Nonsuch Luck: Anglo-Dutch Union?

Nekromans

IOTL, Elizabeth I rejected Dutch offers to bind the countries together. We could assume that a good portion of this is due to the disaster of the Treaty of Nonsuch, which sent the horrifically incompetent Robert Dudley to the Netherlands as a military commander, with predictable results. So, we butterfly that away, and have her choose a better commander. (Suggestions?) This means that, when the Dutch come on their knees, she accepts...

A placeholder for a TL I'm thinking of, by the way.
 

pompejus

I assume that you mean that the in the treaty of Nonsuch Elizabeth I becomes the queen of the Netherlands. If so I think the Netherlands and England join in a personal union. I don't think the Dutch would agree to become part of England (although even in a personal union England clearly would be the senior party). How much would Elizabeth (or England in general) be involved in the Netherlands?
Anyway, if Elizabeth accepts the Dutch crown England should prepare for war against Spain. This would include strengthening the regular army and not only the navy. I have no doubt that Philip would still sent the armada, so England should be prepared for it and the possibility of a Spanish invasion.
I think with the British help there is a good chance for the Dutch to recapture the southern Netherlands. This would lead to a lot of interesting possibilities. the Netherlands will not become a republic, but there aren't many high nobles left. Would Elizabeth make various rich Dutch merchants into nobles? Would the Netherlands and England enter an act of union, like happened between England and Scotland OTL? Or would the Dutch get enough of the English kings and rebel against them?
 

Rodney

Nekromans said:
IOTL, Elizabeth I rejected Dutch offers to bind the countries together. We could assume that a good portion of this is due to the disaster of the Treaty of Nonsuch, which sent the horrifically incompetent Robert Dudley to the Netherlands as a military commander, with predictable results. So, we butterfly that away, and have her choose a better commander. (Suggestions?) This means that, when the Dutch come on their knees, she accepts...

A placeholder for a TL I'm thinking of, by the way.
Click to expand...

What happens when Elizabeth dies childless and the English heir is King of Scotland?
 

Nekromans

Rodney said:
What happens when Elizabeth dies childless and the English heir is King of Scotland?
Click to expand...

One would assume that the English Crown is the protector of the Netherlands, not just Liz. Having said that, it'd be interesting to see how James would react to having another land under his belt, but I think that the Dutch would welcome an increase in power for their protectors, not choose the opportunity to split off at the height of Spanish influence.
 

Rodney

Nekromans said:
One would assume that the English Crown is the protector of the Netherlands, not just Liz. Having said that, it'd be interesting to see how James would react to having another land under his belt, but I think that the Dutch would welcome an increase in power for their protectors, not choose the opportunity to split off at the height of Spanish influence.
Click to expand...

Ah, I was going under the impression of a personal union between the Dutch and English crowns. The problem with James was that he was a very pro peace type, atleast OTL maybe different if England has been locked in a struggle with the Dutch versus the evil Catholic Spanish:p. As well OTL he signed a peace treaty with Spain as King of England.
 

pompejus

Rodney said:
What happens when Elizabeth dies childless and the English heir is King of Scotland?
Click to expand...
I realy don't think the Dutch care if the king is Scottish or English. OTL they not only asked England, but they also asked the king of France.
I think the Dutch would start caring if the king gets too involved in what they would consider Dutch affairs or if the king ends up being catholic (and I think they wouldn't even mind that, if that king would leave the protestants alone, as I said they asked even the French king to be their king).
 

Nekromans

Rodney said:
Ah, I was going under the impression of a personal union between the Dutch and English crowns. The problem with James was that he was a very pro peace type, atleast OTL maybe different if England has been locked in a struggle with the Dutch versus the evil Catholic Spanish:p. As well OTL he signed a peace treaty with Spain as King of England.
Click to expand...

We might actually see England being forced to ally with France against the Habsburgs. :eek:
 

Nekromans

pompejus said:
I realy don't think the Dutch care if the king is Scottish or English. OTL they not only asked England, but they also asked the king of France.
I think the Dutch would start caring if the king gets too involved in what they would consider Dutch affairs or if the king ends up being catholic (and I think they wouldn't even mind that, if that king would leave the protestants alone, as I said they asked even the French king to be their king).
Click to expand...

That would be Henri IV, the Protestant?
 

Gonzaga

If the Netherlands are united to England, how would it affect their colonial policies? The Dutch and the English could have joint colonies, or both would rule different territories independently?
 

Nekromans

Gonzaga said:
If the Netherlands are united to England, how would it affect their colonial policies? The Dutch and the English could have joint colonies, or both would rule different territories independently?
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You'd probably have a few Anglo-Dutch colonies, with some English and Dutch colonies on the side, but the Official colonies would be given as much support as they could - so, anglo-dutch.
 

Gonzaga

Nekromans said:
You'd probably have a few Anglo-Dutch colonies, with some English and Dutch colonies on the side, but the Official colonies would be given as much support as they could - so, anglo-dutch.
Click to expand...

So, if the war against Spain goes more or less like IOTL then England-Netherlands would probably attack the same more fragile colonies: the Portuguese possessions (included in the Iberian Union). We could see the English in India much earlier, or even an English Brazil.
 
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