In 1797 and 1798 the first steps were taken in the Netherlands towards the development of a democratic system. In 1796-1797 a written Constitution was drafted for the Batavian Republic, as the... Show moreIn 1797 and 1798 the first steps were taken in the Netherlands towards the development of a democratic system. In 1796-1797 a written Constitution was drafted for the Batavian Republic, as the Netherlands was called at the time. This Constitution was in 1797 submitted in a national referendum for a vote of the people, but it was rejected. A new draft was written and again submitted the following year. This time the Constitution was adopted. Very little is known about these referenda. Extensive archival research has been necessary in order to understand how these steps in democracy were taken. It has been possible to produce a dataset of results for 948 cities, villages and rural districts. Based on the voting results, the public support for a democratic constitution has been analyzed after a description of the voting system. The voting results are examined along two cleavages structures. First, major distinctions existed between cities and rural districts and secondly between Catholics and Protestants. As a partial explanation the religious preferences are important to understand the turnout by the two referenda. Above all, the results of the two referenda show a deeply divided society of religious minorities. Show less
In de Bataafs-Franse tijd (1795-1814) was de Nederlandse buitenlandse politiek volledig gericht op het voortbestaan van de staat. Tegenover het overheersende Frankrijk voerde men een... Show moreIn de Bataafs-Franse tijd (1795-1814) was de Nederlandse buitenlandse politiek volledig gericht op het voortbestaan van de staat. Tegenover het overheersende Frankrijk voerde men een tweesporenbeleid. Enerzijds was er een ‘statelijke ongehoorzaamheid’ bij het nakomen van ongenadig harde verplichtingen en anderzijds streefde men naar internationalisering van de kwestie over het bestaansrecht van Nederland. In deze tijd gaf Maarten van der Goes van Dirxland [1751-1826], een Haagse burgemeesterszoon en Nederlands eerste minister van Buitenlandse Zaken, tien jaar lang leiding aan de Nederlandse diplomatie. Van der Goes had daarbij slechts één doel voor ogen: het handhaven van de naam Holland op de kaart van Europa. Maar zijn ambtsperiode had iets tragisch. Hoewel hij wist, zoals hij schreef, dat de dagen van Tromp en De Ruyter voorbij waren en dat zijn belangrijkste succes niet meer kon zijn dan het bij elkaar houden van het ‘overgeschoten boeltje’, weigerde hij Napoleons opmerking ‘Holland is als een satelliet van een planeet’ te accepteren. Door het prisma van het leven en de carrière van Maarten van der Goes biedt deze biografie een geactualiseerd beeld van de Nederlandse buitenlandse politiek in de overgang naar een nieuwe eeuw. Show less
Alexander Jan Isaac Gogel (1765-1821) was a fascinating person who had a very interesting career in a turbulent time. He held various official functions in the Batavian-French period (1795-1813),... Show moreAlexander Jan Isaac Gogel (1765-1821) was a fascinating person who had a very interesting career in a turbulent time. He held various official functions in the Batavian-French period (1795-1813), always on the basis of his financial expertise. Gogel used his expertise to establish a national financial foundation, a formidable achievement. With his pioneer work he fused together the seven federated provinces of the old Dutch Republic into a unitary Batavian state with a single tax system, a transparent budget and a common currency. However, his interests and influence were broader than engagement with public finance alone. In Gogel’s opinion the political desideratum of equality before the law, linked to the unitary state, also entailed the free entry to a profession. Therefore he was a fierce advocate of the abolition of the guilds. Furthermore, he participated intensively in the debate about the constitutional arrangements of the new state. His cultural interest which was also inspired by the Patriot ideology induced him to establish the National Art Gallery, the forerunner of the present National Museum (‘Rijksmuseum’). This political biography intends to provide nuances and so readjust the traditional image of Alexander Gogel. Show less
