Challenge: Make the Netherlands the most Evil Nation in History

[Morty Vicar]

Well Britain is arguably the most evil in history, with its massive empire, according to some sources highest number of people killed and enslaved etc etc. But the big baddies today are usually the Nazis or the Communists of certain periods, depending on ones political viewpoint. So what it takes is to start huge wars leading to millions of lives lost, but ultimately to lose that war, and your history written by your enemies. Demographically and even politically the Netherlands was not radically different from Germany prior to WW2, perhaps Hitler begins his ascent to power there and uses the rhetoric of Germanic unity to cement the critical alliance of Germany, or at least the elements of Germany that did support him in the OTL. It seems imperative that he moves to the Netherlands early on, rather than Germany, to develop his ideas of nationalism. His dislike of France could perhaps mean he invades Belgium, supported by the Flemish nationalists in the Netherlands and Belgium itself in a parallel to his invasion of Poland, ostensibly done in the name of Germans in Poland.

 

[VictorLaszlo]

While Dutch abusing and killing natives will make them look pretty evil to us, that won't be the case from the 17th to the 19th century, if you want them to be perceived as evil back then, you have to make sure they commit atrocities against europeans. So let them win their wars against England in the 17th century, make them decide to not only keep their colonies on North America, but to completely annihilate the english presence there by all means available, the more brutal, the better, something along of surrounding one english settlement after another, herding every single colonist into the local churches and then burning them with everyone inside, until there's not a single english community left. Add a lot of gang rapes and keeping the captured girls and women as sex slaves and if that will not make the Dutch to look like the most evil villains I don't know what will. Such a conduct would have by the way been far from ASB, there were in fact english propaganda pamphlets from the time showing Dutch abusing english colonists after taking their colony in OTL.

 

[Morty Vicar]

Another thought is perhaps a Dutch intervention in the Boer War, pre WW1 seen as the most violent and brutal in OTL. However the Dutch presence sways the balance of power, and the ensuing massacre of British, Indian and African civilians causes outrage in mainland europe. To continue their bad name perhaps the riches from South Africa make them more powerful, and a bigger player in ww2. However its their control of Apartheid, not just in South Africa but also in Surinam, that makes them increasingly unpopular in World politics.

 

[frozenpredator]

Such a conduct would have by the way been far from ASB, there were in fact english propaganda pamphlets from the time showing Dutch abusing english colonists after taking their colony in OTL.

Abusing? The poor sods were tortured to death for the crime of trading in an area that had no real monopolies at the time. Worse is what my people did to the natives, which can only be described as Genocide.

In fact looking at Dutch colonial History the only place were the Dutch were not evil was in the New Netherland colony, which was de facto autonomous (the WIC had very little real power), with the Dutch succesfully seeking close ties to local tribes (though they did react beyond proportion to raids) and seeking friendly ties with New England (who acted like dicks towards the Dutch during a general cooling of Anglo-Dutch relations)

 

[Socrates]

Well Britain is arguably the most evil in history, with its massive empire, according to some sources highest number of people killed and enslaved etc etc.

Evidence please.

 

[Antiochus]

When people talk about the Nazis or the Khmer Rouge or any horrific regime, the leader is extremely important. So when people talk about Germany from 1933-1945 and the Holocaust as if Hitler personally was completely responsible for it. He's an iconic leader and historic figure and probably one of the reasons why Germany gets more bad press for WW2 than Japan does. (The other being probably killing white people). So I think you need to have a dictator of similar standing for the evil Netherlands. Like a Hitler, or Stalin or Sadam Hussein or Pol Pot. Someone who was head of the Netherlands and committed the war crimes and crimes against humanity who can be the face of evil. Maybe throw in some other iconic members of the regime, like a Dutch Himmler and Mengele to make sure its more widespread.

You could also throw in a famous national hero in Dutch history who is a hero in the Netherlands, but is considered a war criminal in another country with a lot of clout (like an Oliver Cromwell) who the Dutch Hitler and Dutch in general idolise and tie their regimes to and already you have a strong animosity against the Netherlands. You could attach these dictators to a crucial institution (eg the monarchy) and have a continued Dutch denial of their crimes. Maybe if you also throw in that in the present the Dutch still hold their dictators in high regard and maybe are rebuilding or have gone into isolationism? (Similar to North Korea)

That should firmly establish a reputation that should put the Nazis to shame, just need to find a POD to make them powerful enough to inflict some major hurt on Europe. Personally I think the Dutch Burgundy or early United Netherlands would be best. By the 19th century the great powers were too established, and earlier expansion into north Germany would be far easier.

What

 

[The Ubbergeek]

Maybe adding religious fanatism - a radical orangist protestant who go so beyond the pale into oppressign catholics, but maybe also 'wrong' protestants AND even jews? The kind that would make the others balk and uneasy?

 

[Morty Vicar]

Evidence please.

I'm not stating that as fact, I'm using it as an example of how the winners write the history. Nazis are seen as bad for killing jews and invading Poland, yet the British who invaded Ireland and killed Native americans, Africans etc and traded in slaves are the good guys, as are the Americans who almost wiped out entire races of Native Americans, or USSR who also had much blood on their hands. I'm not trying to offend anyone here (I'm British incidentally) my point was that its subjective. To the Irish the British are the ultimate evil, wheras to the Polish maybe they were seen as liberators (okay thats doubtful but its just an example).

Maybe adding religious fanatism - a radical orangist protestant who go so beyond the pale into oppressign catholics, but maybe also 'wrong' protestants AND even jews? The kind that would make the others balk and uneasy?

No more so than the Spanish Inquisition would. I think the atrocities need to take place in the modern era, when they have worldwide communication, widespread literacy and corresponding media available to the general populace, perhaps even photographs and film footage, such as the revelations of the concentration camps in Germany that shocked much of the World who had not seen such images of death before. I mean nobody has done quite so much raping and pillage as Genghis Khan, but his era is so far in the past as to be merely a historical curiosity.