Netherlands-Venezuela dispute of 1908

[lordroel]

Netherlands-Venezuela dispute of 1908

In 1908 a dispute broke out between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela lead by President of Venezuela, Cipriano Castro who in May 1908 ordered the Venezuela coast guard to size ships flying under the Netherlands flag and on July 20th 1908 he had the Netherlands ambassador expelled from the country , prompting the Netherlands to dispatch three warships (coastal defense ship, HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerk, Holland class-cruisers, HNLMS Gelderland and HNLMS Friesland) who began patrolling the Venezuela coast from November 1st 1908 onwards seizing any Venezuela flagged ship.

On December 12th the Holland class-cruiser, HNLMS Gelderland Gelderland captured the Venezuelan coast guard ships Alix and 23th Mayo which where taken and brought to Curacao. With their overwhelming naval superiority; the three Royal Netherlands Navy warships enforced a blockade on Venezuela's ports.

Let’s assume that unlike in OTL where President of Venezuela, Cipriano Castro left for Berlin for a surgical operation, which resulted that a uprising in Caracas overthrew his regime and ending the war with the Netherlands, here in this timeline he did not have a kidney problem and thus did not need to go abroad for medical treatment, how will this it effect the Netherlands-Venezuela dispute.

Links of interest

Dutch–Venezuelan crisis of 1908 wikipedia article

List of schips on both sides

[eurowatch]

Probably something similar tp the previous time Castro decided to piss off an internatonal power: the ships keep up the blockade and occasional shell the ports but can't do anything more. This goes on until either the president bows down to internal pressure or his vice-president commits a coup.

[lordroel]

Jan 24, 2016 21:43:54 GMT eurowatch said:

Probably something similar tp the previous time Castro decided to piss off an internatonal power: the ships keep up the blockade and occasional shell the ports but can't do anything more. This goes on until either the president bows down to internal pressure or his vice-president commits a coup.

Well i think it will be the vice-president commits a coup event as well as the Netherlands is not allowed to launch a invasion of Venezuela or occupy territory as standed by the United States who made it clear that that would see them intervene in the conflict.

[eurowatch]

The Netherlands had no intentions of invading the country, they were simply using gunboat diplomacy to hasten the vice-president's coup. Since Castro was an arse who had made a habit of pissing of foreign powers, nobody in Washington had any problem With seeing him removed from power.
That Castro stays in the country instead of leaves for Germany just means that he Will probably be either executed or thrown in prison when the inevitable coup occurs.

[lordroel]

Jan 25, 2016 12:59:00 GMT eurowatch said:

The Netherlands had no intentions of invading the country, they were simply using gunboat diplomacy to hasten the vice-president's coup. Since Castro was an arse who had made a habit of pissing of foreign powers, nobody in Washington had any problem With seeing him removed from power.
That Castro stays in the country instead of leaves for Germany just means that he Will probably be either executed or thrown in prison when the inevitable coup occurs.

Castro should also be aware that the United States will not tolerate the Netherlands from launching a ground invasion, he maybe might try to ask the German Empire to negotiate before the people of his country decide it is enough.

[eurowatch]

Maybe, but the Germans seem to have given up all hope on making him their ally after they joined the coalition responsible for the previous blockade of Venezuala. Having Castro replaced by someone more willing to play nice would actually work in thier favour, especially if they don't need to actually do something.
Seriously, Castro was such an arse when it came to foreign politics that everybody hated him.

[lordroel]

Jan 25, 2016 15:44:05 GMT eurowatch said:

Maybe, but the Germans seem to have given up all hope on making him their ally after they joined the coalition responsible for the previous blockade of Venezuala. Having Castro replaced by someone more willing to play nice would actually work in thier favour, especially if they don't need to actually do something.
Seriously, Castro was such an arse when it came to foreign politics that everybody hated him.

A reason why the United States allow the Netherlands to blockade the coast of Venezuela, had the president been a person in good standing with the United States than most likely the Netherlands blockade of Venezuela would not been allowed, am i correct or wrong.

[eurowatch]

You are right but if Castro had been that savvy he probably also would have realised that his warmongering was counterproductive or been told to cut it out by the US. But by 1908 Castro had already managed to piss of all the countries of note so what does this add to the discussion?

[lordroel]

Jan 25, 2016 16:12:15 GMT eurowatch said:

You are right but if Castro had been that savvy he probably also would have realised that his warmongering was counterproductive or been told to cut it out by the US. But by 1908 Castro had already managed to piss of all the countries of note so what does this add to the discussion?

That if he was more friendly to the United States than the Netherlands blockade would never had happen.

So the conclusion is simple, even if Castro remained in his country and did not get sick, his own people who where effected by the blockaded would have him overthrown, a new government would negotiate with the Netherlands and everything would return to normal.