The Maritime Empires of the Portuguese and the Dutch

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the creation of the Dutch and Portugese maritime empires, attempting to understand the primary impetus. The author maintains that in both the Dutch and Portuguese cases, means-not motivation-was the major factor in determining the creation and form of the countries' respective empires.
The Portuguese Maritime Empire in Monsoon Asia (1498-1825)
The Dutch Maritime Empire (1400-1800)
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In the first stages of imperial expansion, means is more important than motivation. Some empires, such as the Dutch (though not the Portuguese), have a pre-imperialist phase of expansion in which this is particularly true. In this earliest stag, the country is simply trying to preserve the status quo, as the Dutch were trying to preserve their access to spices at the end of the 16th century. Without planning to, they lay the groundwork for imperialism-in the Dutch case, by consolidating trade under the VOC and forming alliances with Asian leaders not already allied with the Portuguese. Only when the necessary means for empire materialize does the country opportunistically and imperialistically expand."

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