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At the end of the 19th century the Dutch gouverment dicided to make the defenses of it most precious colony Indonesia as matter of importance This in the light of the American-Spanish war, a second rate europena power, as the netherlands, was sounded defeated and stripped of it overseas possesions. And the recent Japanese-Chinese war and the further build up of the Japanese navy which was seen as a threat to the balance of power in the far east.
In 1898 a fleet law was accepted by parliament which provided in a fleet of 10 Battleships, 8 cruisers and light support vessels. Further the expansion and modernisation of the naval base Tandionpriok.
After that it took several year suntil finaly the first class was approved, and fully operational. At the drawing board they were state of the art ships, designed which much assisance of British naval engineers. Armour came from Krupp, weaponery from the UK, Germany, and Sweden.
The first class consisted of 4 ships suported by 3 cruisers and torpedo boats. This fleet was operational in1906. Since the batleships were almost obsolete when they entered service due to the British HMS Dreagthnought the commitments to the Naval law of 1898 were subject of heavy debate in parlaiment. Finaly in 1910 a new order was aproved for 5 more battleships. After numerous designs from own ship yards and forregn shipyrds. The German Germania design was chosen.
This class was complete in service in summer of 1914, just a month before the Great War broke out. The Netherlands stayed neutral, which they managed well, untill late 1915. By then it was clear to every one that this jolly war wassn't short. The Dutch general staff and a lot of field officers had a favour for the Entente side. Inpressed as they were by the Prusian military. The politicians and the NAvy how ever fafored the Alied side. The navy as a pratical matter, even the navy had modern heavy units, it could not defend the colonies against Japan and Brittan. The general staff had the same opinion about the field army and faroured there for the Germans.
At this time it became more and more harder to amintain neutrality. Due to its relative modern fleet, both sides, but more the Germans, made overtures to the Dutch gouverment to chose side. For the Germans the fleet of 5 modern Battleships could be a reenforcement wich at that time would tip the balance of power, even if ti was for a few months. The field army wasn't much of a forc, how ever since war broke out, impressive modernisations were implemented and the equipment was drasticlay modernised, most with AMercian purchased weaponary. Even the uniforms were modern, based on the rejected french uniforms. ( they were to simmilar to the german uniforms)
At the start of 1916 a self confidence within Dutch politics took place, a mind set of exploiting the assets it have and bargaining the best deal between to two fighting sides, who were by now in a deadly seemingly endless stand off. Since the behaviuor of the German troops in Belgium, the Alied side was the more favourite and the side who could have the best divident at the long run.
By may 1916 in secret the British prime minister recieved the following, proposal of the Dutch prime minister;
Free use of the Dutch teritories for Alied troops.
Combined operations of the Dutch Field Army and Allied troops on German positions with the aim of ending the war
Combined operations of the Dutch Royal Navy end The Royal Navy
This all under the following terms:
Ceiding of the German Teritory of Cameroun and South West Africa in Africa
Transfering the national borders of Germany and the Netherlands to the East.
Since the British would start their offensive a month later, who would ended the war at the Somme, the proposal was politely rejected. How ever there was serious considerations the Dutch offered there service to the Germans.
In Novemebr the Dutch made their offer again, after much secret negotiating, the terms were accepted.
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