The Flying Dutchman: A Story of the Netherlands

[Stonewall]

Introduction

Difficulty: Hard
Aggression: Normal
Scenario: 1836 GC
Mods: VIP 0.3c + Rafiki's Doctrine Mods
Country: The Netherlands

I'ts been a while since I've played Victoria. I decided that the most fun way to get back into it would be to do an AAR of a country I'd never played before. Holland seemed to be a good country, so, here we go.

 

[Stonewall]

Part I: The War of Belgian Aggression




January 1, 1836 was a time of great turmoil in the Netherlands. The traitorous Belgians, backed by French and English money were rebelling in Southern Holland seizing lands long held by noble Dutch families. The city of Liege was under siege by 10,000 rebels, her garrison routed and the outlying lands were rapidly falling to Belgian forces.

After the monring meeting with our military council, we determined that the best way to win this struggle was to call on volunteers for 6 new infantry divisions. The loyal and patriotic Dutch citizenry quickly answered the call and by June, six new divisions of infantry were deployed to face the Belgian menace.

Our forces were divided into three Army Corps. 1st Corps with two infantry divisions and a cavalry division under General Rijkyard, left Middelberg to take Brugge and other Beligian townsalong the coast, thereby cutting them off from their trade routes. 2nd Corps, led by General Chasse, consisted of 5 infantry and 1 cavalry division and was sent south to engage and destroy the Belgian army and liberate Brussels from the Belgian rebels. 3rd Corps (2 infantry, 1 cavalry division) was dispatched down our eastern coast to relieve the siege on Liege.

Our 26 ship navy met the 4 ship Belgian fleet off the coast of Amsterdam. The Belgians were annihilated within hours. Complete naval supremacy all but ensured a Dutch victory.

August 1836 saw heavy fighting in the Belgian capital. Our forces numbering nearly 50,000 met a Belgian army of 30,000 and General Chasse emerged victorious scoring a massive defeat on the Belgian scum. The Belgian army, numbering only 15,000 fled south where it met 1st Corps moving east following the successful capture of Brugge. The Belgians melted away under the pressure of 25,000 fresh Dutch soldiers. A handful of survivors fled south.

In Liege, the siege was lifted as the Belgian division was not nearly strong enough to resist 3 fresh Dutch divisions. September and October saw the remaining Belgian fortresses in Charleroi, Namur, and Tornai fall. In December, the Belgians accepted harsh peace terms. With the threat of English and French intervention on behalf of the Belgians, the Dutch government accepted the Belgian ambassador's terms. According to the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, Belgium would be allowed to exist as the independent city of Brussels. All other Belgian lands would be returned to the Netherlands.

I forgot to take a screenie when the war concluded, but in 1838, the situation was the same.

 

[unmerged(28406)]

Hurrah !!! I am from the Netherlands so good work from you,sir !!!

 

[unmerged(11633)]

Damn Belgians. I always knew they'd try and conquer the Netherlands.

Nice to see you doing AARs Stonewall, any chance of an HOI2 AAR being released?

 

[Rey]

Nice start for Holland

 

[Stonewall]

Damn Belgians. I always knew they'd try and conquer the Netherlands.

Nice to see you doing AARs Stonewall, any chance of an HOI2 AAR being released?

Whether any any HoI2 AAR's are released is entirely up to Johan and the PI staff. However, if pattern holds, a couple are usually posted in the weeks running up to the commercial release of the game. So, keep watching the GD forum, you never know when they'll arrive.

 

[Stonewall]

Part II: Economic Prosperity (1837-1840)

As the war with Belgium came to a close and Dutch hegemony was reinstated throughout the lowlands, it became apparent that the dawn of a new age was upon us. No longer would farming be the basis of economic growth. New inventions like the railroad and steam power were quickly changing the face of the world. In our judgment, those who are most able to adapt to the change will be the victors, while those who cannot change will be left behind.

Witrh military matters behind us, and a newfound international prestige and reputation, we set out to expand our industrial base using our limited resources. Holland produced an excess of a number of rare raw goods, like tropical wood and coffee and tea. We set out a program of exporting those resources and importing precision tools and machien parts from Great Britain. These would be the backbone of out industrial expansion and we were barely able to keep our imports in line with our needs.

Seeing the great untapped potential that was housed in our East Indian colonies, a decision was made to grant statehood to Sumatra and Batavia (I gave Javan as a state culture). All inhabitants would now be Dutch citizens, complete with all the rights and responsibilites that come from citizenship. A new steel mill and clothing factory was founded in Batavia and a furniture and lumber mill was founded on Sumatra. Skilled workers flocked to these factories and soon expansions were ordered to keep up with demands of both consumers and employers.

