Process
Status Items Highlights Done See section below Claims None Questions None Output None
Highlights
Time 0:25:36
Prussian Intervention in the United Provinces
- In June 1787, the Stadholder’s wife, Princess Wilhelmina, was captured by a Patriot militia, escalating tensions between the Orangists and Patriots.
- The British saw an opportunity to restore Orangist power but lacked the necessary forces.
- Prussia, under the new King Frederick William II, intervened, invading the United Provinces in September 1787.
- The Prussians’ intervention was partly to avenge Wilhelmina’s treatment and partly to initiate Prussian expansion.
- Surprisingly, France did not intervene, despite supporting the Patriots, causing embarrassment and resignations within the French government. Transcript: Speaker 1 The flash point finally came in june 17 87, when the stadholder’s wife, the prussian princess willamina, was captured by a patriot militia company and not necessarily treated with The respect due to a princess. The british saw in all this an opportunity to evict the patriots and restore the power of the orangists. But they did not have the requisite forces to do it themselves. But guess who did? That’s right, the prussians. Now for decades, prussia had declined to do anything about the drift of dutch politics towards a french orbit, though the british and prussians were allies frederick the great calculated That in the netherlands, no great prussian interests were at stake, and in involved would only mire them in a war with the french, who very much had a national interest in stake. Plus, frederick recognized the natural ostrophobia of the french might eventually make them a key ally. So he saw no reason to step on their toes in holland. But frederick the great died in 17 86 after forty six years on the throne, and power passed to his son, frederick william the second, who was not quite the man his father was. And he decided, what the heck, let’s get into it. Partly to avenge the honor of his sister willhemina, and partly to set the stage for a new age of prussian expansion, the new king decided to invade the united provinces. So in september 17 87, in they went. And to everyone’s great surprise, the prussians, the british, these suddenly all on their own dutch patriots, the french, did not lift a finger to stop them. Now briene was probably right about france not being able to afford a war with the prussians up in the united provinces.