1672: Cornelis and Johan de Witt lynched

ExecutedToday.com ^ | August 20, 2010 | Headsman

[CheshireTheCat]

That ominous mob got its spectacle this date in 1672, lynching the Dutch Republic’s longtime de facto head of state, Johan de Witt along with his brother Cornelis/Cornelius.

The mercantile powerhouse that was the 17th century Dutch Republic was the stage for a long-running conflict between the Orange monarchists (hence the soccer uniforms) and the Republican merchant class.

With the sudden death of the young William II, Prince of Orange in 1650, leaving the (non-hereditary) executive office of stadtholder vacant, the Republicans became ascendant.

And the outstanding figure of the First Stadtholderless Period was Johan de Witt, scion of a Dordrecht merchant family powerful enough that William II had imprisoned de Witt’s own father during a power struggle.

Elevated in 1653 and at the tender age of 28 to the leadership position of Grand Pensionary, Johan de Witt’s “eloquence, sagacity and business talents” guided the Dutch ship of state for essentially the remainder of his life.

This was the apex of the Dutch Golden Age. The Dutch East India Company dominated Asian trade routes,* and the Low Countries’ culture thrived on the wealth: Rembrandt and Vermeer were at the height of their talents; Spinoza revolutionized philosophy; van Leeuwenhoek invented the microscope.

While all these guys were landing themselves in their respective canons, Johan de Witt was trying to keep the age Golden.

Having only relatively recently broken free of Spain, the small country was an up-and-comer on the horns of a serious security dilemma: its leading commercial position put it into maritime competition with England, while its continental location made it vulnerable to the enormous army of the neighboring continental hegemon, France. Ultimately, even with its trade wealth, it did not have the resources to keep up with both of western Europe’s leading powers....

[Mr. K]

Were there ‘Republicans’ in the 17th century?

Or did they just find another way to slip in that word about those evil people?

[SERE_DOC]

They had evidence against Hillary, and knew that Epstein wouldn’t kill himself.

[Sans-Culotte]

Yikes, pretty grisly stuff.

[SES1066]

Were there ‘Republicans’ in the 17th century?

By definitions of the times, yes they were elected leaders of the Dutch Republic. They were non-nobility, they were elected by their peers to defined offices in the government for limited periods. Yes, the people electing them were all males possessing property that was the minimum requirement for the voting franchise. Very similar to the requirements of the British Parliament for the non-Noble, non-Bishops.

This lynching (actually an organized assassination) was just one act in Europe's very turbulent religious & nationalistic wars from the late 1500s to the death of France's Sun King, Louis XIV (14th), in 1715. The Dutch Republic fought and got independence from Roman Catholic Hapsburg Spanish Netherlands in 1588-1648 under leadership from the Calvinist House of Orange. As a vigorous mercantile culture, they were in competition with England and fought 4 wars with them, the second one leading to this assassination. This was on top of 3 other wars with Portugal and France.

An irony here is that William III of Orange, the opponent of Cornelis and Johan de Witt, was the grandson of England's Charle I, fought against England&France in these Anglo-Dutch wars, allying with Brandenburg and Spain. Yet in 1677 he married his Anglican 1st Cousin, Mary Stuart, also granddaughter of Charles I and daughter of James, Duke of York and future James II.

Thus in 1688, when his uncle & father-in-law, James II openly moved towards Roman Catholicism, supporting Louis XVI of France expansionism against the Dutch Republic and was expecting a new child that would LATER become Roman Catholic Old Pretender, James Francis Edward Stuart, William III of Orange, with his wife Mary, participated in the comparatively bloodless "Glorious Revolution" that made them the joint, PROTESTANT English Monarchs, William III & Mary II! Yes, the same ones that the Virginia College of William&Mary is named for!

With Britain locked into the Protestant cause, this is how the Sun King of France failed in his ambitions to devour much of Europe as the Netherlands & France became the battlegrounds for the allies against his ambitions. This is when and where the 1st 'great' Churchill, John, Duke of Marlborough, worked with his close ally, Prince Eugene of Savoy in the final war, The War of the Spanish Succession, closed out Louis XIV's ambitions and John Churchill got that modest house where his many greats grandson, Sir Winston Churchill 1874-1965), was born at Blenheim Palace.

Wow, what a tangle of very interesting history this led to!