Three days in Augusts 1914

Chapter I: Augusts 3rd (The attack)

The German units in the border region received from the German headquarters early in the morning of Augusts 3rd 1914 the order to attack. The phone not only rang at the Belgian border but due to a error of the central also on the Netherlands border. When the commander of the Uhlans asked for confirmation, the sector headquarters commander who was irritated responded that the Uhlans where to advance as quickly as possible to the Maas. Speed was of the essence.

The Netherlands defense was stunned and surprise, but the German attackers quickly encountered fierce resistance by the Netherlands defenders who where supported by accurate 6-veld infantry gun fire belonging to the border troops. Was the Netherlands in war with the Empire of Germany?

A picture of a 57 mm infantry gun [6-veld]
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That would seem to change the speed of the German assault towards France and Belgium. Also with the Netherlands now at war also would they then at the end get some of the German lands that would increase the size of the Netherlands?
 
That would seem to change the speed of the German assault towards France and Belgium. Also with the Netherlands now at war also would they then at the end get some of the German lands that would increase the size of the Netherlands?
The Netherlands is not at war yet.
 
That would seem to change the speed of the German assault towards France and Belgium. Also with the Netherlands now at war also would they then at the end get some of the German lands that would increase the size of the Netherlands?

If Netherlands really would go war against Germany, it might get some land from Germany and perhaps some German colony. Could Dutch invade German Papua from Indonesia?
 
If Netherlands really would go war against Germany, it might get some land from Germany and perhaps some German colony. Could Dutch invade German Papua from Indonesia?

Who says the Netherlands is going to war.

Chapter II: Augusts 3rd ( tension in Den Haag)


While the Germans where moving true the Netherlands province of Limburg, in the Netherlands capitol of Den Haag the entire cabinet-Cort van der Linden had been assembled in one of the Haags departments of the prime minster.

Picture of prime minster Cort van der Linden
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If anybody looked closely they could see the white faces of the minsters, all had a major question, what was the current situation in Limburg? and what would we going to do about it and also who are we going to ask for help? also how is the young queen going to react.

Prime Minster Cort van der Linden repeated what he had already heard from his meeting with the Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces General Cornelis Jacobus Snijders. In the small area of Middle-Limburg located between Sittard and Roermond a calvary attack by the Germans was underway. The Netherlands supreme command had already send reinforcements to the east and the passage which the Germans where advancing towards the Maas was being sealed off.

At 10:30 the German emissary F. von Muller had reported to the Netherlands ministry of foreign affairs. Prime Minster Cort van der Linden had met him and asked the emissary what the Germans where thinking. the emissary handed the prime minster a document and apologized for the 'incident'.

After the German emissary had left the Prime Minster read the document and learned that these recent developments in Limburg where due a technical error. But as the attack was already underway, the German government requested that the German troops already on Netherlands soil where to be allowed to advance to Belgium. Germany also offered according to the document a very generous damage payment and would make sure that the Uhlans regiments would be gone as soon as possible. But the document also made it clear that if the Netherlands troops would continue to attack the Germans, than war would be only question of time.

But there where already complications, there where messages coming in from headquarters that German cavalry units had manged to fight themselves a way to the Maas and that already several hundreds of them had crossed the river and where already advancing true Belgium. There where also reports that fire fights between Netherlands and German troops where happening.

The whole country was in turmoil, thousands of citizens where massing and reading bulletins who where pasted across the cities and the extra editions of the major news papers where being sold as crazy.

Now it was time for the prime minster to meet the queen, driving with his Daimler to the Palace Noordeinde, he was brought into the study room of the Queen.
 
Chapter III: Augusts 3rd (Meeting the queen)

The queen was surprising calm, not something the prime minster was expecting, after having been given a seat Prime Minster der Linden discovered during the conversation that Queen Wilhelmina already knew a lot of the current situation, apparently she had already been briefed by Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces General Snijders. The queen despite only being twenty-four years old showed a lot of interest in military affairs and regularly was briefed directly by members of the General Staff.

