human
That is the house of the Hanseatic League,
gpt
What is the Hanseatic League?
human
It was a commercial alliance between some of the cities of Germany for the protection and development of their trade. It had its origin in the thirteenth century, for the purpose of preventing piracy and shipwreck, and to encourage commerce, and, indeed, all branches of industry. It established great warehouses or factories in different parts of Europe, and became an exceedingly powerful association, so much so that it dictated the policy of sovereigns on their thrones, and even declared and carried on war with several of the powers of Europe. In the fourteenth century, the League defeated the King of Norway and Sweden. It unseated the King of Sweden, and gave his crown to another, and having declared war against Denmark, sent a fleet of two hundred and fifty ships, and thousands of troops to carry it on. In fact, the association prepared for war with England, and Edward IV. made important concessions to avoid it. Of course the crowned heads were jealous of its power and influence, and it was eventually broken up; but it laid the foundation of the commercial policy of the nations. The League died out in 1630; but Hamburg, Lubec, and Bremen formed a new one, under the name of the Hanse Towns; and Frankfort-on-the-Main afterwards joined them.
gpt
I have heard of the Hanse Towns, added Paul;
human
The docks and basins here are mainly the work of Napoleon. The great conqueror intended to make Antwerp the first seaport of the north. The mouth of the Thames is less than a hundred miles from the mouth of the Scheldt, and he knew that, with a naval station equal to any in the possession of England, he could, in time of war, cripple or destroy the commerce of his great rival. He expended ten millions of dollars on these docks, basins, and fortifications. The English were alarmed, and in 1809 sent the Walcheren expedition, which obtained a foothold on that island, but were defeated by disease and death, for seven thousand British soldiers perished by marsh fever. By the peace of Paris in 1814, after the battle of Waterloo, it was stipulated that the dock-yards should be destroyed, for they were a standing threat to the maritime powers; but these basins were preserved for commercial purposes. The largest one will accommodate thirty-four ships of the line.