ABSTRACT
In the early modem period the Republic was one of the main colonial powers. The Dutch were present on every continent and in their glory days they mied the seven seas. Before 1800 their colonial possessions mainly served commercial interests. They were exploited by private enterprise, such as the plantation owners of Suriname or the shareholders of the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie. After the Napoleonic Wars the colonies quickly became an instrument of public policy. The French invasion in January 1795 was a breaking point in the economic history of the Republic. The years from 1795 to 1813, and particularly those between 1810 and 1813, are best remembered for their destructive effects on the Dutch economy, most notably on international trade and shipping. The degree of exploitation was stepped up after Belgium seceded from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1830.
