Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts that are discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book offers a comparative and complementary overview of William's reign. It describes the traditional indeterminate position of the Stadholder William III. William III's entire reign signified both a turning point for England's political history as well as a continuation of much older forces. The book describes William III and diplomacy of the peace talks with France, analysing the changing nature of international affairs as a result of long coalition wars. It discusses the Wout Troost studies William's Irish policy, pointing out that the European politics of William III reached much further than Netherlands, England and France. The book considers the intellectual defence of the Williamite settlement both in the British Isles and in the United Provinces. The book illustrates the role William III played in the development of political thought by considering some of the theoretical justifications for the Glorious Revolution.