A surviving United Kingdom of the Netherlands

[Qantrix]

For some time now I've been working on a new timeline, featuring a United Kingdom of the Netherlands that manages to defeat the Belgian Revolution (with significant Prussian aid). I've decided to finally post this timeline. To start of I'd like to thank DarkSlavik for the maps he made in Map Thread II or III (I think), I used these maps as a template for the maps I created for this timeline, and based the color scheme on his.

The world in 1815, after the Congress of Vienna

CONGRESS OF VIENNA AND BELGIAN AND LIBERAL REVOLUTIONS ​

In 1815, after the Congress of Vienna the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was established. The new state was made up of the former Dutch republic (Republic of the Seven United Netherlands) to the north, the former Austrian Netherlands to the south, and the former Prince-Bishopric of Liège. The nation would act as a buffer against France. The first King would be William I, the son of the last Stadtholder of the Netherlands William V and Wilhelmina of Prussia.

15 years after the establishment of the United Kingdom, riots broke out in Brussels. It marked the beginning of the Belgian Revolution, sparked mostly by the policy of King William I and the anger in the Southern Netherlands over this. Very important were the differences in religion and language between the Northern and Southern Netherlands. However what was even more important were the Northern domination of the United Kingdom, despite that the South were economically the most important.

In 1831, a Dutch - Prussian Army invaded the Southern Netherlands and defeated Belgian forces. Although France, under the newly installed July Monarchy heavily protested they eventually caved and the Netherlands backed by Russia, Austria, Great Britain and with active support from Prussia subdued the Belgian revolution. Over the coming decades the Southern Netherlands remained unstable, it was only with the abdication of William I, and William II taking the throne (who was more popular with the Belgians) that some stability returned. Reforms were made to the favor of the Southerners. Despite the violence, the heart of the economy of the Netherlands would remain in the south. Antwerp for example remained the most important harbor.

Through the Belgian Revolution, Prussia and the Netherlands started to cooperate. The United Kingdom weary of France considered in Prussia a potential ally with whom they share an enemy. Some in the Netherlands also were somewhat angry at the United Kingdom, who had originally insisted on the Netherlands receiving the Southern Netherlands in exchange for Ceylon and the Cape Colony and had given no military support.

In 1848 Liberal Revolutions broke out across Europe and the Netherlands, unstable as it is were, was hit by the riots too. King William II, then a conservative yielded to the demands of the revolutionaries, declaring one morning that he had become a liberal overnight. Various concessions were made to the liberals led by Rudolf Thorbecke. A year later, King William II died (sparking concerns over the stability in Belgium) and William III took over his father.

Conservative, militarist and pro-Prussian he set about to reversing the reforms that were made by his father. He would be successful, and in a number of years a conservative and militarist clique was in control of the Netherlands and most liberal reforms had been overturned. It didn't make the United Kingdom any more stable, however the military managed to keep order.

TIMELINE​

1815
-The Congress of Vienna redraws the borders in Europe, with his defeat at Waterloo the Napoleonic Wars come to an end.

-The United Kingdom of the Netherlands is created, including the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg

1821
-The Padri War starts on West Sumatra between Dutch forces and the indigenous population.

1825
-There is a rebellion in Java, led by Prince Diponegero who leads a fierce guerilla war, capturing Yogyakarta.

1830
-There are riots in several cities in the Southern Netherlands. Rioters take over several cities and sign a Declaration of Independence. "Belgium" enjoys the support of France (under the recently installed July Monarchy)

-As Belgium is entering into open rebellion, the rebellion in Java finally comes to an end.

1831(POD)
-The Netherlands moves to retake Belgium, and does successfully. While the French oppose it, they sit by and watch not wanting to provoke a war with the rest of Europe that supports the Netherlands. A Dutch army with Prussian support subdues the revolution, although over the next years erratic violence continues throughout Belgium.

1835
-The last Padri strongholds fall. Padri leader Tuanku Imam Bonjol is exiled. Disturbances continue to break out in both Java and Sumatra throughout the 19th Century.

1840
-William I of the Netherland abdicates, 3 years later he dies in Berlin. William II takes over the throne, this King would prove to be more popular in the South.

