Elizabethan policy on Holland reversal

IOTL Queen Elizabeth I of England held a policy of pretending to 'help' the Dutch while secretly making peace negotiations with the Spaniards at the exact same time, due to this she refused to become the sovereign of the Netherlands and even forced the Earl of Leicester to step down as Governor-General of the Netherlands as it would make her de facto sovereign of the United Provinces.

However what if Elizabeth didn't hold this view? And she in fact believed that a decisive victory against the Spanish in the Netherlands was necessary in order to win the Anglo-Spanish War, thus believing that becoming the Queen of the Netherlands was a necessary move.

What would we see happen? Both politically in England, Scotland, the Netherlands, France and Spain but also militarily. If we saw England actually concentrate land forces in the Netherlands while causing havoc in places such as Cadiz for the Spanish Treasure Fleet could we see the Spanish Netherlands falling to the Anglo-Dutch Union as well?

Will this Anglo-Dutch union survive? Both are Protestant and while there is a language barrier and a stretch of water in the way it was a peaceful union and, due to threats from both Spain and primarily France could we see this union be strengthened?

Also how would this English focus in the Netherlands have repercussions in Ireland which IOTL kicked off in about a decade or-so. Would it kick off earlier? When/if it does start will we see England shift its focus? Or will the English stay in the Netherlands and cut a deal with O'Neill?
 
The first question is obviously why she changes her mind. What is she thinking will happen? What is she trying to achieve?

The reason for this is that it will determine what kind of things she tries to make occur - and how much resources she'll waste in the process.
 
I agree with Elfwine, especially regarding the resources. I am presently reading a biography of Elizabeth I, and during the period where she sent Leicester abroad, the cost of funding her army in Holland was enormous: the surplus she and Cecil had built up in the 1560s and 1570s was virtually obliterated by the vast sums she had to send over to Holland, as well as the money she agreed to loan the Dutch Estates.

I think her wrangling out of the war was out of financial: certainly she would've liked to secure a massive victory over Spain, but Elizabethan England was not Spain, and it's financial system was still quite weak. Her army was rather laughable too. If she had kept going, she would've certainly bankrupted herself.
 
Spain doesn't exactly have a good system, just more money.

Making the distinction because it seems a common assumption that states can raise men and money without issues coming up, and boy howdy do they ever come up in this (and earlier) periods.

Even if England isn't bankrupted in the sense the country is, the state will be...and Parliament will be very, very unhappy. In a :mad: sort of way.
 
I can't see Elizabeth accepting herself as sovereign of the United Provinces but let's say she's persuaded to maintain Leicester as the Governor General.
A side effect of this is that Leicester won't be made Lieutenant and Captain-General of the Queen's Armies and Companies if an equivalent of the Armada forms and improve England's efficiencies in that regard.

However, accepting the OP with Elisabeth as Queen, and adding the Earl of Leicester as Governor-General I doubt we see much difference to OTL Anglo-Spanish war.
However if James I/VI allows a surviving Leicester to be King of the Netherlands, a set of further questions ensues:
What do the French make of it?
How does this impact the Anglo-Dutch wars?
What happens the republican sentiment?
 
Spain doesn't exactly have a good system, just more money.

Making the distinction because it seems a common assumption that states can raise men and money without issues coming up, and boy howdy do they ever come up in this (and earlier) periods.

Even if England isn't bankrupted in the sense the country is, the state will be...and Parliament will be very, very unhappy. In a :mad: sort of way.

Very true. But the gold mines of Peru and Mexico certainly made a difference to Spain. Neither country had a strong financial system, especially as Spain's spending was dependent on shipments of gold, immediately handed over upon their arrival to Genoese bankers, who had already forwarded loans to Spain. At least Elizabeth never had that issue. ;) Despite some issues, she was at least very economical. So I imagine she dealt with the Dutch issue with a heavy heart. Cecil pressed her to send the money, because spending 100,000 or 200,000 pounds now, might save her even more in the future. Which I suppose is true, but it didn't work out that way.

But yes, Parliament would not be happy. They were unhappy during this period anyways, but the vast sums of money being spent. Elizabeth had to request generous grants from them twice, and the second request came before the first grant had even been fully paid out.

Personally I think the Dutch mess was a fiasco for Elizabeth... aside from the Spanish Armada, the military aspect of her reign was pretty awful all together. From her intervention in France, to the Netherlands.
 
Very true. But the gold mines of Peru and Mexico certainly made a difference to Spain. Neither country had a strong financial system, especially as Spain's spending was dependent on shipments of gold, immediately handed over upon their arrival to Genoese bankers, who had already forwarded loans to Spain. At least Elizabeth never had that issue. ;)

Yeah. Other issues, but not this one.

Despite some issues, she was at least very economical. So I imagine she dealt with the Dutch issue with a heavy heart. Cecil pressed her to send the money, because spending 100,000 or 200,000 pounds now, might save her even more in the future. Which I suppose is true, but it didn't work out that way.

But yes, Parliament would not be happy. They were unhappy during this period anyways, but the vast sums of money being spent. Elizabeth had to request generous grants from them twice, and the second request came before the first grant had even been fully paid out.

Personally I think the Dutch mess was a fiasco for Elizabeth... aside from the Spanish Armada, the military aspect of her reign was pretty awful all together. From her intervention in France, to the Netherlands.

Yeah. I'm not sure that's her fault - but England is grossly unprepared for war in this period, both militarily and economically.

Getting more involved in the Netherlands will not end well even if "successes" occur.

This can only be good for O'Neill and other such pests.
 
You also have to get past Elizabeth's psychological issue with the idea of supporting "rebellious" subjects against their "lawful" sovereign - this issue ran throughout her reign in her dealings with Scotland, France and The Netherlands and is often not given enough consideration. She was a monarch who had significant and serious issues with her own legitimacy, the largest threats to her "right" to reign were all based on her own lack of "legitimacy", her longevity, her ability to pick good advisors and supporters, and her adept way of dealing with her subjects all strengthened her legitimacy but didn't necessarily change her character with regard her dealings with foreign powers. And has been pointed out she was far more suited to the sit back and watch attitude of her grandfather Henry VII with regard foreign wars that didn't in the short term threaten England - the Netherlands were more of a threat because trouble for the Spanish there meant they were less likely to act against England particularly in the aftermath of Mary Stuart's death
 
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