The Netherlands Superthread

With island, I of course meant continent in the context of the US. A mistake on my part, which still doesn't make the idea any less true.

Very wise words indeed. Didn't De Gaulle want to use the French tanks more effectively but wasn't allowed to, or something?

I think so. The French did try to use tanks that way latter in the battle but by that time the battle was pretty much lost. As you can see in the picture the Germans attacked the Netherlands and that lead the French and the British to push there troops into Belgium. Than the Germans attacked France (large red arrow) and cut off the British and a large amount of French troops in the pocket. The British were evacuated from Dunkirk and a large number of the french army surrendered. Than from that point on the French were on there own and eventually fell.

Then the Dutch would've had a presence on the Continent for a little longer, though it's Dutch population was small at best.

Apparently, Suriname is also the only country in the world that has a street with both a mosque and synagogue.

Cooperation and tolerance at its finest?

I don't know if you read KIJK, but there was a very interesting article on this subject. Apparently, the Dutch colonised more than just Manhattan. Had they held these, they would've expanded more into North America.

The Dutch were able to kick the crap out of the royal navy at sea in Europe during two wars in the 17th century. Only if they were able to take England's North American possessions...

After the Dutch victory at Chatham in 1667 Samuel Pepys wrote in his well-famed dairy: "Thus in all things, in wisdom, courage, force, knowledge of our own streams, and succes, the Dutch have the best of us, and do end the war with victory on their side."

Before, it was even before the Act of Union that united England and Scotland. The English and later the British did great a job of fending off invaders since 1066, but they were certainly not invincible.

The Royal Navy became big and powerful after William III merged the Royal Navy with the Dutch Navy, the best and largest navy in the world.

Another random fact about the Netherlands: We are officially still at war with Portugal since 1580 something.

No way, the Dutch simply didn't have the resources to keep New Amsterdam from the British and the French, as they were both interested in the area. They were instead occupied with fighting a major land war every few years on the Continent.

It's quite unfortunate that the Dutch North American adventure pretty much ended with the Treaty of Breda in 1667.

Seriously? How did that happen?

I don't know, they just never signed a peace treaty

Have the Netherlands ever been in war with Belgium since the signing of the Treaty of London in 1839?

I don't think so.