Prime Minster der Linden told the queen of the German document regarding what the Germans where calling a 'incident', the queen asked what the options where which the Prime mister responded.

- option I: accept the German apologize and try to resolve the case if the attack was really due a technical error ore faulty communication.

- option II: declare war on the mighty Germany, but not before the British and French have guarantee that they will come to the Netherlands defense.

After hearing the two options the queen asked the prime minster, what do you think in which the prime minster responded that both a settlement and war would have consequences , the uncertain support of the British and French was also a reason to continuity negotiations with Germany. Not only would fighting a bloody war of which the outcome would be already know, which was the Netherlands being occupied by the Germans, the loss of lives would be enormous and the material damages would be extreme.

The queen after hearing this knew that while she wanted to defend here country, she also knew that the cost of war would beyond imagination and thus reluctant she gave here blessing to the prime minster for hem to make a settlement with Germany.
 

Raunchel

Banned
I really have to follow this. It fits very well with the general Dutch approach of not joining the way, whatever happens. If only because joining is even worse than some violations.
 
I really have to follow this. It fits very well with the general Dutch approach of not joining the way, whatever happens. If only because joining is even worse than some violations.
Thanks, it will be a short timeline, focusing only on three days.
 
Three days can be very interesting.
Yes it can.

Chapter IV: Augusts 3rd (discussions)

While the prime minster was returning to Den Haag, the Netherlands cabinet was divided on what to do, the minster of defense who as only minster in the cabinet was anti-German wanted the Netherlands to join the British and French and declare war onto the Empire of Germany. Other minsters where oppose to that, some had sympathy to Germany only because they knew that fighting a war would be pointless. Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces General Snijders also had viewed this opinion. Of course all minsters did agree that a war, even if the Netherlands was supported by the British and French was unwanted.

The emissaries of both the United Kingdom and the French Republic did offer the Netherlands Government their help, but also made it clear that this help could not be large due their own countries where unable to spare troop ore war material due them being confronted by a rapidly advance of the German Army in Belgium and France. Belgium of course could not help the Netherlands at all, itself needed support of United Kingdom and the French Republic, Belgium however was already happy that Belgian refuges could cross with out much problem into the Netherlands and that those refuges where given aid, shelter and food.

The Netherlands government new it was not made easy for them, but time was running out and a decision had to be made soon.
 
I would think the neutral & weak option would be to direct the Germans back to the German-Dutch border, from where they can find their own way south and then west into Belgium.

The pro-German spineless option is to let the Germans through, of course, but this runs a big risk of getting an Entente DoW or at least embargo.

The neutral and tough option seems to me to be actually to fight out the Germans until they're out of the country (strongly risking war with Germany anyway).

And the pro-Entente option to declare war on Germany outright.
 
Chapter V: Augusts 3rd (situation in Limburg)

While the debates about what to do where going on in Den Haag, the situation in the Netherlands Province of Limburg was not looking good, A German AEG B.I two-seat biplane reconnaissance aircraft was shot down and crashed inside the province, Netherlands corporal Wadmuts and two soldiers who where in a nearby bunker where send out to investigate, when they came to the crash they discovered that one of the German pilots was death and another was being treated by German soldiers, the Netherlands corporal knowing that he and his two soldiers who he had with him where outgunned decided to return to his bunker and report what he saw.

A picture of a AEG B.I two-seat biplane reconnaissance aircraft
640px-AEG_B.I_1914.jpg


After a half hour of traveling the came to the bunker where he saw his commanding officer Van Groen talking to a local farmer who was angry about the German invasion, before the farmer left he told that there would be a big officer party at a German farm not far from the bunker. Van Groen told corporal Wadmuts that he was unable to get in contact with either regional ore local headquarters and thus he had to send the corporal to the city of Sittard which was the nearest to this Bunker and that the commander in Sittard would most likely be in contact with regional headquarters located in Roermond.

