Preface
A brief introduction to the TL, and the points of departure (PODs)
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814
In the 1814 Anglo-Dutch Treaty all colonies and territories possessed by the Netherlands prior to the Napoleonic Wars were returned to the Netherlands. This signified a shift in priorities for the Dutch government, choosing to follow the model of Britain’s expanding overseas empire, a distinct shift from the previous interest expressed in acquiring the Southern Netherlands (Austrian Netherlands before 1797).
In the treaty, the United Kingdom acknowledged Dutch rule over Suriname, the Cape Colony, Ceylon, as well as various trade posts in India. Ultimately, both countries acknowledged a status quo, where each country would keep their holdings from 1795, before the Netherlands was invaded by France, and the Cape was occupied by Britain.
The relinquishing of British control over the Dutch territories allowed them to further expand into the former French colonies in return, taking many in aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars.
The Congress of Vienna (1815)
In the 1815 Congress of Vienna, Europe was reordered following the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The most relevant change from the conference was, for the Dutch, Prussia gaining all of Saxony. This had important ramifications, because if the Dutch had further pursued acquiring the Southern Netherlands, Prussia would have had less leverage with which to demand Saxony. Ultimately, the Saxon King gained the former Austrian Netherlands and Luxembourg in compensation, forming the Kingdom of Belgium, which remained a part of the German Confederation.
