ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the English state of the 1690s owed rather little to European models. Looking at William's continental career prior to 1688, there is one obvious way in which his foreign experience could have helped England build her state. The new king had led the United Provinces. Given the success of Dutch in state-building, it is tempting to suggest William applied the lessons of his homeland to his adopted country, and solved English problems with foreign expertise. Generals from the United Provinces were in overall strategic command of the war effort in Flanders; and individual Dutchmen played important parts in building England's land forces. Moreover, William had learnt a hard personal lesson in Holland, which would have convinced him of the need for parliamentary consent even without the established traditions of his homeland. In 1683, he had tried to boost the Dutch state through his own prestige, prerogative and power.
