Rampjaar (Dutch Crisis)

Timeline

1. 1672Borders of the Dutch Republic · NetherlandsLouis XIV led French forces invading from the south, the English attacked Dutch positions by sea, and the bishops of Münster and Cologne struck from the east. The Netherlands was encircled on three sides, known historically as the 'Bewind van Holland' (Holland surrounded).
2. 1672The Hague · NetherlandsMilitary defeats sparked public anger toward the De Witt brothers and the republican faction. Johan de Witt resigned, mob politics rose, and the situation ultimately led to the murder of the De Witt brothers and a change in the stadtholderate.
3. 1672Dutch sea dike defensive lines · NetherlandsThe Dutch breached dikes to flood defensive lines, stalling the French advance toward Amsterdam. After William III resumed the stadtholderate, he unified the resistance, and the Republic preserved the core of its independence in a desperate situation.