http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_1913_battleship_proposal
Suppose the discussion of building a battleship fleet instead of more in adequate and obsolete coastal defense ships starts in 1907 in stead of 1912. Let say serious questions are made in parliament right after the launch of the HNLMS Jacob Van Heemskerck in 1906. The defeat of the Rusian Navy by the Japanese Imperial navy in 1905, and the ever increase of this fleet led to cons-earn how to protect the Indonesian colony, without being dependent on foreign allies. Allies the Netherlands as a neutral nation could not have.
The battle ships finally approved an build would be based on the German Kaisers but more developed and clearly be the basis for the later German Koning class ships. Armed with 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h), and mounting eight 340 mm (13 in) guns, sixteen 150 mm (5.9 in), and twelve 75 mm (3.0 in) guns and with an above average armored deck and a below average armored beld, and a speed of 21 knots,more like German Battle cruisers.
Further would the fleet comprised of:
--six 1,200 long tons (1,300 ST; 1,200 t) "torpedo cruisers"—believed by Conway's to be closer to large destroyers
—eight 500 long tons (560 ST; 510 t) destroyers (a role which would be filled by the Fret class)
-- eight torpedo boats (also already completed, though they were old), eight large submarines and two large minelayers.
Four battleships were approved and a fifth found approval half a year later.
The whole project was financed by extra tariffs and taxes on certain goods. Manning the fleet was the main problem.
The fleet was stationed in the Indonesian archipel. Part of the investment would be an modernisation and extension of the Soerabaja naval base including a large floating dock to maintain and repair large ships.
For the field army secretary Colijn managed to get his 1910 proposal to further upgrade, expand and modernize the field army. Resulting in an increase number of machine guns, filed guns and purchase of heavy (mobile) artillery, to replace old fortification guns and the introduction of the Madsen machine gun. By 1914 the whole army wears filed gray. Besides machine gun troops, using dogs to tranposrt the heavy guns, the troops also uses the much lighter Madsens, a novelty.
Would this make the Netherlands an attractive partner?