1845
-There is a last flare-up of riots surrounding in the Southern Netherlands, a Dutch army improved thanks to cooperation with the Prussians subdue the violence quickly. The riots are the last widespread violence as the South is swiftly becoming more important in the United Kingdom and is recognized as such by William II. Antwerp is the largest harbor of the Kingdom, increased only by the recently constructed "Iron Rhine". The south is the industrial heartland of the Netherlands.

1848
-The Revolutions of 1848 sweep through Europe also taking a hold of the Netherlands as violence in Germany spreads into the United Kingdom. William II officially claims to have caved in to demands of revolutionaries, saying he has become a liberal overnight. In practice reforms are made difficult by the influence of a conservative militarist clique.

1849
-William II dies unexpectedly after 9 years of rule, and only 6 years later then his father. His son, William III is crowned King. William III is more conservative, very sympathetic to Prussia and loves the army. Liberal reforms that were made in response to the 1848 revolutions are mostly reversed.

 

[Qantrix]

AUSTRO-PRUSSIAN AND FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WARS​

It was in the year 1865 that Austro-Prussian forces took over Holstein and Schleswig, Austria took over administration of Holstein while Prussia did so in Schleswig. Tensions between Austria and Prussia soon began to rise and escalated into the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. The entirety of Germany was divided into an Austrian and Prussian camp, most prominently the southern German states (Bavaria, Baden and Württemberg), Hanover and Frankfurt stood alongside Austria, while Prussia, Italy and most northern German states (Hamburg, Bremen, Brunswick) stood alongside Prussia.

King William III had enough influence by this point to be able to put the Netherlands into a war, and it's doubtful that if he didn't want a war he could have stopped it. The military had taken control of the Netherlands, the government relying on it to keep the country together. Regardless, William III did want to come to the aid of his Prussian friends, and soon Dutch forces crossed into Hanover, where they engaged in independent operations and into Prussia where they assisted Prussian forces.

The Dutch Army couldn't quite match up to the skill of the Prussian and their performance against Hanover was in general disappointing. Regardless, the Army was celebrated and the Netherlands annexed a corridor of territory formerly controlled by Hanover in between the Netherlands and Oldenburg. The war resulted in a Prussian victory, Prussia formed the North German Confederation and the new Zollverein with which the Netherlands would sign a free trade agreement.

Only a few years later, the Netherlands was involved in another war. This time, all of Germany, under Prussian leadership, marched to war against France. Once again, the Netherlands was involved on Prussian side. Truly the only added value that the Netherlands had was that Prussian forces could march through it. While the Netherlands stood in the Austro-Prussian War against Hanover, a German state besieged from all sides, it now stood against a capable opponent and showed it's true colors, performing dismally. It was only thanks to the German performance on other fronts that the Netherlands wasn't completely overrun.

Eventually, Dutch forces would participate in the Siege of Paris, and the Netherlands was among the first to recognize the newly established German Empire. The Netherlands was awarded with French Flanders (incorporated as the Province of Atrecht) for it's participation, the inhabitants were a dutch speaking yet catholic people who lived in France. Irredentist sentiments in the Netherlands were satisfied with this new annexation.

TIMELINE​

1861-65
-The American Civil War starts as the Southern States rise up, it ends in a defeat of the Confederates.

1866
-The Austro-Prussian War starts, the Netherlands doesn't hesitate to support the Prussians, the Dutch Army mostly fights in Hanover, after the war the Netherlands gains a corridor formerly owned by Hanover between the Netherlands and Oldenburg and signs a free trade agreement with the Zollverein. The Netherlands secretly enters into a military alliance with Prussia. Prussia is greatly expanded as a result of the war, and Italy is unified.

In the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy is created, and the Northern German Federation.

1870
-The Franco-Prussian war starts, the Netherlands joins on the Prussian side like it did in the war against Austria, the Dutch Army itself performs dismally against the French, however the Germans fighting from the Dutch front do well. France falls, and as German celebrate the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, the Netherlands annex the French Netherlands as the province of "Atrecht".

1871
-The German Empire is found. William II of the Netherlands recognizes the German Empire, by this time the Netherlands is in many countries considered to be a puppet of Kaiser Wilhelm, and in practice is. The Netherlands is for a large part dependent on trade with Germany and is only able to exist thanks to it's alliance with Germany.

