No Fourth Anglo-Dutch War

[Thande]

What if Britain had not attacked the Netherlands in 1780, simply resorting to diplomatic protests or blockades at the Dutch failure to join the war against France and informal recognition of the US?

 

[luakel]

A stronger Holland could definitely be an obstacle to French expansion down the road...

Could the unused British forces affect the war elsewhere?

 

[Mark AH]

With an alliance between Holland and Britain it would have been possible that Revolutionary France not wanted to expand to the North. The lost battleships would not make much difference, because Britain defeated the French also without those ships.

 

[Darkling]

If Rodney isn't busy with his loot from St Eustatius he might prevent the French convoy from getting to Martinique and in turn cut off vital supplies from Washington and keep the French fleet separated (possibly even bring them to battle) thus making Yorktown less likely.

 

[Tizoc]

With an alliance between Holland and Britain it would have been possible that Revolutionary France not wanted to expand to the North.

Snort. Y'know, Netherlands and UK both were fighting against France in 1793-1795. It ended with Netherlands becoming a satelite republic of France. So that alliance wouldn't change anything.

The lost battleships [...]

We are talking about late XVIII C. here - there were not battleships yet. Only capital ships/ships-of-the-line.

 

[Mark AH]

Snort. Y'know, Netherlands and UK both were fighting against France in 1793-1795. It ended with Netherlands becoming a satelite republic of France. So that alliance wouldn't change anything.

Sure, but it was some kind of forced alliance, with limited cooperation (at the start), so I think it would make a difference.

We are talking about late XVIII C. here - there were not battleships yet. Only capital ships/ships-of-the-line.

You're completly right.