This thesis examines Dutch knowledge and representations of early modern Barbary and its peoples, through analyses of ethnographic descriptions, newspapers and captivity narratives. On the basis of...Show moreThis thesis examines Dutch knowledge and representations of early modern Barbary and its peoples, through analyses of ethnographic descriptions, newspapers and captivity narratives. On the basis of the first two bodies of texts, it argues that detailed and specific information on Barbary was available to a relatively large audience. Captivity narratives, on the other hand, reveal that this information was not necessarily picked up by the Dutch public, as the words their authors used to designate North African polities and peoples were rather abstract, and more closely resembled stereotypes projected upon Barbary.Show less
Maritime security is vital for many states, and it is undermined by many acts, one of which is piracy. This threat is acknowledged by the extensive anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, in...Show moreMaritime security is vital for many states, and it is undermined by many acts, one of which is piracy. This threat is acknowledged by the extensive anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, in which China partakes. Even though piracy occurs in the South China Sea as well, China does not have a military anti-piracy operation in this area. Nonetheless, this area is vital for the operation of its economy. It is, therefore, important to analyze how the differences in these policies can be explained. By using different theoretical explanations (realism, liberal institutionalism, and constructivism), the objective of this thesis is to analyze which theory carries the most explanatory power, or if a combination of explanations could provide a better explanation to the seemingly contradictory policy. This is done through a method of congruence analysis, combined with process-tracing. After tracing China’s actions and developments in the Western Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, this thesis finds that constructivism provides the best explanation for China’s different approaches, as anti-piracy cooperation merely served as a tool of statecraft.Show less
This research will add to the understanding of the conceptualization of piracy with the use of the failed state discourse. It aims to give a critical examination of the international counter piracy...Show moreThis research will add to the understanding of the conceptualization of piracy with the use of the failed state discourse. It aims to give a critical examination of the international counter piracy measures with a specific focus on the EU NAVFOR operation Atlanta. Studies suggest that there should be an agreed-on concept of piracy to effectively deter it. The various regulatory agencies have been advocating it; however, it seems that the member states all have their own ways of viewing and dealing with piracy which benefit their own interests. The failed state discourse by Englebert and Tull, explains that African states are often presumed to be failed and that they therefore, need assistance in the state reconstruction processes. Moreover, there is a flawed assumption that Western states have the capacity and the legitimacy to reconstruct the African states. By further investigating this notion, we find that the currently operating EU operation Atlanta displays a perfect example of the failed state discourse in their humanitarian foreign policy measures.Show less
Since the 9/11 attacks, maritime security and ocean governance received intense attention from the international community, maritime organizations, and the maritime industry. Regions of strategic...Show moreSince the 9/11 attacks, maritime security and ocean governance received intense attention from the international community, maritime organizations, and the maritime industry. Regions of strategic importance showed vulnerability in illegal activities from non-state actors. For instance, in the Horn of Africa (HoA), a core transit passage for the maritime industry, piracy skyrocketed. These risks were accompanied by side-effects, such as disruption of international trade or environmental pollution, having an impact both locally and globally. This thesis explores EU’s initiatives for maritime security and ocean governance. This thesis will prove whether EU’s foreign policy influenced the recent EU Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS) and the role of EUMSS in EU’s naval missions to tackle piracy in HoA, EUNAVFOR Operation Atlanta and EUCAP Nestor.Show less
The major trading companies of the Dutch and the English, the VOC and EIC respectively, didn't gain their massive trading empires overnight but were a result of many years of diplomacy but also of...Show moreThe major trading companies of the Dutch and the English, the VOC and EIC respectively, didn't gain their massive trading empires overnight but were a result of many years of diplomacy but also of extensive piracy and privateering ventures. This thesis explores how the trading companies utilised these violent practices on the seas to enlarge their influence in Asia but also how they legitimized this towards other parties. Central for this research are the legal works of contemporary lawyers like Hugo Grotius, John Selden and William Welwod and seeing how their theoretical works compare to the practical side of things in Asia.Show less
