Post Reply - WAR


   DJ, The NetherLands-NL were neutral between 1815 and may 1940...the German invasion ended Dutch neutrality. 
NL-in between the UK, France and Germany-had very good reasons to stay out of (others) conflicts;

-The NL had their own conflicts (Belgium 1830/39 getting out of NL, Dutch East Indies colonial wars).
-Rotterdam-port did "bloom" during World War One...lots of indirect international trade went via "neutral NL"...
-"We"-the Dutch- have had enough wars before 1795-French/Napoleon invasion...Wars with stronger neighbours...It may have been in NL interest to see the UK-France-and Germany/Prusia being in a sort of conflict with each other...
-Napoleon did see NL as the "residue of French rivers", the German kaiser did see NL as being "German in denial"....Both Germany and France did take small portions of NL but would NOT allow the other to get to much...The UK wanted a "balance of power in Europe"...