Dutch States Navy

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Dutch States Navy
Staatse Vloot
The naval jack of the Dutch States Navy. It consists of seven stripe, one for each of province of the Dutch Republic.
Active	1588–1795
Country	Dutch Republic
Branch	Navy
Size	~10,500 active duty personnel ~850 reserve personnel ~70–100 ships of the line ~100 frigates ~100 other tall ships
Part of	Naval Committee of the States General
Headquarters	1 per admiralty, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Middelburg, Dokkum and Harlingen, Hoorn and Enkhuizen
Engagements	Eighty Years' War Dutch–Portuguese War Anglo-Dutch Wars Northern Wars Franco-Dutch War Nine Years' War War of the Spanish Succession War of the Austrian Succession War of the First Coalition
Commanders
Notable commanders	Piet Pieterszoon Hein, Maarten Tromp, Michiel de Ruyter, Cornelis Tromp
Insignia
Naval ensign	Prince's Flag (1588–1630) Statenvlag (1630–1795)
Naval jack
Coat of arms (1588–1665)
Coat of arms (1665–1795)
Escutcheon

The Dutch States Navy (Dutch: Staatse Vloot) was the navy of the Dutch Republic from 1588 to 1795. Coming into existence during the Eighty Years' War, the States Navy played a major role in expanding and protecting the Dutch colonial empire, in addition to participating in numerous conflicts with rival European powers. The States Navy consisted of five admiralties, which were respectively based in Amsterdam, Friesland, the Noorderkwartier, Rotterdam and Zeeland. This organisational structure contributed to the decentralised nature of the States Navy, which heavily relied upon privateers and armed merchantmen in times of war.

In addition to the Eighty Years' War, the States Navy also participated in the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Dutch–Portuguese War, the Northern Wars, the Franco-Dutch War and various conflicts of the French–Habsburg rivalry. It also played a major role in protecting Dutch overseas trade, including Dutch involvement in the triangular trade and the Atlantic slave trade.^[1] As a result of the War of the First Coalition, the Dutch Republic ceased to exist in 1795, being succeeded by the Batavian Republic; the States Navy was correspondingly transformed into the Batavian Navy. The current navy of the Netherlands, the Royal Netherlands Navy, is the modern successor of the States Navy and inherited many of its traditions.