An open Scheldt?

In a biography on Rubens I read, they devoted a whole chapter to the southern Netherlands of the day's economy, and the reasons why the rule of the archdukes was a golden age for the arts but not for the economy in the long run. One of the factors was the closing of the Schelde river to trade.

Josef II fought a similar war over this - the Kettle War - 150 years later. And I was wondering what the effects would be of a Schelde open for trade?
 

HJ Tulp

Donor
Antwerpen was a way better port then Amsterdam. For example the VOC East Indiamen rarely reached Amsterdam itself when they came back from their trips to Asia. They either turned over their precious cargo at Den Helder or used floats to get them over the relatively shallow Zuidzee. Antwerpen by comparison was much easier to reach. Ofcourse Amsterdam had other advantages (being the home of the VOC and capital of a vibrant trading country) but there is a good reason the Republic did everything possible to keep it closed for so long.
 
unless the northern and southern netherlands are united, it is not gonna happen

Are you sure? I would have thought that a Dutch failure to capture Terneuzen and the rest of Zeeuws Vlaanderen, perhaps combined with a Spanish success in conquering Vlissingen (and the border stabilizing there) would have been enough to keep the Schelde open.
 
Are you sure? I would have thought that a Dutch failure to capture Terneuzen and the rest of Zeeuws Vlaanderen, perhaps combined with a Spanish success in conquering Vlissingen (and the border stabilizing there) would have been enough to keep the Schelde open.
As long as the Dutch control both sides of the Schelde estuary (and they don't control Antwerp) they will close down the port, unless they are forced to stop doing so.

So yes, the moment the Dutch lose Zeelandic Flanders Antwerp is open again. It would be a small problem for Amsterdam, but Amsterdam still has some advantages, mainly they already have the logistics. Still Amsterdam as a port declined in the 18th century, even without the competition of Antwerp and currently Amsterdam is only a minor port, with both Antwerp and Rotterdam as far larger and more important ports. So opening up Antwerp would probaly a quicker end to Amsterdam as a major port.
 
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