Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (1547-1619) is one of the most influential and tragic figures in Dutch history. As Land’s Advocate of Holland, he was the most powerful politician of the young Dutch Republic for decades.
His shrewdness and diplomatic skills were crucial for building the state, but his conflict with Stadtholder Maurice of Orange ultimately led to his dramatic downfall and execution.
1. Architect of the Republic
After the abjuration of the Spanish King Philip II in 1581, Van Oldenbarnevelt played a key role in shaping the new state. As Land’s Advocate of the powerful province of Holland, he was the de facto political leader of the Union.
He was the driving force behind establishing sovereignty with the States General and the Provincial States. He ensured political stability, financial order, and effective foreign policy during a time of great uncertainty and war.
2. An ‘Advocate’ as Leader
The title ‘Land’s Advocate’ might not sound like the highest political office, but in practice, it was. The Land’s Advocate was the legal advisor and spokesperson for the States of Holland, the main governing body of the richest and most powerful province.
Because Holland made the largest financial contribution to the Union, the Land’s Advocate held enormous influence in the States General, the overarching body of the seven provinces. Van Oldenbarnevelt held this post for over thirty years (1586-1618).
3. Founder of the VOC (Dutch East India Company)
Van Oldenbarnevelt saw the huge economic potential of trade with Asia. He was the driving force behind merging several competing trading companies into one large, powerful enterprise: the United East India Company (VOC), established in 1602.
He ensured that the VOC received a unique charter from the States General, granting far-reaching powers such as the right to wage war, conclude treaties, and build fortresses. This laid the foundation for Dutch colonial power and economic prosperity.
4. Proponent of the Twelve Years’ Truce
After decades of war against Spain (the Eighty Years’ War), Van Oldenbarnevelt was a strong advocate for a ceasefire. He believed peace was essential for economic recovery and further consolidation of the Republic.
Despite significant opposition, particularly from Stadtholder Maurice who wanted to continue the war, Van Oldenbarnevelt managed to conclude the Twelve Years’ Truce (1609-1621) with Spain in 1609. This gave the Republic a breathing pause but also deepened the rift between the Land’s Advocate and the Stadtholder.
5. Conflict with Prince Maurice
The relationship between Van Oldenbarnevelt and Stadtholder Maurice of Orange, son of William of Orange, was initially good. They collaborated to build the Republic. However, as their power and influence grew, tensions arose.
Their disagreements centered on two main points: the Twelve Years’ Truce (Maurice opposed it) and the religious disputes between Remonstrants and Counter-Remonstrants (Van Oldenbarnevelt supported the more moderate Remonstrants, while Maurice sided with the orthodox Counter-Remonstrants).
Maurice saw Van Oldenbarnevelt’s policies as undermining the country’s unity and his own position as military leader.
6. The Religious Disputes (Remonstrants vs. Counter-Remonstrants)
In the early 17th century, a fierce theological debate raged within the Calvinist church over the doctrine of predestination (the question of whether God predetermined who is saved). The more liberal ‘Remonstrants’ opposed the stricter ‘Counter-Remonstrants’.
Van Oldenbarnevelt, a proponent of religious tolerance and provincial autonomy, supported the Remonstrants and believed the government should not interfere too much in church affairs. He allowed cities to hire their own soldiers (‘waardgelders’) to maintain order, which Maurice saw as an infringement on his authority as captain-general of the army.
Maurice openly sided with the Counter-Remonstrants, who wanted to purify the state church and favored stronger central authority.
7. The Sharp Resolution (1617)
To counter the growing influence of Maurice and the Counter-Remonstrants, Van Oldenbarnevelt pushed the ‘Sharp Resolution’ through the States of Holland in 1617. This resolution affirmed the sovereignty of the provinces in religious matters, permitted cities to hire waardgelders, and stipulated that the Union army must obey the States of the province where they were stationed.
This was a direct challenge to Maurice, who saw it as undermining his military authority and a step towards civil war.
8. Arrest and Trial
Maurice responded by disbanding the waardgelders with the support of the States General (where Holland was temporarily isolated). In August 1618, he had Van Oldenbarnevelt, Hugo Grotius, and other allies arrested on charges of high treason.
A special court was established, composed of Van Oldenbarnevelt’s political opponents. The trial was legally highly questionable. Van Oldenbarnevelt was denied access to case documents and barely allowed to defend himself. The charges were vague and politically motivated.
9. Conviction and Execution (1619)
Despite his advanced age (71) and immense service to the country, Van Oldenbarnevelt was sentenced to death. The court found him guilty of endangering the state and religion.
On May 13, 1619, he was beheaded at the Binnenhof in The Hague. His last words on the scaffold were reportedly addressed to the gathered crowd: “Men, do not believe I am a traitor; I have acted sincerely and piously, as a good patriot, and so I shall die.”
His execution shocked many at home and abroad and is considered a dark chapter in Dutch history.
10. The ‘Cane of Oldenbarnevelt’
According to tradition, Van Oldenbarnevelt walked to the scaffold leaning on a cane. This ‘stokje van Oldenbarnevelt’ became a symbol of his wrongful conviction and has been preserved for centuries. It is now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
It symbolizes the tragedy of a man who dedicated his life to the Republic but was ultimately brought down by political conflicts.
11. Rehabilitation?
Although Van Oldenbarnevelt has never been formally rehabilitated, he is widely recognized by historians as one of the greatest statesmen the Netherlands has known. His execution is seen as a political murder, driven by the power struggle with Maurice and religious division.
His commitment to independence, the founding of the VOC, and the Twelve Years’ Truce have left an indelible mark on Dutch history.
12. Influence on Hugo Grotius
Van Oldenbarnevelt’s close associate and protégé was Hugo Grotius, a brilliant jurist and thinker. Grotius was arrested along with Van Oldenbarnevelt and sentenced to life imprisonment in Loevestein Castle.
The fall of his mentor had a profound impact on Grotius. His famous escape in a book chest and his later work on international law (such as ‘De iure belli ac pacis’ – On the Law of War and Peace) were partly shaped by the political and religious conflicts in which he was involved alongside Van Oldenbarnevelt.
