The Neutrality of the Netherlands in World War II and its Lessons for the United States.

 

  The Second World War was a defining moment in world history, making the rise of the United States and Soviet Union as dominant global powers and the decline of Europe as the center of the World. The Netherlands, a small country located in the heart of Europe and formally a 16th-century global power, found itself in a difficult position during the war, torn between its tradition of pragmatic neutrality and its need to maintain trade with Germany, which had become its largest trading partner. However, the Netherlands' efforts to remain neutral and continue trading with Germany proved useless as German forces invaded the country in May 1940. 

The Netherlands' attempts to remain neutral during the war were driven by a desire to avoid conflict and protect its citizens. The country had a long history of neutral behaviour, dating back to the late 19th century when it had declared itself neutral to avoid being drawn into the Franco-Prussian War. During the First World War, the Netherlands had also maintained its neutrality, and its policy of non-intervention had helped to spare the country from the destruction that much of Europe suffered.  

However, the situation was different during the Second World War. The rise of Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany and the aggressive expansionism of the Third Reich threatened Europe's stability and the Netherlands' security. Despite this, the Netherlands tried to maintain its policy of neutrality and continued to trade with Germany, hoping to avoid any conflict that would put its citizens at risk. The approach proved short-sighted, as the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940 demonstrated. The Netherlands could not defend itself against the German forces and was quickly overrun, with its army and government collapsing in the face of the German invasion.   

The Netherlands' experience during the Second World War holds essential lessons for the United States today as it navigates the complex and rapidly changing geopolitical landscape of the 21st century. Like the Netherlands in the 1930s, the United States today faces various complex challenges, including economic competition, military tension, and growing mistrust among its number one trading partner, China. And like the Netherlands, the United States, too, are grappling with the question of how best to balance their interest and maintain security in the face of military and economic challenges from the number trading partner, China. 

  For the United States, the lessons of the Netherlands' experience during the Second World War highlight the importance of avoiding a narrow and short-sighted focus on economic interests at the expense of strategic consideration, not to mention economic disparity domestically. While maintaining ties with China may be necessary, the United States must also be mindful of the potential risks of China's military and economic expansion and be prepared to protect its security and interests.  

The Netherlands' experience during the Second World War serves as a cautionary tale and a temporal marker for the United States, reminding its Citizens of the importance of maintaining a balance between economic and strategic interests and being prepared to defend their security and interests in the face of geopolitical challenges. This comes down to leadership and leadership, which is objective and places the United States' interests first, along with its citizens. The question during election cycles: Can a country whose political leaders are tied to foreign money and self-interest guide the United States through this narrow gap of geopolitical peace? 

Considering humanity is ninety seconds to midnight, according to the doomsday clock, it seems doubtful that a system of two political parties with much in common in that both like war so long as no one wins- after all, how could the two parties make any money with their pass-through corporations during the rebuilding phase once hostilities end? And both, like various forms of trickle-down economics, individual welfare via an endless army of bureaucrats in one case and corporate subsidies in the other, can such a political system lead us through the crisis at hand: China and International Cultural Marxism. 

After the German invasion, Queen Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria fled the Netherlands and could not return until 1945. Once the United States retires from the World scene from too many overseas commitments and internal discord at home, there is no more going home to freedom. And Mr. and Mrs. America's unlimited credit card and just-in-time delivery ends. A new way of life begins-