Netherlands-Venezuela dispute of 1908

Netherlands-Venezuela dispute of 1908

In 1908 a dispute broke out between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela lead by President of Venezuela, Cipriano Castro who in May 1908 ordered the Venezuela coast guard to size ships flying under the Netherlands flag and on July 20th 1908 he had the Netherlands ambassador expelled from the country , prompting the Netherlands to dispatch three warships (coastal defense ship, HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerk, Holland class-cruisers, HNLMS Gelderland and HNLMS Friesland) who began patrolling the Venezuela coast from November 1st 1908 onwards seizing any Venezuela flagged ship.

On December 12th the Holland class-cruiser, HNLMS Gelderland Gelderland captured the Venezuelan coast guard ships Alix and 23th Mayo which where taken and brought to Curacao. With their overwhelming naval superiority; the three Royal Netherlands Navy warships enforced a blockade on Venezuela's ports.

Let’s assume that unlike in OTL where President of Venezuela, Cipriano Castro left for Berlin for a surgical operation, which resulted that a uprising in Caracas overthrew his regime and ending the war with the Netherlands, here in this timeline he did not have a kidney problem and thus did not need to go abroad for medical treatment, how will this it effect the Netherlands-Venezuela dispute.

it could turn into an all out war, the Netherlands is now, nor was it then, going to give up Aruba, Bonaire and or Curaçau. In my opinion it would be war, especially if a Dutch ship is sunk or troops start massing on the borders.

The Netherlands-Venezuela dispute was more ore lest about trade and not about the Netherlands Antilles but if President of Venezuela, Cipriano Castro who in my POD remains in his country instead of going to Germany for medical treatments which ended his regime decided to invade one or two of the islands belonging to the Netherlands Antilles (don’t know if he has the navy ore ships to do that ) then the crisis might turn into a full blow war.

According to some information I have found the US informed the Netherlands that as long as they did not invade Venezuela and stick with a naval blockade only they would not object but if the Netherlands did invade to change the Castro regime they would intervene.

I think it'll lead to an all out war. The basis of a long standing bad feeling between the Netherlands and Venezuela was the colonial presence in the form of the ABC Islands.

Vnix said:

I think it'll lead to an all out war. The basis of a long standing bad feeling between the Netherlands and Venezuela was the colonial presence in the form of the ABC Islands.

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Well the problem is that the US will not intervene in this crisis I think as long as the Netherlands doesn’t decide to invade the country, the last thing the Netherlands needs is a US fleet intervening on behave of Venezuela.

Have created three options which are

Option1. Venezuela coastal forts open fire on the coastal defense ships, HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerk, Holland class-cruisers, HNLMS Gelderland and HNLMS Friesland which results that they will open fire back which will escalate the crisis.

Option 2. The Netherlands increase the blockade of Venezuela but after a while due the cost of maintain a blockade ends it which result that Venezuela claims to win over a European power.

Option 3. The Castro regime is removed from power by either the Venezuela military ore a civilian uprising which result that a new Venezuela government agrees to the terms of the Netherlands government.