We racked up a ton of debt building railroads throughout all of continental Holland. The beginnings of a rail network were started in the colonies at great expense. Currenty the Dutch national debt is ~$85,000.

Other than a growing debt and increasing belligerence of our neighbors, things are looking good for Holland.

 

[tombom]

I like the style of this AAR. Short but intresting.

 

[unmerged(23946)]

Giving Javan as a state culture to the Dutch is almost the equivilent of giving Britain the various Indian cultures (at least in vanilla vicky). I predict the Netherlands will have #1 industry by 1860 at the latest.

 

[LM+]

Giving Javan as a state culture to the Dutch is almost the equivilent of giving Britain the various Indian cultures (at least in vanilla vicky). I predict the Netherlands will have #1 industry by 1860 at the latest.

Javans or no Javans, I have to say that the budget is a mighty impressive one for 1838. You may be running the wealthiest nation on earth. How you manage to earn that kind of money with such low taxation and tariffs ... well, I'd like to know the secret!

Did you have any trouble with foreign powers (like Great Britain) in the Belgian war?

 

[Stonewall]

Javans or no Javans, I have to say that the budget is a mighty impressive one for 1838. You may be running the wealthiest nation on earth. How you manage to earn that kind of money with such low taxation and tariffs ... well, I'd like to know the secret!

The key is to focus on the biggest moneymaking industries. Early on this is wine/liquor and steel. Once I granted statehood to the East Indies, I set up a few funiture and clothing factory chains (fabric->clothes)(lumber->furniture). These are huge moneymakers. Supply is low and demand is high. I promoted capitalists as soon as I had the available resources. Even though my capitalist bonus is small, these guys are wonderful for the tax base. I made sure to research the techs giving me bonuses to tax efficiency. Thos emay seem small, but they add up. I always sell off all excess stockpiles (except machine parts, which I horde like a madman). Early promotion of railroads is also important, regardless of debt incurred. The bonus to all kinds of production is another easy way to increase exports and balance the budget. Holland was surprisingly easy to manage economically at the start. IIRC, I was exporting something like $1000 per day by the time that screenie was taken. The indemities Belgium paid me helped ease the initial debt I racked up.

Did you have any trouble with foreign powers (like Great Britain) in the Belgian war?

Almost. Luckily, I was able to end the war with Belgium before England, France, Austria, and Prussia could make their impact felt. Had I gone on much longer, most likely I would have been out of men and faced with the British alliance on the other side. Not something I was looking forward to.

 

[unmerged(31388)]

"There are 2 kinds of people i hate in the world, people who disrespect other people cultures, and the Dutch."
"Those Belgians are so evil, probably because they share borders with the Dutch"

-Austin Powers movie

 

[Stonewall]

Part III: The Dawn of A New Era (1840-1842)

As 1840 came to a close, the Netherlands saw herself in an excellent position on all fronts. The Belgian menace was firmly under control in their independent city of Brussels. The Royal Dutch Navy had been expanded from 23 warships (8 MoW, 15 Frigates) to 35 warships as 12 new Men O' War had been consructed in the Amsterdam shipyards. The Dutch Navy was quickly growing to be a powerful force in the North Sea. Not yet ready to take on the English Home Fleet, but a force that could do quite well in a defensive capacity.

The army had been expanded by 20 divisions. 6 new divisions of Dutch troops raised in the homeland and 14 colonial divisions of newly citizenized Javans. 8 of these divisions were transported back to Holland as a ready reserve in case of war.

The economy was robust and expanding. Every year that went by, new factories were being built and vast quantities of finished industrial goods were exported bringing untold wealth into Holland. Indeed, many contemporary historians were comparing the 1840's with the glory days of past.

As 1841 came and went, ominous rumblings were being felt in Brussels. The Belgians, newly allied to England and France, were issuing diplomatic statements concerning new negotiations for the return of some of the provinces ceded by the Treaty of Utrecht. We were decidedly hostile to these Belgian overtures. Belgian insurgents quietly left Brussels and began making trouble in the lowlands. Liege and Tornai erupted in revolt. Army divisions were dispatched to brutally and unequivacally put down the rebels. As 1842 began, we recieved notive that the Belgians and English had mobilized. Alarm bells rang out all over Holland as Dutch reserves were called up. Army funding was increased to its highest levels in years, and 12 new regular divisions were ordered conscripted.

English and French army units were observed making their way to the border and boarding ships in the Channel. Whatever they had in store, Holland would be ready.

 

[unmerged(36556)]

CRUSH THE BELGIANS! CRUSH THEM!!!!!!!
Put those new divisions to work.