Pirates have long played an integral role in people’s ideas of the history and heritage of the Caribbean, yet this heritage goes undefined. While academic scholarship on piracy has increased in...Show morePirates have long played an integral role in people’s ideas of the history and heritage of the Caribbean, yet this heritage goes undefined. While academic scholarship on piracy has increased in recent years, no investigation has yet been done on how piracy manifests as part of the heritage of the region. This paper is an attempt to examine this understudied area, and extend research on heritage in the Caribbean into a new direction. The concept of heritage as defined by Smith and Waterton in their essay ‘The Envy of the World?’ Intangible Heritage in England (2009) has provided the basis for the conceptualization of the heritage of piracy in this paper. They contend that all heritage is inherently intangible and that heritage is “the performance and negotiation of identity, values and a sense of place” (Smith and Waterton 2009, 292). By examining what form the heritage of pirates and piracy from the Golden Age (1650-1724) takes today, and how both Europeans and Americans, and Afro-Caribbeans view that heritage, this paper contends that pirates are absolutely part of the heritage of the Caribbean, and that pirate heritage manifests in both the modern romanticized idea of pirates portrayed in popular culture for European and Americans, and as part of the colonial legacy for Afro-Caribbeans. Moreover, while both of these groups do see pirates of the Golden Age as part of their heritage, the first embraces and celebrates it, whereas the second does not. This provides a clear example of the dissonance of all heritage, as described by Tunbridge and Ashworth (1996) and Smith and Waterton (2009); while heritage may be viewed as positive by one group, it will be viewed as negative by another.Show less
Dit onderzoek gaat over de wederzijdse relatie tussen private militaire acties ter zee en politiek van Filips de Goede in Holland en Zeeland. Waarbij de focus ligt op diplomatiek en zijn maritieme...Show moreDit onderzoek gaat over de wederzijdse relatie tussen private militaire acties ter zee en politiek van Filips de Goede in Holland en Zeeland. Waarbij de focus ligt op diplomatiek en zijn maritieme politiek.Show less
This thesis concerns the reflection of ancient Mediterranean piracy in textual evidence and the archaeological record. It also seeks why Mediterranean piracy occurred: which motives could have...Show moreThis thesis concerns the reflection of ancient Mediterranean piracy in textual evidence and the archaeological record. It also seeks why Mediterranean piracy occurred: which motives could have prompted people in the past to commit piratical activities? The central case-study in this thesis is concerned with the Illyrian pirates, operating in the Adriatic during Hellenistic times. First, the Illyrian pirates as they appear in the classical texts by Appian and Polybius are examined. The Illyrian pirates appear in these texts in relation to the Illyrian Wars. The texts provide us with two distinct motives, namely an economic and a political one. Archaeological evidence pertaining to Illyrian piracy is less direct. Through the methodology used in this thesis it is determined that certain types of archaeological evidence can point to piracy. The coin hoards found in Risan and Mazin, towns in Montenegro and Croatia respectively, contain coins which have a diversity in origin. This diversity in origin, called a conspicuous diversity, might indicate a buried piratical booty. In this case, piracy was committed for economic reasons. A burnt layer found in the ancient city of Rhizon is dated to 229 BC, the year of the first Illyrian war. According to Polybius, the pirate Queen Teuta fled to Rhizon and made it a stronghold during the war. The burnt layer points out a political reason for piracy, namely war. The burnt layer combined with the geographical location of Rhizon make a case for Rhizon being a binge-economy serving pirates. Proxy data, such as amphorae and coins, indicate an economic complexity characterized by long distance trade. Such a complexity is essential for piracy to flourish, since it provides the pirates with victims to attack. Modern day piracy in the Strait of Malacca committed by Somali pirates has much more complicated roots, but its reasons are still political and economic. Besides piracy for economic benefits, they also commit piracy to revolt against the current political situation. This might also be the case with the Illyrian pirates, since their political situation was similar to that of Somalia. The Illyrians were divided into tribes, with constant wars and without political unity.Show less
