AHC & WI: Anglo-Dutch agreement falls apart. 1820s war between Brits and Dutch

The Dutch and the British were facing a whole bunch of tensions in the 1820s between their holdings in the East Indies, due to unresolved issues from the outcome of the Napoleonic Wars. These were eventually sorted out by a second agreement in 1824, which involved a demarcation line and a swapping of some territories.

But what happens if diplomacy fails and the Dutch and the Brits come to blows in the East?
 

Insider

Banned
The butterflies of another major war, especially in late twenties would be great, and beneficial for Britain... If the Netherlands survive as independent entity, it could be surprisingly beneficial for them in the long run.
 
So? They could have just said "well, they're ours now." What could the Dutch have done about it?

Nothing.

But the UK had taken the area while the Dutch/"Batavians" were allied with napoleon. Now the Dutch were an allied monarchy and seen as a important part of the project "keep the anti-French defeneses strong".

Explicitely telling them that they are weak and unimportant and that the Uk gives no pennies for their opinion is a stupid move when they territory in question is not something the UK reasonably needs.

Not only the Dutch might be disappointed and become rather pro-French, other European countires might also begin to see the UK as selfish hully and reoerientate their foreign policy accordingly.


I mean, it's the same question as "what stops the US from annexing Bermuda/the Falklands/Bavaria" ? In terms of military capacity, nothing.
 
Britain wins while laughing hysterically and is mildly embarrassed?

There might some embarrassing attempted invasion of the Netherlands beaten back by Prussia/Russia or France, though - which might result in some pretty weird butterflies.

Alternatively, the loss of prestige of losing a war to Britain as if the Netherlands weren't even there in Indonesia or on the high seas (the likely outcome) could topple the monarchy, risking a return to republicanism, which might just allow the Dutch-Belgian union to persist (provided the Prussians don't quash that kind of republic, which they might).
 
There might some embarrassing attempted invasion of the Netherlands beaten back by Prussia/Russia or France, though - which might result in some pretty weird butterflies.

TBH I doubt it -- Britain was essentially invulnerable at sea during this period, so there'd be no reason for them to forgo this advantage and fight a land war on the Continent when they could just sail around picking off isolated and poorly-defended enemy colonies.
 
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