Anthonie Heinsius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anthonie Heinsius
|
|
|---|---|
Portrait of Anthonie Heinsius (1659), by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout
|
|
| Grand Pensionary of Holland | |
| In office 26 May 1689 – 3 September 1720 |
|
| Preceded by | Michiel ten Hove |
| Succeeded by | Isaac van Hoornbeek |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 November 1641 Delft, Dutch Republic |
| Died | 3 September 1720 (aged 78) The Hague, Dutch Republic |
| Political party | States' Party |
| Alma mater | University of Orléans |
Anthonie Heinsius (born November 23, 1641, in Delft – died August 3, 1720, in The Hague) was an important Dutch leader. He served as the Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1689 until he passed away in 1720.
Heinsius was a strong negotiator. He was one of the main people who stood against the plans of Louis XIV of France to expand his power. He helped create alliances against France in major wars like the Nine Years' War (1688–97) and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14).
Even when King William III was alive, Heinsius was seen as a top leader in Europe outside of France. After William III died in 1702, Heinsius became the main person making foreign policy decisions for the Dutch Republic.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Anthonie Heinsius was born in Delft on November 23, 1641. His father, Adriaan Heinsius, was part of a leading family in Delft. Anthonie went to a Latin school in Delft.
Later, he studied at the University of Orléans in France. In 1662, he earned a special degree in law. After returning to Delft, he worked as a lawyer. In 1679, he became the city's pensionary, a legal advisor and representative.
Early Diplomatic Missions
As Delft's pensionary, Heinsius often disagreed with King William III's foreign policy. In 1682, he was sent to Paris to talk with King Louis XIV. His goal was to discuss problems caused by France in the Principality of Orange. William III thought the trip wouldn't achieve much, and he was right.
Heinsius became very firm in his opposition to Louis XIV. The French minister, Louvois, even threatened to put him in jail! This trip convinced Heinsius that Louis XIV's power was dangerous.
In 1685, Heinsius went to England. He was part of a group trying to solve problems between the Dutch East India Company and the English East India Company. The talks didn't succeed. However, in 1687, he joined the board of the Dutch East India Company in Delft.
During this time, Heinsius's relationship with Gaspar Fagel, the Grand Pensionary, improved a lot. Fagel began to trust him. As Fagel's health got worse, Heinsius was asked if he would be willing to take over Fagel's important job.
Becoming Grand Pensionary
When Gaspar Fagel died in late 1688, Michiel ten Hove temporarily took over as Grand Pensionary. But Ten Hove also passed away in March 1689.
Then, Heinsius was asked to do the job temporarily. He wasn't sure at first. But King William III, who was now also King of England, insisted. So, on May 26, 1689, Heinsius was officially chosen as the Grand Pensionary by the States of Holland. He was reappointed every five years after that. During this time, the Dutch Republic was fighting in the Nine Years' War.
The Nine Years' War
The Dutch had always worried about the Spanish Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). They saw it as a protective area against France. Even when they were friends with France, the Dutch believed "France is a good friend, but not a good neighbor."
Wars like the War of Devolution (1667–68) and the Franco-Dutch War (1672–78) showed that Spain couldn't defend the Southern Netherlands well. The Dutch wanted to create a "barrier" of forts. This would protect their important cities and trade centers like Amsterdam from attacks from the south.
The peace talks that ended the Nine Years' War allowed the Dutch to place soldiers in eight key Spanish cities. Heinsius was one of the Dutch leaders who helped make this peace agreement.
War of the Spanish Succession
During the War of the Spanish Succession, Heinsius worked closely with the Duke of Marlborough from England and Prince Eugene from Austria. Together, they made many important decisions for Europe. Heinsius helped plan many military campaigns, even though he wasn't a soldier himself.
By 1701, French troops had replaced Dutch soldiers in the Spanish Netherlands. The Dutch wanted to rebuild and strengthen their barrier forts. They also wanted to control the important Scheldt river and trade in the Spanish Empire.
The first goal was to protect the Dutch borders. These were threatened by France and its allies. In the early months of the war, Dutch forces captured Kaiserswerth. An attack on Nijmegen, a very important Dutch city, was barely stopped.
The Dutch Republic had many good generals. But no one was considered skilled enough to lead the entire army in the Low Countries. So, the Duke of Marlborough was chosen to lead the combined English and Dutch army. King William III trusted him, and it was hoped this would ensure good teamwork between England and the Netherlands.
However, some in the Netherlands didn't think Marlborough was experienced enough. He had never led such a large army before. Also, he was a foreigner, and the Dutch wanted to make sure British interests didn't come before their own. So, the Dutch government placed strict limits on Marlborough's power. For example:
- Marlborough could only command the Dutch troops that were part of the main army.
- He always had to plan with the highest Dutch general.
- He had to make all decisions with the Dutch commander and political representatives.
- He couldn't give orders to Dutch troops without Dutch senior officers.
Marlborough had to be very polite and convincing to get the approval of the Dutch political representatives. His friendship with Heinsius was very helpful for him.
The war in 1702 went well. Marlborough captured several cities along the Meuse river. But 1703 was harder, with disagreements among the allies. Despite capturing Bonn, they failed to take Antwerp.
