An Undigested Past: The Netherlands and Its Colonial History

The history of the Netherlands and its predecessor, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, is permeated with violence, looting and inequality, both in the country itself and on the world stage. In that respect, the history of the Netherlands differs little from that of other countries – although for many years, the country was able to play a role that was disproportionate to its geographical and demographic size. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Republic’s semi-public companies built up a powerful trading empire stretching from Japan to South Africa and North America. Thi... Mehr ...