Johan de Witt (24 September 1625 – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch statesman and mathematician who was a major political figure during the First Stadtholderless Period, when flourishing global trade in a period of rapid European colonial expansion made the Dutch a leading trading and seafaring power in Europe, commonly referred to as the Dutch Golden Age. De Witt was elected Grand Pensionary of Holland, and together with his uncle Cornelis de Graeff,Life/Death Rhythms of Capitalist Regimes – Debt before Dishonour, p. 98, by Will Slatyer (2014) he controlled the Dutch political system from around 1650 until the (Disaster Year) of 1672. This progressive cooperation between the two statesmen, and the consequent support of Amsterdam under the rule of De Graeff,The World, by Simon Sebag Montefiore (2022) was an important political axis that organized the political system within the republic."DeWitt" – an annotation to Thomas Carlyle's "Signs of the Times" Rachel Klotz '13, English 0600J, Brown University, 2010
As a leading republican of the Dutch States Party, De Witt opposed the House of Orange-Nassau and the Orangists and preferred a shift of power from the central government to the regenten. However, the Dutch Republic suffered numerous early defeats in the Rampjaar, due to an alliance of England, France, and several German states which planned on invading the Dutch Republic. In the hysteria that followed, he and his older brother Cornelis de Witt were blamed and lynched in The Hague, with their corpses at least partially eaten by the rioters. These cannibals were never prosecuted, and some historians claim William of Orange may have incited them.
Family and early life
Johan de Witt was a member of the old Dutch De Witt family. His father was Jacob de Witt, an influential regent from the patrician class in the city of Dordrecht, which in the 17th century was one of the most important cities of the dominating province of Holland. De Witt's mother was Anna van den Corput (1599–1645), niece of Johannes Corputius, an influential Dutch military leader and cartographer.Johann de Witt, p. 1, by N. Japikse, 2012 (German) Johan's brother Cornelis had a steep career in the shadow of the former. His uncle Andries de Witt held the position of Grand Pensionary of Holland between 1619 and 1621. Through the marriage of one of his other uncles to Margaretha of Nassau, daughter of Anna Johanna of Nassau-Siegen, De Witt was a distant relative of William of Orange-Nassau.Herbert H. Rowen: John de Witt. Statesman of the "True Freedom". 1986, p. 47. Another relationship connected him to the Tromps, Maarten and his son Cornelis Tromp, both admirals of the Netherlands."Met onoprechte deelneming van neef Cornelis Tromp" (Dutch)
Johan and his older brother Cornelis grew up in a privileged environment in terms of education, his father having as good acquaintances important scholars and scientists, such as Isaac Beeckman, Jacob Cats, Gerardus Vossius, and Andreas Colvius. Johan and Cornelis both attended the Latin school in Dordrecht, which imbued them with the values of the Roman Republic. After attending the Latin school in Dordrecht, Johan de Witt studied at the Leiden University, where he excelled at mathematics and law. He received his doctorate from the University of Angers in 1645. He practised law in The Hague as an associate with the firm of Frans van Schooten.
Marriage and children
In 1655 Johan de Witt married Wendela Bicker, daughter of Johan Bicker and Agneta de Graeff van Polsbroek,Wendela Bicker at vrouwenlexicon (dutch) who belonged to the inner circle of the powerful Amsterdam oligarchy. Through his marriage, De Witt became a relative of the ruling patrician families Bicker, De Graeff, Hooft, Witsen, Boelens Loen, and Reynst among others. His brothers-in-law also included Amsterdam patrician Pieter de Graeff (who was also his full cousin), high official Gerard Bicker (I) van Swieten, arms dealer Jacob Trip and banker and financier Jean Deutz, all important and loyal political allies of De Witt. Frans Banninck Cocq (captain of Rembrandt's famous painting The Night Watch) became his uncle-in-law and Joachim Irgens von Westervick (between 1666 and 1675 owner of the private Irgens Estate, which was a huge part of Northern Norway) his cousin-in-law as well. Johan and Wendela had four children, three daughters and one son:Anna de Witt at Heren van Holland Anna de Witt (1655–1725), married to Herman van den Honert Agnes de Witt (1658–1688), married to Simon Teresteyn van Halewijn Maria de Witt (1660–1689), married to Willem Hooft Johan de Witt Jr. (1662–1701), secretary of the city of Dordrecht; married to Wilhelmina de Witt, the daughter of his uncle Cornelis de Witt
After De Witt's death, Pieter de Graeff, husband of his wife Wendela's younger sister Jacoba Bicker, became the guardian of his children.
Politics In 1650 (the year that stadtholder William II, Prince of Orange died) he was appointed leader of the deputation of Dordrecht to the States of Holland and West Friesland. In December 1650, De Witt became the pensionary of Dordrecht as the successor of Nicolaas Ruys. In 1652, at the age of 27, De Witt was faced with a mob of angry demonstrators of sailors and fishermen in the city of Vlissingen. He held this position until July 1653 and was succeeded by Govert van Slingelandt, a distant relative of his.