 

[Stonewall]

Part IV: The War to End All Wars Part 1 (1842)

In March 1842, the Declaration of War arrived as we had expected. The independent city of Brussels declared war and brought their Allies, England, and France along with them. With the English came her commonwealths, dominions, and satellites. Holland was now at war with half of the world because the stupid Belgians couldn't accept their inferiority. We did not stress as Prussia and Austria soon declared war on France, and England as aprt of our defensive alliance. Prussian troops immediately begain moving into Holland to defend our northern coastline freeing up Dutch divisions to smash the French in the south.

We knew that our chances for victory were time sensitive as the Dutch military could not stand up to the combined strength of England and France. Our forces on the French border, numbering 25 divisions immediately moved south seizing ports along the coast, forcing any English reinforcements to land further west or face the Dutch navy in an opposed amphibious landing.

French surface forces sallied north and in the the initial battles, our navy put up a valiant fight. 12 French ships were sent to the bottom of the North Sea in a series of 5 small encounters. 4 Dutch frigates were sent back into port for desperately needed repairs.

Prussian and Austrian army units numbering 22 divisions were dispatched and placed under our control. 1st Corps immedately strode into Brussels and annexed Belgium outright. Brussels would feel a Dutch military presence for decades if we won this war. Diplomatic feelers were then sent ot the British and the French seeking terms to end a war that, privately, we knew we could not win.

News arrived in May that our newly consctipted infantry divisions were ready to be deployed in the field. The 12 new divisions gathered in Amsterdam and Brugge and were organized into 3 coirps of 40,000 men each. These units would further shield the Dutch coast against attempted English landings. At this point the French military had established a front following initial Ducth success. We had taken the Fench provinces of Lille, Cambrai, Metz, Charleville, and Verdun. Further offensive operations were impossible due to growing French troop strength, and English reinforcements. We dug in and prepared for the inevitable onslaught. Additional diplomatic feelers were sent out, but were unsuccessful.

The English navy finally sailed from port to engage our ships in a massive battle off Amsterdam. 38 English and 32 Dutch ships slugged it out over a 4 day struggle that saw 7 Dutch and 9 English ships fall beneath the waves. The English broke off the attack and returned to port in ignominoius defeat. Unfortunately, we could hardly afford any more victories of this nature.

With 35 Dutch, Prussian, and Austrian divisions defending the Dutch coast, we determined that we would have to attempt some kind of offensive breakout to force the French to the negotiating table. 12 divisions were diverted south to Verdun and Charleville. We struck south attempting to cutoff 14 French divisions in the pocket between our advancing armies and Prussian forces striking west across the Rhine.

As this offensive was taking place we recieved disturbing news from Palambang that Indian forces had landed in Indonesia. 12 divisions of indian infantry were opposed by 8 divisions of Javan colonial. The military chief of staff was immediately shot for failing to forsee a development such as this. By November, the entirety of Sumatra was occupied by Indian forces. Having no navy to oppose further landings in Batavia, we offered terms to the Indian forces ceding two provinces in return for peace.

(to be continued...)

 

[Machiavellian]

The military chief of staff was immediately shot for failing to forsee a development such as this.

That is a little harsh, don't you think? But yeah, it seems the Dutch will be in trouble, especially overseas if this war continues too long. Britain alone could probably occupy all the colonial lands. Hopefully the dutch can force some kind of peace, even if it's not the best.

 

[unmerged(36556)]

Oh, come on! You're leaving me at the edge of my seat here.

 

[unmerged(36722)]

Wow that is pretty darn good Stonewall. I like the flow of it... I'll be waiting for the next installment.

 

[unmerged(11366)]

Oh, wow, a Stonewall AAR! Good job too...gives me a feel for the game (which I never bought...).

But I'm still waiting for you to update your first AAR.

 

[Stonewall]

Thanks for tuning in guys. I was about to stop writing as I didn't think anyone was listening.

I haven't been able to update this yet. The AAR leaves off at my latest save game. I literally don't know what's going to happen next. I am a bit frustrated for failing to anticipate the Indian landings in Sumatra.

Hajji: I remember making that post...was mixing in between forums and that was the result. I may actually try and do an AAR based on it...on of these days. As for my first AAR, I won't go back that far. It was a really sad attempt.

Sesame Street & Duke of Silesia: Thanks for tuning in. I myself am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Machiavelian: Yeah it was harsh, but I figured that would make a better storyline than me throwing a football across the room and narrowly missing my poor little sleeping cat. I wish I could have taken a screenie of the look on her face as a football whizzed 2 feet past her head.