Dutch Preparations for the Siege of Malacca

Timeline

1. 1598–1599Rotterdam · NetherlandsJacob van Neck set out from Holland with a second expedition of eight ships, aimed directly at the Moluccan spice-producing regions and at striking Portuguese trade in the East. The expedition carried better armament and funds, showing the Dutch intention to escalate military action in the East.
2. 1599Bantam · JavaVan Neck's fleet arrived at Bantam, Java, in 1599, establishing a trading base and obtaining spices. At the same time they gathered intelligence on the defenses of the Malacca fortress, Portuguese troop strength, and strait channels, conducting strategic reconnaissance for a future military attack.
3. 1599–1600Johor · MalaysiaThe Dutch established contact with the Sultanate of Johor, which had lost Malacca, and both opposed Portugal. Between 1599 and 1600, Dutch merchants began systematically planning a joint siege of Malacca with local forces; though insufficient troops prevented immediate action, it defined the target for military operations after the East India Company's founding in 1602.