Part 70: Q&A - December 24

Empire Total War: The Second 80 Years War quick online Q&A

Q: When you mention disorganization in the Americas, were you referring to the British or the Dutch?

A: In this case it was the American theater in general, meaning both the British and Dutch, as well as the other provinces and states beside. Approximately a sixth of the landmass in the theater was held by rebel states and loosley aligned native coalitions. The Dutch and British were spread about without any particular sense, and looting and pillaging through the chaos was common.

Q: Why was the Dutch government focusing on taking the Americas as of the 1730s when India seemed far more lucrative? Or why didn't they attempt to gain peace by then?

A: The Dutch had their hand somewhat forced by the sudden appearance of the English in 1728 at their back doorstep. They had suddenly injected the equivalent into the local military equal to hundreds of millions of dollars to put them up to a strength equal to that of Britain, and after the threat on St. Augustine had been dismissed, it left them with a glut of extra soldiers.

They did attempt to acquire peace treaties and cease fires several times, but would have been forced into paying serious reparations and giving up some land. Britain was not in a threatened position in 1730, and the Maratha were still capable of putting a solid resistance forward. As well, the government could not have won a popular vote at that time by giving up the war effort. Many of their citizens were demanding victory, and those were coming in only slowly over the past decade.