Chapter 297: The Batavia Treaty – Seeking Monthly Votes!
If Australia's demands were considered a bit too aggressive, the conditions proposed by the Dutch government seemed entirely absurd.
The Australian government was making a significant show of force, and it was clear that a mere apology and 100,000 pounds in compensation would not be sufficient to resolve the matter. These terms were akin to dismissing a beggar and only strengthened the resolve of Minister Kent, who had already intended to take advantage of the situation with the Dutch.
"If your country isn't serious about peace talks, I believe it would be better to let the military strength of both sides determine the outcome. The victor of the war can then set the terms of the negotiations. Regardless of the outcome, we will have no objections," Minister Kent coldly sneered at the Dutch representatives as he expressed his opinion.
Kent, a graduate of a military academy and a former Minister of Defense for Australia, was accustomed to speaking directly, without the usual politeness of a politician.
"W-What…?" The Dutch delegation was stunned. They hadn't expected the Australian representative to be so aggressive, suggesting that military action should resolve the issue after only a few words.
"Mr. Kent, since you've come to the negotiating table, I believe Australia must have the intention for peace talks as well. How about giving the Dutch government some more time for negotiations? I'm sure they will present conditions that will be satisfactory," the German representative, who couldn't sit idly by, said with a smile, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere at the negotiating table.
"Governor, shouldn't you quickly contact your government to discuss a satisfactory solution?" The German representative directed a sharp comment at the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies.
While Germany had always had a good relationship with the Netherlands, this didn't mean they were willing to jeopardize their relationship with Australia to assist the Dutch. After the isolation Germany experienced during the Second Moroccan Crisis, the German government had become more proactive in forming alliances, which was why they accepted the Dutch government's invitation to be a neutral party at these peace talks.
But the reality was clear: in terms of both overall strength and strategic position, the Netherlands could not compete with Australia.
Australia's unique geographical position allowed it to avoid entanglement in Europe's major conflicts, letting the European situation unfold as it may. Emperor Wilhelm II's closeness to Australia was driven by his recognition of Australia's superior location, believing that Australia could provide unexpected support for Germany in the Franco-German conflict.
However, with the current involvement of Britain, the Franco-German conflict had escalated into a confrontation involving Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Austria, and Italy. The special relationship between Australia and Britain significantly reduced the likelihood of Australia aligning with Germany in this conflict.
But let's not forget that Australia had vast mineral resources that Germany needed. Australia could easily establish a trade agreement with Germany while remaining neutral in the conflict. Furthermore, Australia could serve as a fallback position for Germany, while German New Guinea was a gift prepared for Arthur by Wilhelm II.
Though Emperor Wilhelm II acted rashly at times, as a sovereign, he still possessed some necessary wisdom. Germany, having directly become enemies with Britain and France, had reason to worry about naval supremacy, even though Wilhelm II had great confidence in the German army.
Germany's army could likely withstand an alliance of Britain, France, and Russia, but its navy was no match for Britain and France. Britain had long been the world's foremost naval power, and their navy's tonnage had been greater than that of the second and third largest naval powers combined.
Even though Germany had put all its efforts into catching up in naval power, Wilhelm II knew that the German fleet could not yet rival the British Royal Navy.
The French navy, though less advanced than Germany's in dreadnoughts, had a large number of pre-dreadnoughts, making it a considerable challenge for Germany.
After the German representative spoke, the British representative remained silent.
The first day of peace talks ended on a tense note. However, it was clear that the real positions of Britain and Germany leaned in favor of Australia, which made the Dutch government abandon any hopes of turning the tide, and they continued to negotiate late into the night.
The next day, both Australia and the Netherlands came to the table with much more reasonable demands.
Australia's demand was adjusted to focus on the coastline of the Flores Sea, giving up the claim to the island of Lombok, east of Bali, and the co-management of New Guinea. Instead, Australia now sought control over the Nusa Tenggara Islands, the Southwest Islands, the Southeast Islands, the Aru Islands, and the Kai Islands—territories located in the northern part of Australia and the southern part of the Dutch East Indies.
This set of islands, including Timor Island, would allow Australia to establish a complete defense chain in the northern region, completing a full defensive island chain with New Guinea and New Zealand, strengthening Australia's defense significantly. Combined with Australia's growing navy, the nation could ensure that any war risks would not reach its homeland, thus ensuring the safety of Australia's territory, at least until World War II.
As for the Netherlands, the Dutch were willing to cede Timor Island and its western part, Roti Island, as well as the eastern Leti Islands as territorial compensation.
For financial compensation, the Dutch were finally more generous, agreeing to a payment of 500,000 pounds for the indigenous people affected and an additional one million pounds as compensation for the attacks on Australian merchants.
However, it was clear that Australia's appetite was not satisfied by these terms, and the negotiations once again reached an impasse. The Dutch government began to bargain fiercely, while the Australian representatives fought to secure more benefits for their country.
Australia's expansion opportunities were limited, as most neighboring territories were already colonies of other great powers. This made territorial expansion difficult, and since Arthur's main focus had always been on developing Australia's homeland, this would be only the second time Australia expanded its territory through war and conflict.
After more than ten days of tense negotiations, Australia and the Netherlands finally reached an agreement, resulting in the Batavia Treaty on August 29, 1911.
The Batavia Treaty stipulated that, from the signing date, both parties would cease all conflicts in the Dutch East Indies and restore the diplomatic relations that existed before the hostilities.
To express their apology to Australia, the Netherlands agreed to cede all islands and archipelagos east of Bali, south of the Flores Sea and Banda Sea, and west of New Guinea.
Additionally, the Netherlands agreed to a financial compensation of 100,000 pounds for the affected Australian merchants and one million pounds to the Australian government, representing all its citizens.
Finally, Australia agreed to forgo its claim to the western part of New Guinea, a vast area covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, nearly a quarter of the Dutch East Indies.
After the treaty was signed, both the Australian and Dutch governments undoubtedly breathed a sigh of relief.
For Australia, this was a tremendous gain without the expenditure of a single soldier. The country acquired tens of thousands of square kilometers of land and millions of indigenous people, forming a complete defense chain in the northern region. Furthermore, the Netherlands' payment of one million pounds was an unequivocal profit.
Arthur's original goal in sending Charles Wren to the Dutch East Indies had been to integrate the rubber companies and estates in Southeast Asia and control the region's rubber industry. Who would have thought that the Dutch East Indies' shortsightedness would result in such a massive loss for them?
As for the Dutch government, while they ceded many islands, they retained control over the primary islands of the Dutch East Indies. The good news was that Bali, an island near Java, would serve as the first line of defense, preventing the Australians from getting too close to Batavia and Java.
After all, the islands ceded were mostly in the southern part of the Dutch East Indies. These territories contained only a few hundred thousand indigenous people, and the loss wasn't as significant for the Netherlands as losing New Guinea or even threatening Java itself, which would have fundamentally shaken Dutch rule in the region.
In the end, the negotiations concluded with a relatively peaceful resolution. While tensions in Southeast Asia were brought to an end, Australia would likely still have to put in some effort, and perhaps even use military force, to secure the islands ceded by the Netherlands.
(End of Chapter)
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