In 1704, Marlborough marched his army to the Rhine river. He joined forces with Prince Eugene. They won a major victory at the Battle of Blenheim. This forced Bavaria out of the war. But efforts to follow up on this victory in 1705 failed due to poor teamwork. Heinsius played a big part in solving a diplomatic problem between the Dutch and English during this time.
Years of Success
In 1706, France secretly offered peace talks. Heinsius and the government of Amsterdam were asked for their advice. A Frenchman named Helvetius came from Paris to talk with Heinsius. He brought letters and messages from French leaders. Heinsius then worked on a list of 40 points for a peace proposal. However, these talks did not lead to peace.
.jpg)
From 1706, the war in the Spanish Netherlands turned in favor of the allies. At the Battle of Ramillies, the French army was badly beaten. A large part of the Spanish Netherlands then came under Anglo-Dutch control. From 1706 to 1716, the Spanish Netherlands was managed by England and the Dutch Republic together.
The immediate danger to the Dutch Republic had lessened. This made Paris hopeful for peace, but London and Vienna worried Heinsius might make a separate peace. However, many strong forts like Tournai, Lille, Mons, and Namur were still held by the French. If these were to become part of the Dutch barrier, the war had to continue.
In the next few years, the allies slowly moved closer to France's borders. They won battles at Oudenarde and Malplaquet. They also captured important cities like Lille, Tournai, and Mons. Even though the war was very expensive, it seemed France would soon be defeated. During peace talks in 1709, King Louis XIV seemed ready to give in a lot.
But the demands made by the allies were too much for Louis XIV. Heinsius insisted that the French king should use his own soldiers to remove his grandson from Spain. Heinsius and the other Dutch negotiators felt this was needed because the French king had been unreliable before. So, the peace talks of 1709 and 1710 failed.
The War Ends
Eventually, the English government changed. The new government made peace with France. This was a big disappointment for the Dutch Republic. Heinsius felt this burden greatly, even though many others shared the blame for continuing the war too long.
In 1712, Heinsius faced strong criticism in the States of Holland. There were even rumors he might resign. He didn't, but his power and respect were shaken. He was never quite the same after that.
However, the peace treaty of 1713 achieved many of the goals William III and Heinsius had for the war. France's expansion was stopped, and the Dutch barrier of forts was created. The disappointment among the Dutch at the time wasn't because their main goals weren't met. It was because they felt they had a chance to completely defeat Louis XIV after 1706, but this opportunity was lost due to actions by the British government.
Talks about setting up the barrier between the Dutch and Austrians continued until 1715. The Austrians didn't want to pay for Dutch soldiers in their territory. When George I became the British king after 1713, Heinsius hoped for better relations. These hopes were dashed, but the Jacobite rising of 1715 eventually forced George to support the Dutch against the Austrians. After that, the barrier talks quickly finished to the Dutch Republic's satisfaction.
In 1716, the English government made an alliance with France without including the Dutch Republic. This was a big disappointment for Heinsius. He was very upset, wondering what he would say if the States accused him of being tricked. After the Republic joined this alliance, Heinsius became more careful in talks about joining the Quadruple Alliance.
Also, after the Peace of Utrecht, the Dutch Republic's finances were in a very bad state. Heinsius had focused so much on foreign policy that he hadn't paid much attention to money matters. He didn't know enough about taxes and financial management. Heinsius never married. He died in 1720, still serving as Grand Pensionary.
Legacy
His Impact
Heinsius and Marlborough together filled King William's place, with less authority, but far greater success.
Heinsius was Grand Pensionary for over 31 years. This was longer than most other leaders in that role, except for Johan van Oldenbarnevelt. For these three decades, he played a very important and respected role. His influence was strongest before 1713.
After William III died, Heinsius's role changed. William and Heinsius had very similar ideas about Europe. They often agreed. Heinsius shared his detailed thoughts, and William often asked for his advice. This teamwork with the King greatly increased Heinsius's influence in Holland and the Dutch Republic.
Heinsius was known for his sharp mind, good judgment, wide knowledge, politeness, great diplomatic skill, tireless hard work, and honesty. However, one trait sometimes held him back: his humility. His modesty sometimes made him less confident, especially after William's death. This led him to be very cautious and sometimes indecisive.
What Others Thought of Him
Jean Baptiste Colbert, Marquis of Torcy, a French diplomat, described Heinsius as:
a very skilled man in business, quiet, polite in conversation, never harsh and rarely heated in arguments. His manner was friendly; he had no showy household; his staff included a secretary, a coachman, a footman, a maid, not showing the power of a prime minister.
he was not accused of enjoying the importance that war brought to prolong it, nor of any personal gain.
Voltaire, a famous writer, described Heinsius in his book The Age of Louis XIV. He called him a "Spartan proud to have humbled a Persian King." This was after the peace talks failed in 1709, when Louis XIV had sent Torcy to The Hague to seek peace.
Images for kids
-
Portrait of Anthonie Heinsius (1659), by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout
-
Anthonie Heinsius
-
Dutch and English ships at the Battle of Vigo Bay, 1702
-
Dutch troops at the Battle of Malplaquet
-
Allegory on the failure of the peace negotiations at Geertruidenberg, 1710. The Quicksilver Peace, fled from Geertruidenberg to Versailles.
