic.
Although Israel's 'History of the Dutch Republic' is excellent.
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