An investigation into the performance of the Dutch Army leads to widespread changes to reform the Dutch Army to the Prussian model. Prussia sends advisers and new arms.

 

[Theodoric]

I hope you've got more, as this seems very nice already.

 

[pompejus]

A Belgium remains part of the Netherlands timeline, interesting.
I do have some questions though. How big is the Corridor the Netherlands gains? Is it basicly East-Frisia/Jevers? Is it all of western Hannover? or is it a lot less, just a small strip at the Dutch border?
You say the Netherlands get French Flanders from France and makes it a new province named Artesie. Isn't French Flanders too small for a province and wouldn't it easier to just add it to the province of (west) Flanders? Or does it also include Artois, which would explain the name of Artesie?
My last question is about the state of the democracy in the Netherlands. Is it more or less like OTL? The Monarch has some influence but the government and parliament is elected by the (rich) citizens?

 

[Qantrix]

@Theodoric: Yes, more is coming up. I have a completed timeline up to 1920. Around 1920 (yes right after the Great War) I intend to take a look at the different nations, and what they have become like

The world in 1871, after the end of the Franco-Prussian War

THE ACEH AND BOER WARS​

After the Franco-Prussian War, as far as the Netherlands was concerned, peace had returned to the European continent. The Netherlands wasn't engaged in conflict with other European nations. That doesn't mean that the Dutch army sat by idle. In the East Indies, the Netherlands started a war against the Sultanate of Aceh, an islamic nation in the north of the island of Sumatra. In 1873, war was declared on Aceh and a first expedition took place under Major General Köhler, which resulted in catastrophe, partially because of a modernized army of Aceh that had received foreign aid.

A second expedition under General van Sweiten had more success, with the aid of experienced soldiers and officers plus modern material coming from Europe, coastal regions were captured including Banda Aceh. The Sultanate of Aceh had been defeated. Control over remote highlands would never be substantial however, and guerilla warfare would continue. This guerilla warfare escalated into full violence in 1896, which led to Major van Heutsz taking control becoming Governor of Aceh. Through bloodshed he pacified Aceh. Although the interior was still not under influence, the people of Aceh now at least cooperated with the Dutch. In 1904, van Heutsz would become Governor-General of Indonesia.

Shortly after the Aceh War had ended, the Second Boer War started. Thousands of dutch volunteers, often dutch army veterans flocked to the Boer cause along with other Europeans. After Boer offensives in 1899, in January 1900 the British were on the offensive that took the Boer Republics by August of that year. President Kruger took exile in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands there was widespread sympathy for the Boers. Mostly because of German influence, the dutch were restrained from taking action, which would have escalated the conflict into a large war. For many years, guerilla warfare would continue, funded and supplied by the Germans and the Dutch.

The Second Boer War would put the Netherlands firmly in the German camp, and relations between the Netherlands and the British Empire completely broke down. It was but one of the events which would help raise tensions in Europe, along with the Agadir Crisis and German attempts to surpass British naval supremacy. Europe became divided in the Quadruple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands) and the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France and Russia). By 1914, many still believed that war wouldn't come, several potential disasters had been averted.

TIMELINE​

1873-75
-The Aceh War starts, although the Dutch initially don't perform well, the arrival of experienced forces from Europe quickly changes the fates and in a number of years the resistance is broken, in part thanks to the recently opened Seuz Canal.

1877-78
-The Ottoman Empire is completely removed from the Balkans.

1880-81
-The First Boer War breaks out. There is widespread sympathy in the Netherlands with the Boers. Transvaal becomes independent.

1884-85
-The Scramble for Africa starts. The Netherlands is mostly passive, concentrating on the East Indies. Some Dutch (and sometimes Boer) advisors help Prussia.

1890
-William III dies, after three years of illness. Because Wilhelmina has yet to reach adulthood, his wife Emma becomes Queen-Regent.

1899-1902
-The Second Boer War starts, throughout the Netherlands there is outrage at the behaviour of the British. Relations with the British reach an all-time low, and the Netherlands begins expanding it's Army and Navy.