Elected Grand Pensionary
In July 1653, the States of Holland elected De Witt Grand Pensionary. In making the appointment, De Witt relied on the express consent of Amsterdam headed by burgomaster and regent Cornelis de Graeff. The States of Holland chose him with the express intercession of his later uncle De Graeff.Biography Cornelis de Graeff at Nieuw Nederlandsch biografisch woordenboek. Deel 2 (Dutch) Since Holland was the Republic's most powerful province, he was effectively the political leader of the United Provinces as a whole, especially during periods when no stadholder had been elected by the States of most Provinces. The raadpensionaris of Holland was often referred to as the Grand Pensionary by foreigners as he represented the preponderant province in the Union of the Dutch Republic. He led the States of the province by his experience, tenure, familiarity with the issues, and use of the staff at his disposal. He was in no manner equivalent to a modern Prime Minister.
Representing the province of Holland, De Witt tended to identify with the economic interests of shipping and trading in the United Provinces. These interests were largely concentrated in the province of Holland, and to a lesser degree in the province of Zeeland.
Political goals As leader of the state-oriented party, Johan de Witt pursued the interests of the Dutch patricians and merchants. He had his most important goals formulated in 1662 by his like-minded Pieter de la Court in the book The Interest of Holland. They were:Pieter de la Court: Interest van Holland, ofte gronden van Hollands-Welvaren. Amsterdam 1662 (published under the pseudonym V.D.H.) Peaceful foreign policy, since every war weighed on the economy. De la Court went so far as to suggest replacing the lion in the Dutch coat of arms with a cat. Greatest possible autonomy for Holland and distance from the other six provinces, since these were a burden on rich Holland. De la Court suggested digging a huge ditch to mark the separation, but this was meant to be satirical. Permanent disempowerment of the Princes of Orange, since their dynastic ambitions ran counter to the sober interests of the merchants.
Relationship with Cornelis de Graeff
At the height of the Dutch Golden Age, the First Stadtholderless Period from 1650 to 1672, political power within Holland rested primarily with two pro-state minded, republican, families. At Amsterdam, this lay with the brothers Cornelis and Andries de Graeff, and at The Hague with the brothers Johan and Cornelis de Witt, leaders of the pro-state (republican) faction of Holland, reinforced by their close collaboration and mutual kinship.Die vielen Leben des Jan Six: Geschichte einer Amsterdamer Dynastie, von Geert Mak (2016)
Domestically, Johan de Witt relied on political cooperation with the Dutch cities, and above all with Amsterdam. In doing so, De Witt recognized the political power of his uncle burgomaster Cornelis de Graeff, and did his best to accommodate Amsterdam's wishes. De Witt needed his political advice, the support of the Amsterdam government under De Graeff and his clientele, but he also enjoyed his clear mind and humane frankness. De Graeff combined a clear mind, extensive education and the ability to give and take. In one respect, however, he differed from his uncle, for although De Witt was a supporter of liberty like him, in contrast to him he clung to the extreme, which was to prove to be a fatal error in the Rampjaar 1672.Johann de Witt, p. 78, by Nicolas Japikse (Amsterdam, 1918) The relationship between these two distinct characters was a combination of close kinship and mutual respect. De Graeff was a political equal to De Witt like no other.Rowen, Herbert H. (1986) John de Witt – Statesman of the „True Freedom"Israel, Jonathan I. (1995) The Dutch Republic – Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall – 1477–1806 From then on, De Graeff was at his side as an experienced and trusted councilman. De Witt's letters to De Graeff testify to the great trust that the nephew had in his uncle in political and family matters (a short exchange of letters from the year 1660 bears witness to thisGoogle Buchsuche: Geschiedkundige bijdragen ...: aflevering. Willem Frederik, prins van Nassau ... By Jan Will van Sypesteyn, pp. 240 and following). That did not rule out a fight between the two. Nevertheless, the relationship remained excellent. De Witt understood the remark of Cornelis de Vlaming van Oudshoorn, another Amsterdam burgomaster, dat zonder den heer van Zuidpolsbroek [De Graeff] in niets iets te doen was (that without the Lord of Zuid-Polsbroek nothing could be done anywhere).De vroedschap van Amsterdam 1578–1795, book 1, by Johan Engelbert Elias
Leading statesman
De Witt's power base was the wealthy merchant and patrician class into which he was born. This class broadly coincided politically with the "States faction", stressing Protestant religious moderation and pragmatic foreign policy defending commercial interests. The "Orange faction", consisting of the middle class, preferred a strong leader from the Dutch House of Orange as a counterweight against the rich upper-classes in economic and religious matters. Although leaders that did emerge from the House of Orange rarely were strict Calvinists themselves, they tended to identify with Calvinism, which was popular among the middle classes in the United Provinces during this time. William II of Orange was a prime example of this tendency among the leaders of the House of Orange to support Calvinism. William II was elected stadholder in 1647 and continued to serve until his death in November 1650. Eight days after his death, William II's wife delivered a male heir, William of Orange. Many citizens of the United Provinces urged the election of the infant William III as a stadholder under a regency until he came of age. However, the Provinces, under the dominance of the province of Holland did not fill the office of stadholder.