Netherlands and the Great War

[Dikke Bertha]

Hello

Following on the recent posting on outflanking the German front by launching an invasion of Belgium from the sea brings up the old debate about the position regarding the Netherlands in the Great War.

I can understand the arguments against invading the Belgian coast but an invasion through the Nethlands would have been possible especially though one of their ports.

Does anybody know if the allies ever tried to pressure the Netherlands to join them??

Maybe this has all been debated before.

Regards

[Robert Dunlop]

Dikke, there have been some discussions about this. But I can't recall when or where. I do know that the Germans became increasingly worried about the prospect of the Netherlands permitting the British to use their territory for a landing. The German concern was that the British would land on the northern side of the Scheldt and then potentially invade German-occupied Belgium from the north. The worry was so great that plans were made to pre-emptively invade southern Holland. Rehearsals were carried out as well.

Robert