1900-14
-Tensions continue to increase across Europe. Since the Franco-Prussian War tensions between those two nations have been high, the Netherlands that has become a staunch ally of Prussia has some issues with France but now has the biggest tensions with the United Kingdom. Austria-Hungary and Russia compete for control of the Balkans. Two blocs arise in Europe, the Triple Entente (France, Great-Britain and Russia) and the Quadruple Alliance (Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy)

1905
-The Russo-Japanese War takes place. Japan, that has been expanding in the past decades taking Taiwan and Korea from China earlier on, replaces Russia as the power influencing Northern China. It also causes the Russian Revolution of 1905.

 

[Qantrix]

A Belgium remains part of the Netherlands timeline, interesting.
I do have some questions though. How big is the Corridor the Netherlands gains? Is it basicly East-Frisia/Jevers? Is it all of western Hannover? or is it a lot less, just a small strip at the Dutch border?

It's basically a small strip at the Dutch border.

You say the Netherlands get French Flanders from France and makes it a new province named Artesie. Isn't French Flanders too small for a province and wouldn't it easier to just add it to the province of (west) Flanders? Or does it also include Artois, which would explain the name of Artesie?

This new province would include Artois, Valenciennes, etc. I still have to work out some of the territorial gains, and I'm working on a dutch map. It is likely that eventually I will decide to include it in Flanders.

My last question is about the state of the democracy in the Netherlands. Is it more or less like OTL? The Monarch has some influence but the government and parliament is elected by the (rich) citizens?

Nope, in domestic affairs the big difference with OTL is that Netherlands is much less democratic then it was in OTL. There is a strong military establishment, although the richer citizens have somewhat influences and reforms are taking place, though later then in OTL.

 

[pompejus]

I was wondering one other thing. Is Luxembourg still only in a personal union with the Netherlands or is it integrated into the kingdom? Does Prussia still want to add Luxembourg to Germany or is it happy with Luxembourg in Dutch hands?

 

[Parma]

Nice time line, how about the navy? Plenty of ship builders and with easy acsess to iron and cool plus experienced weapon manufacturers in Liege.

How does a authocrate and hardline Protestant as William III was, fit in a kingdom which population is in majority Catholic? How does the militaristic doctine goes with the mercantilism and liberal free trade thinking and tradition of the North, and up comming socialism in the 19th century?

William III had 3 sons, 1 died as a child the other 2 died in their thirties. They where not at speeking terms whit their dad. Wilhelmina was the product of an aranged mariage with the by then 60+ year old king and a prinses baraly addult.
Why do you not let one of the prince live?

 

[Qantrix]

I was wondering one other thing. Is Luxembourg still only in a personal union with the Netherlands or is it integrated into the kingdom? Does Prussia still want to add Luxembourg to Germany or is it happy with Luxembourg in Dutch hands?

It is integrated into the Kingdom. Prussia is happy with Luxembourg in Dutch hands.

Nice time line, how about the navy? Plenty of ship builders and with easy acsess to iron and cool plus experienced weapon manufacturers in Liege.

Still working out the navy of the United Netherlands. I was planning on my next post being the start of WWI, but I think I first want to give a bit of an oversight on the Netherlands and how it's build up, since at this point of the AH it's the only nation (maybe apart from the Congo) that is substantially different from OTL.

How does a authocrate and hardline Protestant as William III was, fit in a kingdom which population is in majority Catholic? How does the militaristic doctine goes with the mercantilism and liberal free trade thinking and tradition of the North, and up comming socialism in the 19th century?

Catholics have found their way into the dutch elite since the failed Belgian revolution (thanks to William II) and William III cannot go around them, choosing to cooperate with those Belgians of high standing and with a similar ideology.

Despite his militarism, the free trade continues, maybe out of a lack of interest in the economy on behalf of William III, preferring to concentrate on the military, or simply because the Netherlands really has to.

William III had 3 sons, 1 died as a child the other 2 died in their thirties. They where not at speeking terms whit their dad. Wilhelmina was the product of an aranged mariage with the by then 60+ year old king and a prinses baraly addult.
Why do you not let one of the prince live?

Great idea, it's hard to make a story with Wilhelmina, who is just too young. But maybe with a surviving William-Alexander (King William IV) there can be more of a story. Although his brother surviving could be entertaining, I think story-wise it'll work out better with William-Alexander. I'll treat him as a liberal, which will prove to be interesting.