After a hour of traveling corporal Wadmuts manged with out being seen by the Germans to reach the city of Sittard, there he was received by the commander of the battalion border security. He told the corporal that the Germans had made no move yet to depart Netherlands territory, also the commander had receive word that the Germans where not happy with the downing of their plane and might be even thinking of declaring war on the Netherlands. The Commander told corporal Wadmuts before the corporal heading back to his unit that he would send his report, including that of the big officer party to general headquarters.
 
Chapter VI: Augusts 4th (ultimatum)

On the second day of the crisis as it was being called a telegram arrived at the ministry of foreign affairs who passed it along to Prime Minster Cort van der Linden, in the telegram stood that Germany demanded the immediately ending of all hostilities against German troops in Limburg. Also the Germans demanded that the shot down German AEG B.I two-seat biplane reconnaissance aircraft would be brought to the German military airfield of Gangelt, which is located near the border of the Netherlands town of Schinveld. If the two demands where not met before 18:00, then Germany would consider itself at war with the Netherlands.

Reading the telegram, the prime minster immediately called the minister council together to discus the crisis.
 
Chapter VII: Augusts 4th (crisis meeting)

At 09:00 the minister council began, it was a chaotic scene, the minster of defense wanted to send all available troops to Limburg while other minsters wanted to resolve the crisis by diplomatic means instead of going towards the path of full scale war. When the voting began every minster was demanding that their ideas to solve the crisis was the only won that would work, it was the prime minster who managed to get everybody to become silent when he again made it clear that Germany was much stronger than the Netherlands and he suggested to postpone the meeting of the council until 10:00.

Whit the council meeting postponed for a hour, the prime minster summoned Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces General Snijders who he wanted to be briefed by before he would returned to the council meeting, the general informed the prime minster that it would be best to delay any fatal decision and also told him of the news that there was going to be high level birthday party of some German officers near the Netherlands border, the general also reported to the prime minster that according to what he had find out, a very high ranking German officer would be attending this birth day party. The general suggested that the Netherlands would kidnap this very important guest and with it would be able to blackmail the German government into ending this crisis.

Prime Minster Cort van der Linden toughed this idea was good and gave Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces General Snijders the go ahead to execute his plan to kidnap this mysterious German officer.
 
Nice story, good to see it with conteporary pictures of the tools used that time, please continue. I know this story from a small book.
Furhter I wondered always why the soldiers were hiding in a bunker close to the river Meuse, it is 1914, there were no bunkers, the doctrine of that time was still large forts, of which the modern ones were build form concrete. I blame it on the military and historic ignorance of the journalist who wrote the story.
 
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I think you should use a paragraph or two more to explain why this seemed like a good idea. Because right now it only reads like a surefire way to start the war the Netherlands are still unsure about starting. It'll involve Dutch military personnel invading Germany and absconding with a high-ranking officer, and presumably shooting or otherwise killing at least a few guards (preferably as few as possible, but still).
 
Nice story, good to see it with conteporary pictures of the tools used that time, please continue. I know this story from a small book.
Furhter I wondered always why the soldiers were hiding in a bunker close to the river Meuse, it is 1914, there were no bunkers, the doctrine of that time was still large forts, of which the modern ones were build form concrete. I blame it on the military and historic ignorance of the journalist who wrote the story.
Should be Casemate, but toughed it would not mater if i changed it.

You right the idea come from a Netherlands book called: Was het anders gelopen (English: did it happen differently), probably the only what if book i have found in the Netherlands and which has short articles like:

What if the UN in July 1995 had defended Srebrenica with force.

What if Argentina had won the Falklands War ( seems that the Dutch can be blamed for that).

What if a military coup happen in the Netherlands in 1963 ( seems that almost happened in real life).

What if a Prince Bernhard saved a small dutch town in Limburg.

And two others.

A pretty colde Brisge ( the allies win the battle of Arnhem).

I think you should use a paragraph or two more to explain why this seemed like a good idea. Because right now it only reads like a surefire way to start the war the Netherlands are still unsure about starting. It'll involve Dutch military personnel invading Germany and absconding with a high-ranking officer, and presumably shooting or otherwise killing at least a few guards (preferably as few as possible, but still).

Better than a full scale war, is it not.
 
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